Oslo, Norway’s DØDSFALL have announced that their new EP Kronet i Svart Eld will be released on January 31st via Unexploded Records.

The EP was mastered by Magnus Devo Andersson at Endarker Studio (RAGNAROK, MARDUK, OFERMOD, THE LEGION).

Guests on the album include; Magnus Devo Andersson (MARDUK), Necrosadist (SORCERY, PATRONYMICON) and Fauk (HORDAGAARD).
Tracklisting is as follows:

‘I Skuggans Famn’
‘Av Død Skal Du Herske’
‘Mørkrets Sirkel’
‘Inn I Fjellets Dypeste Dyp’
‘Gal Tjener’

The track ‘Inn I Fjellets Dypeste Dyp’ can be heard below:

In March 2012, UNISONIC's Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY, ex-HELLOWEEN) and Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween) travelled to Japan for a promo tour supporting the band's self-titled debut. They have posted footage from the trip - shot by Kiske - with the suggestion that fans "don't take it too serious."
Unisonic recently issued the following update:

"Hello out there, we wish you all a healthy and happy year 2013!!!

2012 was an event- and successful year for Unisonic: We released our debut CD and did the first tour, leading us to many countries in Latin America, Asia and Europe. The feedback on the CD and the live shows was phenomenal and we want to thank you all from the deepest of our hearts for your support!

2013 will be a more silent year for Unisonic. Besides working with our other bands and projects, be sure that we will use the time to write and record a new Unisonic album! Touring together for the first time and your overwhelming reactions glued us together as a band, and we can´t wait to canalize all these impressions into a powerful and melodic metal album to be released in early 2014!"
Unisonic lineup:

Michael Kiske (vocals - ex-HELLOWEEN)
Mandy Meyer (guitars - ex-GOTTHARD, ex-KROKUS)
Kai Hansen (guitars - GAMMA RAY, ex Helloween)
Dennis Ward (bass - PINK CREAM 69)
Kosta Zafiriou (drums - Pink Cream 69)

Unisonic performed at the Hellfest in Clisson, France on June 15th, 2012. Quality fan-filmed video from the show is available below:
The band's complete setlist was as follows:

'Unisonic'
'Never Too Late'
'King For A Day'
'My Sanctuary'
'March Of Time'
'Over The Rainbow'
'Star Rider'
'We Rise'
'I Want Out'

More on Unisonic at this location.

Blackened thrash assailants SATAN'S WRATH have released their new video, for the Galloping Blasphemy album track, 'Slaves Of The Inverted Cross'. The video finds the unholy collective methodically and unapologetically leveling the stage at The Underworld in London. Watch the clip below:
Formed in 2011 by multi-instrumentalist Tas Danazoglou (vocals, drums & bass) and Stamos K (guitars), Satan's Wrath deal in a style of heavy metal music which harks back to the times when the death, black and thrash genres were all considered one in the same, and only leather, spikes and bullets were real.

Galloping Blasphemy was released last September through Metal Blade Records, and contains nine tracks of unholy terror.
Galloping Blasphemy tracklisting:

'Leonard Rising - Night Of The Whip'
'Between Belial And Satan'
'One Thousand Goats In Sodom'
'Hail Tritone, Hail Lucifer'
'Galloping Blasphemy'
'Death Possessed'
'Death To Life'
'Slaves Of The Inverted Cross'
'Satan's Wrath'

More on Satan's Wrath at this location.

Finnish traditional doom rock/metal outfit CHURCH OF VOID, featuring members of BATTLELORE and ex-HORNA, are offering up their debut EP called Winter Is Coming for free at their official Bandcamp page.

Winter Is Coming features the following tracks:
'Winter Is Coming'
'Strongholds Of Karak Varn'
'The Hour Is Getting Late'
'Summerland'
Check out the track ''Strongholds Of Karak Varn'' below:
Church Of Void are:
Magus Corvus - Moaning
Georgios Funeral - Lead Spear
Adolf Darkschneider - Lead Axe
Harley Warlock - Low Frequences
Byron Vortex - Sonic Drum Attack

Finland's DAMNATION PLAN will release their new album, The Wakening, on March 12th via Coroner Records. The album, mixed and masterered by Dan Swanö (ex-EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH, NIGHTINGALE) at Unisound Studio, combines clean and theatrical vocals (Asim Searah - former KIUAS) and harsh vocals (Tommy Tuovinen - MYGRAIN) in a massive and uncompromised progressive melodic death metal masterpiece.
The Wakening tracklisting:

'Intro'
'The Unknown Presence'
'Blindsighted'
'The Wakening'
'Edge Of Machinery'
'Crimson Skies'
'Walk Of Illusion'
'Ashes'
'Resurrected (Within Ourselves)'
'Grand World Anthem'

The making of The Wakening video can be seen below:
You can listen to a full preview of the song 'The Wakening' at this location.

The album trailer for The Wakening can be seen below:
Damnation Plan lineup:

Antti Lauri - Lead Guitars
Jarkko Lunnas - Drums
Asim Searah - Clean Vocals
Tommy Tuovinen - Harsh & Clean Vocals
Jukka Vehkamaa - Bass
Kalle Niininen - Rhythm Guitars
More on Damnation Plan at this location.

Montreal-based death metal act DEPTHS OF HATRED will release a new single, 'Secluded Redemption', on February 15th, prior to entering the studio to track their sophomore album. A teaser video for the song is below:
The band’s debut album, Aversionist, was released in March 2012 through Galy Records. The album was mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY, NEURAXIS, THE LAST FELONY).
Depths Of Hatred's music video for 'Revocation', which features a guest appearance from Elliot Desgagnes (BENEATH THE MASSACRE), can be seen below:
Depths Of Hatred lineup:

Dominic D.D. - Vocals
Martin Trottier - Guitar
Christian Mongrain Theriault - Guitar
Karl Desjardins - Drums
Antoine Millette - Bass

More on Depths Of Hatred at this location.

Swedish black metal veterans BLODSRIT have announced they will release their sixth full-length album Diktat Deliberi later this year.

The new album was recorded in Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, FUNERAL MIST, ARMAGEDDA) by Sverker Widgren.

The cover art was created by Lorenzo Mariani (DARKTHRONE, MARDUK, MAYHEM, THYRFING) and can be seen below:
Tracklist is as follows:

‘Livsbesmittad’
‘Skapelseförfall’
‘Blod Och Aska’
‘Vit Skit’
‘Ulvens Tid’
‘Evangeli’
‘I Evighet’
‘Ritual’

Making of the new album videos can be seen below:

Bilbao, Spain-based prog/metal band QUAOAR have released their sophomore album, The River & The Soul - the follow-up to the band's 2007 debut, Man't - via Noma Records.
The River & The Soul shows a band with no fear of the hardest or softest sounds; of catchy choruses, of classical or innovative structures, of melodies, of whispering or yelling. This record has been designed both for people who have a sharp hearing and people who don’t, and can be played on any radio station, no matter if it’s underground or a major. Two concepts, the river and the soul, inspire the lyrics of the songs on this album. Lyrics related to the human being, his internal life, his muses and, of course, society and the suppositions he lives together with.
Tracklisting:

'Intro'
'Memento Mori'
'Enslaved'
'Love The Muse'
'My Anger Runs'
'Hicks Are Kings'
'Get Rid Of Them'
'Absolutely'
'Hear The Void'
'The River & The Soul'

Listen to the track, 'Hear The Void', below:
More on Quaoar at this location.

"Tides Of War", the new video from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada-based melodic death thrashers CHARIOTS OF THE GODS, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's full-length album, which was released on January 29. Produced by award-winning producer/engineer/mixer Glen Robinson, who has worked with RAMONES, AC/DC, GWAR, ANNIHILATOR and VOIVOD, the CD delivers 14 epic, crushing tracks to follow up their well received 2010 debut EP, "Reverence", which the band promoted by performing extensively in Quebec and Ontario, sharing the stage with such bands as MISFITS, VOIVOD, DESPISED ICON, KATAKLYSM and MISERY INDEX.

"We can't begin to describe how proud we are to finally share our musical creations with the world. So much has gone into it and we were lucky enough to work with incredible people such as our producer Glen Robinson and Aleksi Sihvonen (NORTHER)," comments vocalist Renaud Jobin. "Our sweat and manly tears gave this full-length album a more authentic and mature sound that will hopefully, rip your face off and leave you breathless."

"Tides Of War" track listing:

01. Overture
02. Seventh Weapon
03. Blind Assassin
04. Ambrosian Wings
05. Tides of War
06. Revillusion (1905)
07. Snow Falls On The White River (1914)
08. Severing The Bloodline (1917)
09. Collapse of An Empire
10. Red Skies
11. Nebula
12. Starborn
13. Unbound (feat. Aleksi Sihvonen)
14. Annihilation of The Gods

The cover artwork for the second part of STONE SOUR's "House Of Gold & Bones" double album can be seen below. The effort, which is expected to be released in April, will also be made available as a four-issue comic book.

Like the story, the "House Of Gold & Bones" album package comes in two parts. When the two pieces meet, they combine to create the "House Of Gold & Bones".

When asked by ThisIsNotAScene what fans can expect from the second part of "House Of Gold & Bones", singer Corey 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."

STONE SOUR will send its new single, "Do Me A Favor", to rock radio stations on February 12. A video is already in the planning stages, with director Phil Mucci tapped to film the clip. Taylor gave The Pulse Of Radio a preview of what to expect from the song. "It's quite aggressive, and actually the label asked me if I would go in and tame stuff down and I was like, 'No.' I'm not doing that," he said. "This is going out the way it is and I'm not gonna touch it up. I'm not gonna have people looking for a song that doesn't exist. This is the way it is on the album, that's the way it's going to be when we put it out to radio."

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

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.

STONE SOUR and PAPA ROACH have teamed up for a co-headlining U.S. tour that kicked off on January 20 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

UK doom tyrants RAMESSES are official on hiatus. A message from the band follows:

"After a decade of doom , Ramesses are now in hibernation for the foreseeable future. Sadly this means we have to cancel our appearance at Desertfest 2013.

A massive blackened heartfelt thanks to all who have helped and supported us over the last 10 years… you will not be forgotten. We are all 3 continuing with new musical projects… stay tuned… the trip continues."

Ramesses lineup:

Mark Greening - Drums
Adam Richardson - Bass, vocals
Tim Bagshaw - Guitar
More on the band here.

British grind-core legends NAPALM DEATH will have their ninth album, Enemy Of The Music Business, released on vinyl for the first time - available on February 11th via Secret Records.
Few extreme British metal bands have made as much of an impact as Napalm Death. Since the release of their debut album, Scum, the band has consistently upped their game with each new album to produce some of the heaviest and most brutal music in the metal genre.

Although their lineup changed almost completely since their debut, by the time of Enemy Of The Music Business’ 2000 release the band had their most stable lineup with Mark "Barney" Greenway on vocals, Shane Embury on bass, Mitch Harris on guitar and backing vocals, Jesse Pintado on guitar and Danny Herrera playing drums.

At this point Napalm Death were hitting a creatively angry peak with many of the songs on the album and the album name heatedly aimed at their former label, Earache. This disagreement only added more attitude and aggression fuel to their lyrical and musical fire highlighted on tracks such as ‘Vermin’ and ‘Thanks For Nothing’. Enemy Of The Music Business is an important recording for any Napalm Death and grind-core fans as it is the last release to feature late legendary guitarist Jesse Pintado.

Now available for the first time ever on 180g vinyl for maximum audio quality this is not a grind-core release to be missed. Prepare your ears for annihilation.
Tracklisting:

'Taste The Poison'
'Next On The List'
'Constitutional Hell'
'Vermin'
'Volume Of Neglect'
'Thanks For Nothing'
'Can’t Play Won’t Play'
'Blunt Against The Cutting Edge'
'Cure For The Common Complaint'
'Necessary Evil'
'C.S. (Conservative Shithead) Part 2'
'Mechanics Of Deceit'
'(The Public Get) What The Public Doesn’t Want'
'Fracture In The Equation'

Slovenian occult act VIGILANCE will release its new album, "Queen Of The Midnight Fire", later in the year via Metal Tank Records. The band's follow-up to 2011's "Steeds Of Time" "will crush everything in [its path] with its excellent mixture of genuine traditional speed heavy metal filled with profound devotion for primordial and ritualistic occultism," according to a press release.

"Queen Of The Midnight Fire" track listing:

01. Queen Of The Midnight Fire
02. Behind The Cellar Door
03. Speedwave
04. What Lies Beyond…
05. Night Terrors
06. Four Crowns Of Hell
07. Poetry And The Gods
08. Under Sulphurous Skies
09. Ritual Of Death

Cape Cora, Florida-based hard rockers MODERN SUPERSTAR have released a video sampler for the new single ‘Dirty Girl’. Check it out below:
‘Dirty Girl’ comes off the band’s yet-to-be-titled new EP which his currently being recorded at Stet Howland's Warehouse Studio in Ft. Myers, FL with Stet Howland (WHERE ANGELS SUFFER, W.A.S.P.).

The band released a studio update earlier in the month. Check it out below:
Modern Superstar recently announced the following live dates for 2013:

March
8 - House Of Rock - White Marsh, MD
10 - Dingbatz - Clifton, NJ
15 - The Back Bar - Janesville, WI
22 - Changes Nightclub - New Castle, PA

April
27 - Spring Stampede - House Of Rock - White Marsh, MD

November
7 - Rock Harvest II - House Of Rock - White Marsh, MD
8 - Rock Harvest II - House Of Rock - White Marsh, MD
9 - Rock Harvest II - House Of Rock - White Marsh, MD

More dates to be announced soon.

The band recently confirmed their new touring and recording lineup. The lineup consists of Mike Hatfield on guitars, Mike Mackey on bass, Lorenzo 'Zo' DelVecchio on guitars, Ryche Green on drums and Tommy Milan on vocals.

Gâst, the fourth full-length album from veteran Danish black metallers BLODARV, was released on December 12th, 2012 via Self Mutilation Services in both a regular CD format and a limited edition A5 format with different artwork.

The band have released a video for 'A Snowy Night In November', a track from Gâst. The video was filmed during January of this year in the Northland region of Bornholm, the island home of founder and frontman Hugin, and features appearances from Blodarv members Satinae Ma (clean vocals) and Pestilens (lead guitars), as well as Hugin himself.

Watch the new video below:
Gâst tracklisting:

'Indelukket'
'A Snowy Night In November'
'I Blaek Og Blod'
'Korset Paa Baalet'
'The Heart Of Art'
'Lonely Journey'
'Surrounded By Dust'
'Into The Halls Of Orion'
Special edition cover:
According to a press release, Gâst contains a mix of tracks in both Danish and English, and allows a glimpse into the mind of Hugin through his music and his poetry. Influenced by the rich history and traditions of Bornholm, an island filled with myths and legends and beautiful, eerily evocative landscapes, Hugin leads the listeners through a world filled with powerful demons, haunted souls, tragic destinies and chilling dreams. The title itself, in the island dialect of Bornholmsk (Burgundian), refers to a Gâst - a type of a ghost demon or energy with the ability to possess mortals and inspire them in much the same way as a muse, with visions, stories, smells, sounds, emotions and pictures.
Two tracks from Gâst - 'Surrounded By Dust' and 'I Blaek Og Blod', together with tracks spanning Blodarv’s 14-year career can be heard on the band’s SoundCloud below:

BLODARV by BLODARV

A promo video for Gâst can be viewed below:
The official video for the 'I Blaek Og Blod' track from Gâst, can be seen below:

THRESHOLD has premiered the new video for 'Staring At The Sun'. The promo was conceived by Achim Bieler, who won a fan contest run by the band. After he submitted his original concept and was voted the winner, Threshold worked with him to shoot additional footage, aiming to create an even more impressive edition of his work.

Keyboardist Richard West comments: “Congratulations to Achim and his team! They created a great movie with beautiful cinematography and a storyline that was both abstract and engaging. We really enjoyed this video!”
'Staring At The Sun' is taken from the band’s latest album, March Of Progress – their first with returned vocalist Damian Wilson since 1997?s Extinct Instinct.

"A Road Of Gravel And Skulls", a brand new song from the Swedish experimental/progressive band THE MOTH GATHERER, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below. The massive, eight-minute track full of progressive emotions and melodic slower sections comes off the group's upcoming debut album, "A Bright Celestial Light", which will be released on April 16 in Europe and April 30 in North America via Agonia Records.

"A Bright Celestial Light" will consist of five original compositions with a total playing time of 44 minutes. The album was mastered by Karl Daniel Liden and will feature a guest appearance from Member 001 of THE KONSORTIUM fame.

"A Bright Celestial Light" track listing:

01. The Water That We All Come To Need
02. Intervention
03. A Road of Gravel and Skulls
04. The Womb, The Woe, The Woman
05. A Falling Deity

THE MOTH GATHERER's music is hard to label due to band's non-one-dimensional approach towards the songs they create; the experimental/progressive etiquette seems almost too laconic to fully do justice to the spirit of the compositions. The debut offers up long and complex tracks, but still surprisingly simple and compelling. Abundance of tempo changes and variations that surround the album bask in emotionally charged, progressive yet utterly melodic slower sections, addictive enough to stimulate the imagination.

"We just want our music to be an emotional explosion," comments Alex Stjernfeldt, THE MOTH GATHERER co-founder. "A lot of the songs are about death, missing people you loved who have passed away, and losing hope in mankind. We want the music to make you feel like you can move mountains with it. I wish for that when people hear our music, they start to dream away."

THE MOTH GATHERER is recommended for fans of NEUROSIS, BREACH and CULT OF LUNA.

The band is: Alex Stjernfeldt and Victor Wegeborn, who both handle guitars, bass, electronics, vocals, and drums.

Las Vegas-based doomsters DEMON LUNG have completed recording their debut album at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California. The CD is currently being mixed by Billy Anderson at his studio in Portland, Oregon for a late spring release via Candlelight Records.

Las Vegas Weekly recently included DEMON LUNG on their Top 10 Local Bands To Watch In 2013. Drummer Jeremy Brenton confirmed to the newspaper that the album will be a concept about "the long-begotten son of Satan, who's been sent to earth to assemble the three parts of the devil's bible so that we can speak the name of god in reverse and undo creation." He added: "When you say it out loud, it's pretty funny, but it's some pretty epic shit."

DEMON LUNG features guitarist Phil Burns, bassist Patrick Warren and vocalist Shanda Fredrick with Brenton. The band has been called "earthy yet horror-themed doom metal a la CANDLEMASS," by Metal Hammer. Ave Noctum noted, "DEMON LUNG has a deft touch and solid sound. Their music is clearly from the soul."

DEMON LUNG has performed alongside PENTAGRAM, HIGH ON FIRE, JUCIFER, WITCH MOUNTAIN and CASTLE, among others.

Long-running Spanish death metal act AVULSED recently performed two rare shows in Turkey this past December.
During the band's visit, Istanbul-based Rock Vault spoke with singer Dave Rotten about a number of topics. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Rock Vault: What do you think about your performance, Turkish audiences, venue?

Rotten: "Thanx, I’m glad you enjoyed the show. Both in Ankara and Istanbul were cool shows!! We enjoyed both, but perhaps the one in Istanbul was more crazy!!"
Rock Vault: How would you describe the sound of next album compared to Nullo (The Pleasure Of Self-Mutilation)?

Rotten: "On Nullo we wanted to add some thrashy feel in many of the songs, just to do something fresh and different than the other albums, while still retaining our typical sound, of course, but on this one we’re trying to get some riffings we haven’t been using for many years and we want to do a more purely death metal album here. Will be 100% Avulsed, 100% death metal."

Rock Vault: What are your expectations for your next release?

Rotten: "Our expectations are to wake up our fans and any death metal lover in general. We won’t get famous, haha, but our aim is to keep playing this music we love and being able to play in more and more new places, like we did in Turkey for example!!"

Avulsed debuted the new song called 'Cult Of The Living Dead' in Ankara. Check it out below:

Former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis took part in a clinic at the Schecter booth at this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show, a massive music-products convention that took place January 24-27 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Video footage of his performance can be seen below.

Loomis last year released a brand-new song, "A Liar's Chain", recorded with his touring band consisting of Joe Nurre (guitar and vocals), Anup Sastry (drums) and Greg Macklin (bass).

Loomis's second solo album, "Plains Of Oblivion", sold 2,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 179 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at No. 2 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Plains Of Oblivion" was released on April 10, 2012 in North America (one day earlier in Europe) via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by Aaron Smith (7 HORNS 7 EYES) and features cover artwork by Colin Marks of Rain Song Design, who has previously worked with ALL SHALL PERISH, THE END and XERATH.

Chicago thrashers DIAMOND PLATE have begun recording their new studio album, due later in the year via Earache Records. The as-yet untitled follow-up to DIAMOND PLATE's 2011 debut, "Generation Why?", is being recorded with producer Neil Kernon (JUDAS PRIEST, NEVERMORE, DEICIDE, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD) at Studio Chicago in the band's hometown.

DIAMOND PLATE lead guitarist Konrad Kupiec comments: "We are beyond excited to announce that we are in the studio recording our second album! The legendary Neil Kernon is helping us capture the new songs and the new energy of the band in the traditional way that classic records were made. We decided to step away from the modern approach to albums by recording the band playing live in the same room together and keeping everything real. Everybody can expect this record to be faster and heavier than ever, but most of all they can expect the unexpected."

DIAMOND PLATE last year recruited Matt Ares as their new vocalist and bassist following the departure of Jon Macak.

HALESTORM were the musical guests on last night's (Tuesday, January 29) edition ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The band performed two songs — "Love Bites (So Do I)" and "Freak Like Me" — on the show's indoor stage in front of a standing-room-only crowd. You can now watch video footage of the group's appearance below.

HALESTORM was nominated for a Grammy Award on December 5, 2012 for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance," for the song "Love Bites (So Do I)".

HALESTORM is up against ANTHRAX, IRON MAIDEN, LAMB OF GOD, MARILYN MANSON and MEGADETH in the category.

"Love Bites" is taken from HALESTORM's second album, "The Strange Case Of…"

The song hit No. 1, making HALESTORM the first female-fronted act in history to top the Active Rock chart.

The band recently headlined the Jägermeister Presents tour and closed out a very successful 2012 with three special holiday performances billed as "An Evening With" the band. The shows took place on December 27 at Philadelphia's Electric Factory, December 29 at Montclair, New Jersey's Wellmont Theater and December 31 at Soundstage in Baltimore.

Dutch extreme metallers THE MONOLITH DEATHCULT will release their fourth full-length album, "Tetragrammaton", on May 14 (one day earlier internationally) via Season Of Mist.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Gods Amongst Insects
02. H.W.A. (Human Wave Attack)
03. Drugs, Thugs & Machetes
04. Todesnacht von Stammheim
05. S.A.D.M. (Svpreme Avantgarde Death Metal)
06. Qasr Al-Nihaya
07. Aslimu!!! - All Slain Those Who Bring Down Our Highly Respected Symbols To The Lower Status Of The Barren Earth

Says the band: "This vile assault on the fundamental canons of human decency, progress and civilization will take no fewer than 59 minutes and 40 seconds of the precious life you have left on this wretched clump of rock."

According to THE MONOLITH DEATHCULT, the CD's overall lyrical theme will be roughly the same as on "Trivmvirate" and "The White Crematorium" (2005). "But then again," said guitarist/vocalist Michiel Dekker, "who cares about lyrical themes in death metal?"

As on "Trivmvirate", producing duties and Pro Tools wizardry was done by Pascal Altena. Mixing duties were handled by Guido Aalbers.

A video clip featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the "Tetragrammaton" mixing sessions can be seen below.

Rob Zombie has set "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" as the title of his new album, due on April 23 via Zodiac Swan/T-Boy/Ume. T-Boy Records is veteran rock manager Andy Gould's new partnership with Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) which will serve as an umbrella label releasing new music and albums from established iconic hard-rock bands with major followings. The CD was produced by Bob Marlette, who has previously worked with everyone from BLACK SABBATH and ALICE COOPER to WILSON PHILLIPS and LYNYRD SKYNYRD.

In an interview with the Toledo Free Press, Zombie stated about "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor": "It seems to happen every couple of years or every 10 years or every five years or whatever, you have a moment when it all comes together. Not that the other records are bad, but not every record can be like the most inspired event in your life. But for some reason, this one feels like it is. The songwriting, the sound of it, the vibe, the production — it's special."

According to Zombie, fans can expect an album that touches quite a few musical bases.

"It's stylistically sort of a little bit of everything," Zombie said. "Fans of my really old stuff will love it because there's a certain aspect of it that's very reminiscent of that. But it also is very looking to the future. It's hard to describe music to somebody if they haven't heard it, but I feel like it's the best of all of the things I've done. I've finally found a perfect match between the old stuff I did and the new stuff. That's the way it sounds to me anyway."

The singer released a collection of remixes of various ZOMBIE tracks on August 7, 2012 called "Mondo Sex Head". The remixes feature some of the hottest names in the growing electronic dance music scene, along with contributions from Jonathan Davis of KORN and Chino Moreno of DEFTONES.

Gould, who currently heads his own Spectacle Entertainment Group, has managed Rob Zombie since his days in WHITE ZOMBIE. Gould's track record includes sales exceeding fifteen million worldwide and seven Grammy nominations with Zombie, including securing deals for Zombie to become one of only a handful of people to have unprecedented success for six feature films as the writer and director.

"We have had a great deal of success in the past with Rob Zombie," explains Gould about his decision to take the new venture to UMe. "We want to sign rock bands with brand names that do good business on the road, and have been underserved by the major label system. The idea I had arose out of discussions with the other managers of major hard-rock acts who all felt their artists could benefit from an improved label experience. We're looking to super-serve this niche audience, which is tremendously loyal, and is often even larger internationally than here in the States."

U.K. doom metallers MY DYING BRIDE are back in the studio putting the finishing touches on their upcoming EP, tentatively titled "The Manuscript".

Says the band: "We are working on four songs but the EP may only contain three. Artwork being taken care of by Aaron [Stainthorpe, vocals] this time. Release date to be announced."

In a recent interview with Metal Forces, Stainthorpe stated about the songs that will appear on "The Manuscript": "They're very similar to 'A Map Of All Our Failures', because they were written and recorded at the same time, except for one song. That really stands out… [laughs] It's full-on sort of epic death metal; it's swords and axes, a proper warrior battle kind of track that's almost medieval in flavor. You can almost picture the scene; it's set in a snowy kind of mountainous landscape. There are sound effects and all sorts of mayhem going on in it, and death metal vocals not quite all the way through it, but near enough. It even has a Swedish title which because my Swedish isn't great, I'm not gonna repeat here. [laughs] I need to get the pronunciation right before I do that."

"The Poorest Waltz", the new video from MY DYING BRIDE, can be seen below. The clip tells the story of a midnight tryst between two young village men and a dorm of blind girls locked in a sanatorium, who dance the night away to elegant music and home made wine.

"The Poorest Waltz" comes off MY DYING BRIDE's new album, "A Map Of All Our Failures", which was released on October 15, 2012 in Europe and October 16, 2012 in the U.S. via Peaceville Records on CD, double vinyl and special-edition CD+DVD. The effort was recorded and mixed at Futureworks Studios in Manchester, England with the band's longtime production partner Rob "Mags" Magoolagan at the helm.

German power metallers GAMMA RAY will release a new EP entitled "Master Of Confusion" on March 15 via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group.

GAMMA RAY released "Skeletons & Majesties Live" on double CD, Blu-ray and DVD in Europe on November 30, 2012 and in North America on December 4, 2012 through via Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records. The set features footage of the band's April 29, 2011 performance at the legendary Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland.

"Skeletons & Majesties Live" has a playing time of two hours and is a tour de force through the band's history so far, including lots of hits and classics, but also tracks which were undeservedly under-represented to date.

The release of "Skeletons & Majesties Live" marked the beginning of an eventful 2013 for GAMMA RAY: after Hansen stayed true to his word and spent 2012 concentrating mainly on his second band, UNISONIC, he and his three colleagues Henjo Richter (guitar), Dirk Schlächter (bass) and new addition Michael Ehré (the FIREWIND/LOVE.MIGHT.KILL drummer has replaced Daniel Zimmermann, who left the GAMMA RAY fold on friendly terms) are now focusing exclusively on GAMMA RAY again. A co-headlining tour with HELLOWEEN has been scheduled for February.

Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen will release his autobiography entitled "Relentless: The Memoir" on May 21 via Wiley.

The book's official description: "Yngwie Malmsteen's revolutionary guitar style — combining elements of classical music with the speed and volume of heavy metal — made him a staple of the 80s rock scene. Decades later, he's still a legend among guitarists, having sold 11 million albums and influenced generations of rockers since. In 'Relentless', Malmsteen shares his personal story, from the moment he burst onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere in the early '80s to become a household name in the annals of heavy metal. Along the way, he talks about his first bands, going solo, his songwriting and recording process, and the seedy side of the rock business."

The 288-page book is available for pre-order via Amazon.

On October 1, 2012, music journalist Anders Tengner's unauthorized biography of Malmsteen, "Såsom I Himmelen, Så Ock På Jorden" (English translation: "As Above, So Below") was released in Sweden via Bokfabriken. The 350-page book is based on more than 50 interviews with people who were really close to Yngwie during his life. It gives a unique and sensitive insight into the raging life of the guitar god. It is a tribute to the biggest Swedish rock star ever, but a tribute that doesn't ignore the hard and crazy times.

"Såsom I Himmelen, Så Ock På Jorden" contains 64 pictures taken by some of the world's greatest rock photographers, as well as unique and private photos.

According to a press release, "This is probably as close as you can get to Yngwie: The loneliness, passion, betrayals, scandals, domestic abuse, drugs, sex and, of course, the music that make up his life."

The book's foreword was written by legendary hard rock singer Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE), who previously played with Malmsteen.

"Keep In Touch", the first video from MAXIMUM HEDRUM — the new project featuring SEPULTURA frontman Derrick Green — can be seen below.

MAXIMUM HEDRUM earlier in the month kicked off a four-Monday residency at Los Globos, a two-story nightclub in Silverlake, California. The group features DJ Sam Spiegel, Green on vocals, drummer Fredo Ortiz from the BEASTIE BOYS and THE BONGOLOIDZ, bassist KoolGMurder from THE EELS, saxophonist/trombonist David Ralicke (NEON TREES, THE DIRTY HEADS) and vocalist Alisa Sanders.

Aside from his work producing the YEAH YEAH YEAHS' Grammy-nominated sophomore album "Show Your Bones" and scoring countless films, documentaries and commercials, Spiegel in 2009 founded N.A.S.A. (North America South America), whose landmark globetrotting debut LP, "The Spirit Of Apollo", featured jaw-dropping collaborations from the likes of Kanye West, George Clinton, M.I.A. , Tom Waits, RZA and David Byrne.

The MAXIMUM HEDRUM project was instigated by Spiegel's feelings on the advancements of technology and the resulting impact on our lives. "It was a feeling I had to express," he said. "I really wanted to examine the interconnectedness and isolation this shift has brought... and the desperation that fills the Internet."

After numerous experimental late night studio sessions with longtime friend Derrick Green in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the project was officially born.

"Derrick has only ever screamed on metal and hardcore albums before, but on this album he's crooning with his bass baritone voice like Isaac Hayes, and also singing crazy falsetto like Prince. It's really a departure from anything that either of us has ever done in the past," said Spiegel.

"I always imagined and desired to use my voice in as many ways unimaginable," said Green. "The combination of working together with Sam Spiegel has opened many possibility to expand the boundaries of music. The idea of MAXIMUM HEDRUM is to break down all concepts and barriers of the mind and explore the unknown fearlessly. The journey is just beginning, with so many endless possibilities with MAXIMUM HEDRUM."

MAXIMUM HEDRUM will release its debut self-titled album on March 5. It will include the single "Synthesize", which you can check out below.

"In Due Time", the new single from Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE — singer Jesse Leach, guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarist Joel Stroetzel and drummer Justin Foley — can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The song comes off the band's forthcoming album, "Disarm The Descent", which will be released on April 2 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's 2009's self-titled release is the band's first album with original singer Leach at the vocal helm since 2002's now-classic, genre-defining "Alive or Just Breathing". Leach returned to the band in January 2012 after a decade-long absence. The artwork for the new CD was created by D'Antonio.

"In Due Time" will be made available digitally on February 5. Album pre-orders will kick off in early February, as well, with more details forthcoming.

"Disarm The Descent" was selected by Alternative Press magazine for its "Most Anticipated Albums of 2013" issue, and the band was profiled in Guitar World as one to watch in 2013. Clearly, buzz from fans and the metal and hard rock community regarding new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE remains deafening.

"It is with a grateful spirit that we prepare for this record's release," Leach said. "From the music, to the lyrics, to the artwork, we are all proud of what we have accomplished. To me, this is by far my best vocal performance, much thanks to Adam's guidance and faith in my abilities. I am very grateful to be where I am in life, back in an amazing band with a record we are all excited for the world to hear. Thanks to all the fans for their warm welcome back and their undying love for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE."

2012 marked a busy year for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE.

With Leach firmly installed as the frontman for the last 12 months, the band spent its summer on the road. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE shook the bedrock of venues across the country as part of the first-ever Trespass America tour alongside FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH.

The band recently embarked on a tour that celebrated the 10th anniversary of "Alive Or Just Breathing". They performed the album in full, with a few fan favorites and hits from their gold-selling albums, 2004's "The End Of Heartache" and 2006's "As Daylight Dies", sprinkled into the setlist. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE were also profiled by Decibel in the magazine's highly respected "Hall of Fame" feature for "Alive Or Just Breathing".

In between tours, the band put its nose to the grindstone to work on what would become "Disarm The Descent", with Dutkiewicz producing. The wheels have been turning for the past year, as the band supplemented recording with touring. The time is upon us for the next chapter of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, who were at the forefront of the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal resurgence that defined the '00s and have remained vital into the new decade.

"Disarm The Descent" track listing:

01. The Hell In Me
02. Beyond The Flames
03. New Awakening
04. In Due Time
05. A Tribute To The Fallen
06. The Turning Point
07. All That We Have
08. You Don't Bleed For Me
09. The Call
10. No End In Sight
11. Always
12. Time Will Not Remain

"Disarm The Descent" was mixed by veteran British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, ACCEPT, ARCH ENEMY and NEVERMORE.

"[The recording process] was great," Leach told Loudwire. "I came off tour I was filled with energy, ready to go, we knocked out a bunch of stuff. I had joined the band, the record was there, we're on tour so I really didn't have time to write. I took the past two months not only recording but writing so I'm there with an idea, being in the other room writing and going to Adam saying, 'Here's my idea I just wrote, what do you think?' So there's real spontaneity some of the songs that we just finished up. I had maybe five or six solid ideas when I came off tour and the rest had to be developed as we were recording it. It was exciting but at the same time tough because for me I'm digging deep down into my emotions and my psyche trying to come up with stuff that is honest and emotive and relevant, hopefully for the listener. It's tiring but well worth, anything that's worth achieving you got to suffer a little bit for it. I think mentally and spiritually and a little bit physically we were suffering but all of that made for an amazing record that I'm really proud of."

He added, "The music is definitely the fastest KILLSWITCH record ever. It's very heavy but still maintains the signature KILLSWITCH hooky, melodic stuff there, too. There's definitely melody attached, but I pulled out some new styles vocally, yelling and screaming and growling and layers and it sounds massive."

Asked what the vibe has been working on the new record with the other members, Leach said, "These guys have welcomed me back with open arms and just very encouraging and digging the stuff that I'm doing and these guys were just like, 'Wow! We're really excited. We feel like it's been a long time since we've been this excited about music,' and that just makes me feel amazing. It makes me feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE fans have already had the opportunity to hear one of the cuts that will appear on the upcoming CD: a rough mix of the song "No End In Sight" was recently leaked online, and as a result the band has started playing it live.

"That song is the weakest song on the whole record," Leach told Loudwire. "That's my opinion. I actually almost wouldn't mind if it wasn't even on the record because I think other stuff is much better, but probably since we played it and fans know it, we'll put it on, but in my opinion, that's definitely the weakest song. Now that the record is done, in retrospect, that would not be the song that we would be playing live."

Texas heavy rockers DROWNING POOL have set "Resilience" as the title of their fifth studio album, due on April 2 via Eleven Seven Music. The band teamed up with producer Kato Khandwalla at House of Loud Studios in New Jersey, as well as John Feldmann (THE USED, STORY OF THE YEAR), and completed the album in Dallas.

The band says of "Resilience": "Ultimately, it isn't a new beginning or an end. It's a continuation of the DROWNING POOL legacy — and a fitting one at that."

"Resilience" track listing:

01. Anytime Anyplace
02. Die For Nothing
03. One Finger And A Fist
04. Digging These Holes
05. Saturday Night
06. Low Crawl
07. Life Of Misery
08. Broken Again
09. Understand
10. Bleed Wth You
11. Skip To The End

Bonus tracks:

12. In Memory Of
13. Blindfold

The official lyric video for "One Finger And A Fist" can be seen below.

DROWNING POOL bassist Stevie Benton recently spoke to AOL's Noisecreep about the latest addition to the group lineup: singer Jasen Moreno. Moreno, who previously fronted fellow Texas band THE SUICIDE HOOK, is DROWNING POOL's fourth and newest frontman. Jasen replaces vocalist Ryan McCombs, who exited the group at the end of 2011 after a six-year stint in the lineup.

Asked how DROWNING POOL's chemistry has been affected by the singer changes over the years, Benton said: "Well, it's a forced form of band evolution, I would say, certainly not something you strive for and not something that I would advise other bands to do, because it's a lot of extra work and it's hard on you at times, but for us, we still had a such great time with Dave [Williams, DROWNING POOL's original singer] and such great vibes still remains and we've been trying to recapture that ever since then. It feels cheap to stick with a chemistry that just doesn't feel right and so maybe that's why we've had a lot of turnover. We knew if we switched singers again that a lot of people would look at it and make comments, but for us it seemed like it was worth it to take that shot at capturing the best chemistry we ever had. So we did. Look, sometimes you have to shift gears and I'm sure some of our ex-singers feel the same way: 'I can't wait to get the hell out of here.'"

He added: "One thing we have learned is that each singer has strong points and weak points and we've learned to craft the sound of the band that will benefit the singer at the time. It can be tricky at times to learn the nuances of it, but this time around, one fortunate thing is Jasen, our new singer, is a Dallas guy, we've know him for years and so it's not like having a stranger coming in. We had a great idea about him though, who he is and what he is about, and so we've been able to hit the ground running."

Moreno made his live debut as a member of DROWNING POOL on July 8, 2012 at a club in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

In an exclusive interview in the September 2012 issue of Guitar World magazine, Moreno said, "I am extremely happy and very grateful to be a part of the DROWNING POOL family. Everyone's been so welcoming, especially the fans. I can't praise them enough. They've made me feel right at home."

"In Memory Of" was released in August 2012 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the passing of the band's original singer, Dave Williams.

Williams died on tour in 2002 after singing on the band's debut, "Sinner". He was replaced by Jason "Gong" Jones, who also contributed to one record, "Desensitized", before being shown the door in 2004.

DROWNING POOL's video for the song "Saturday Night" was directed by Jon Bertorelli and produced by Daniel Livschultz, both of Vulpine Films.

"One Finger And A Fist" lyric video: