Guitarist Stefan Weinerhall of Swedish metallers FALCONER has issued the following update:

"After the darkest year yet, I am once again in writing mood, and what a mood! I guess somethig good really can come out of something bad after all. After rebooting musically from a year of creative vacuum, there is a fresh hunger and optimism.

"The six songs completed so far are harder and faster and with more of an attitude again; some of the songs sound like taken from the first album. After reading a book about deciphering and reading the language of runestones, I really got some lyrical inspiration too!

"I must say that it hasn't been this rewarding and promising for many years to write for a new album, without being carried away too far. The future plan is to concentrate on writing, re-writing and rehearsing for the new album, being sure it is as good as it can and not re-using too many patterns. All songs will be in English this time.

"We are just to begin rehearsing once again after a 2-year break and I can't wait to put Mathias [Blad, vocals] through some tests and find out the speed limit of Karsten [Larsson, drums]."

FALCONER's seventh album, "Armod", was released in June 2011 via Metal Blade Records. The CD featured 11 songs completely sung in Swedish and four bonus tracks that were said to be English versions of the bandmembers' favorite new songs.

"Armod" was once again recorded at KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque's Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden during December 2010 and January 2011.

According to Metalfan.nl, Finnish metal marauders FINNTROLL have set "Blodsvept" as the title of their sixth album, due in Europe on March 25 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Nifelvind" was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki.

"Blodsvept" track listing:

01. Blodsvept
02. Ett Folk Förbannat
03. När Jättar Marschera
04. Mordminnen
05. Rösets Kung
06. Skövlarens Död
07. Skogsdotter
08. Häxbrygd
09. Tva Ormar
10. Fanskapsfylld
11. Midvinterdraken

Check out the cover artwork below.

In regards to the new album, FINNTROLL commented on their studio blog: "Combining our trademark sound with even more influences from non- traditional genres in metal music, we have created 11 songs which show you everything we want to offer. And boy, wasn't that one of the hardest tasks for some time. After all, how do you keep your sound fresh, yet familiar, after 6 albums and 15 years?

"At some point, we were afraid that the songs are not melodic enough. Then we started to fear they became too melodic. Then we let the songs rest for a while and molded them more in a way that the non-melodic stuff got something to hum with, and the cheesy pop songs were arranged more stripped and aggressive. We were confident, yet sometimes scared what will people think of the stuff we've been doing so hard. What if they hate it? That would be fine, but if they would hate it because the material was uninspiring, boring and done-to-death, that would be a huge disappointment. So, we kept pushing and tried to keep it fresh all the time, while still having the 'this has to be FINNTROLL because no other band sounds this insane' — grinning going on."

Fan-filmed video footage of FINNTROLL performing the brand new song "När Jättar Marschera" during their November 3, 2012 concert in Giessen, Germany as part of this year's Heidenfest tour can be seen below.

FINNTROLL in 2011 released a special tour edition of their latest album, "Nifelvind". The digipak tour edition came with new artwork by the band's guitarist, Skrymer, and an extra CD including three brand-new cover versions: "Insects" (OINGO BOINGO), "Can You Forgive Her?" (PET SHOP BOYS) and "The God That Failed" (METALLICA). The cover versions were recorded and mixed at Sonic Pump Studios between June 27, 2011 and July 4, 2011 by FINNTROLL and Nino Laurenne.

"Nifelvind" was released in North America on March 9, 2010 via Century Media Records.

On February 12, "Live In Wolverhampton", a 2CD set from bassist Glenn Hughes will be released via earMusic/Armoury Records.

Recorded in June 2009, this two-night celebration of Glenn Hughes' music took place in his English hometown of Bilston, Wolverhampton. These nights were packed with hits and favorites culled from his rich musical career.

The first night included cuts from Hughes' time as lead vocalist in DEEP PURPLE. "Crave", "Muscle & Blood", "Don't Let Me Bleed" and "Mistreated" were all served up to an enthusiastic audience. The second evening, themed "You Are The Music: An Evening Of Trapeze", was the first time that Hughes has performed songs preceding his days in DEEP PURPLE. Tracks such as "Touch My Life", "Black Cloud", "Coast To Coast" and "You Are The Music" were all unearthed from the TRAPEZE repertoire. Performing this music struck an emotional chord with Hughes, as former TRAPEZE guitarist Mel Galley had recently passed away. It proved to be a fitting remembrance to perform these songs, and the emotion of the night is captured beautifully on "Live In Wolverhampton".

From deep cuts to world-beloved legendary hits, "Live At Wolverhampton" is a definitive live collection of Glenn Hughes history.

Hughes currently performs in BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, a band he founded in 2009 with guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa.

"Live In Wolverhampton" track listing:

Disc 1:

01. Muscle & Blood
02. You Got Soul
03. Love Communion
04. Don't Let Me Bleed
05. What's Going On Here
06. Mistreated
07. Crave
08. Hold Out Your Life

Disc 2:

01. Way Back To The Bone
02. Touch My Life
03. Jury
04. Coast To Coast
05. Seafull
06. Good Love
07. Your Love Is Alright
08. Medusa
09. You Are The Music
10. Black Cloud

BLACK FLAG has reformed and is in the process of putting finishing touches on a new album with founder Greg Ginn on guitar, Ron Reyes on vocals, Gregory Moore on drums and Dale Nixon on bass.

The one constant member throughout the history of BLACK FLAG, Ginn — named one of Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time" — defined the West Coast punk sound and the DIY ethos of punk rock. Greg Ginn also currently plays with GOOD FOR YOU and GREG GINN AND THE ROYAL WE.

Ron Reyes of "Decline Of The Western Civilization" fame was the BLACK FLAG vocalist from "The Church" / "Jealous Again" era. Reyes also currently plays guitar in PIGGY.

Gregory Moore has played with GONE and BLACK FLAG (2003) and brings his relentless and driving drum style to the band.

Notorious for not touring, Dale Nixon nevertheless played bass on the "My War" album and is the author of iconic BLACK FLAG bass lines such as "Jealous Again", "Nervous Breakdown", "Six Pack", "TV Party", "Revenge", "Gimme Gimme Gimme", etc. While Dale has lent his skills to the new album, he is currently contractually obligated for a stint on "Celebrity Rehab". Still, as he has always done in the past, he will continue to provide insight and spiritual guidance to the current bass player.

The seeds of this reformation were planted when Reyes invited Ginn to perform with him at his birthday party some two and half years ago. Needless to say, the party was a blast and the two vowed at that time to work on some songs together. The fruition of those efforts will culminate in the release of the new album later this year.

Far from being a one-time grab, this reformation has BLACK FLAG recording and touring extensively both in the U.S. and abroad.

BLACK FLAG has announced that it will headline the Ruhrpott Rodeo in Hünxe, Germany on May 18. They will also play the U.K.'s Hevy Fest on Sunday, August 4. Celebrating its fifth year this summer, Hevy is a completely independent hardcore, punk and metal festival with over 80 bands across 4 stages. The iconic band will be returning to Britain for the first time in almost 30 years, making their only U.K. appearance of 2013 at the festival.

In the U.S., BLACK FLAG will headline the Muddy Roots Music Festival in Tennessee on Saturday, August 31. Muddy Roots is 100% independent and promotes artists ranging from bluegrass, old country to punk rock and everything in between. It features three days of camping with 60 bands.

For more information, visit www.muddyrootsmusic.com.

Boston, Massachusetts-based band VANNA will release its new album, "The Few And The Far Between", on March 13. The band's second full-length CD for Artery Recordings/Razor & Tie was produced by Jay Maas and recorded at Getaway Recordings in Boston (Haverhill), Massachusetts. Maas also produced VANNA's first Artery Recordings release, the 2010 EP "The Honest Hearts".

"The Few And The Far Between" track listing:

01. The Few And The Far Between
02. The Lost Art of Staying
03. Year of the Rat
04. I Said I'm Fine
05. Casket Rhythm
06. The Weekly Slap in the Face
07. Please Stay
08. A Thin Place
09. The Dreamer/The Thief/The Relic
10. When in Roam
11. His Heels

"The Few And The Far Between" is now available for pre-order in a variety of bundles at MerchNow.

Alternative Press is hosting an exclusive steam of the new song "Year Of The Rat" at this location.

VANNA is confirmed to tour with EVERY TIME I DIE along with THE ACACIA STRAIN, HUNDRETH and NO BRAGGING RIGHTS. The trek kicks off on February 6 in Chicago, Illinois and wraps on March 16 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Following this tour, VANNA is heading to Australia to tour with labelmates NORMA JEAN.

VANNA released "And They Came Baring Bones" (Artery Recordings/Razor & Tie) in the summer of 2011 to critical and commercial success. The CD debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard New Artist Chart and No. 22 on the Billboard Hard Music Chart. Alternative Press raved: "VANNA could be well on their way to the pinnacle of hardcore success" while AbsolutePunk.net touted "'And They Came Baring Bones' is without a doubt VANNA's best effort to date."

Multinational melodic metal band EDEN'S CURSE is in the studio working on its as-yet-untitled fourth album for a late summer release via AFM Records.

English drummer Pete Newdeck entered the studio in mid-January and has now completed recordings on all fourteen tracks at Higher Studios in Tewkesbury.

German virtuoso guitarist Thorsten Koehne began guitar recordings this weekend at COP Studio in Bielefeld, Germany.

Among the fourteen songs selected for recording are "Evil & Divine", "Break The Silence", "Unbreakable", "Great Unknown" and "Devil In Disguise".

Mixing duties will once be performed by the bands longtime engineer, PINK CREAM 69 and UNISONIC bassist Dennis Ward, while German graphic designer Thomas Ewerhard (EDGUY, AVANTASIA, JORN) completes the same winning team who worked on the bands previous album, 2011's critically acclaimed "Trinity" record.

The fourth album will be the first to feature the band's new vocalist, who at this point has yet to be named, from a meticulous audition process.

"The plan was never to rush this appointment," states bassist Paul Logue, who further adds. "Our aim is to find the best possible voice and personality for EDEN'S CURSE. Getting to know these guys is a fun but slow process and we are extremely excited about the quality on show."

EDEN'S CURSE in September 2012 announced the departure of their singer of six months, Marco Sandron. The group stated at the time, "This is due to various reasons, but it was mutually agreed that it would be in the best interests of the band to sever all ties. We believe Marco to be a great vocalist and person, but it just did not work out, and we sincerely wish him the greatest of success with his future musical endeavours."

Candlelight Records has set a March 12 North American release date for "A Eulogy For the Fans - Orange Goblin Live 2012". The CD/DVD is the first proper live recording from ORANGE GOBLIN and will be released in tandem with the band's first full stateside tour in over eight years. The special recording kicks off a planned year of non-stop touring and continues the success found in 2012.

Check out a trailer for the set below.

"A Eulogy For The Fans - Orange Goblin Live 2012" includes ORANGE GOBLIN's complete performances professionally recorded at Bloodstock Open Air Festival (England - August 11, 2012) and Hellfest (France - June 15, 2012). The DVD further includes the official Tom Cronin-directed videos for "Red Tide Rising" and "Acid Trial", the latter courtesy of Scion A/V, plus the Matt Chance-directed "Red Tide Rising" documentary and Gaetan Chataigner-directed "Highway To Hellfest" documentary. Art and design was once again provided by Jimbob Isaac under the direction of vocalist Ben Ward.

Discussing the album, Ward says: "For years, people have been asking us to release a live album. It's a warts-and-all recording to highlight exactly what you get at an ORANGE GOBLIN show. It's not over-produced; you can hear the bum notes and the forgotten lyrics as well as the energy and power emanating from the stage. And the crowd! I think that's what a good live album is all about. It's just the sound of us getting up on stage, plugging in and going hell for leather. Crack open a beer, turn it up loud and bang your head."

"A Eulogy For the Fans - Orange Goblin Live 2012" features songs that span the band's extensive repertoire, including fan favorites "Stand For Something", "Scorpionica", "Quincy The Pigboy", "Blue Snow", "Time Travelling Blues", and the album's single, "The Filthy & The Few", which is set to impact loud rock radio on February 26.

ORANGE GOBLIN's latest album, "A Eulogy For The Damned", was released in February 2012 via Candlelight Records. The ten-track offering was recorded at The Animal Farm studio in South London, produced and engineered by Jamie Dodd and mastered two-time Grammy-nominated PINK FLOYD engineer Andy Jackson at Tube Mastering.

"A Eulogy For The Damned" was released on CD and limited-edition colored vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

Formed in 1995 (as OUR HAUNTED KINGDOM), ORANGE GOBLIN has released six full-length albums, developing an enthusiastic fan base that revels in the band's aggressive sound built on "booze-sodden riffs and attitude." Longtime label Rise Above Records has reissued the group's super-heavy back catalog.

Monster conducted an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King at this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show, a massive music-products convention that is taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if there was ever a moment when he first felt that his band had "made it," King said: "Probably the first time we got a tour bus. One thing that I notice a lot… I can't say all the new bands, but a lot of the younger generation, they seem to expect things. They expect to go on tour and have the tour bus that their heroes have. When we came up, we had a Camaro and a U-Haul. And then when we got 'big,' we had a van and a u-Haul. So when you got the tour bus, it was, like, 'Alright, something's gotta be working,' you know. But I never expected it. It was just, like, 'Alright, if we deserve it, when our time comes, fuck yeah, we got a tour bus. That's awesome.' And then you get a different perspective. But people…. I see it a lot at these NAMM shows, people come in and present themselves like, 'Don't you wanna give me some?' without being anybody, without earning shit. And it wasn't like that when I grew up … I think they have a huge sense of entitlement."

Regarding what keeps him going more than 30 years since SLAYER's inception, King said: "Shows are awesome; I love shows. And you know, when you make up new stuff, you're in quest of the perfect riff. I don't know if it's been written yet, and I may never know, but you're always making up new stuff and re-impressing yourself and re-energizing yourself, making up things that are, for myself, so SLAYER. And it's, like, 'How did we never write this before?' And that's fun."

King, Chilean-born bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo are continuing to play shows with EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt, who has been filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman for two years while Jeff recovers from contracting necrotizing fasciitis, likely caused by a spider bite.

SLAYER last year entered the studio to record two new songs with producer Greg Fidelman for a possible EP release.

In a summer 2012 interview with "Metal Zone" host Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone, King was asked whether Hanneman is contributing to the songwriting process for the new album. "On the last record [2009's 'World Painted Blood'], it was kind of, like, [split] down the middle [between me and Jeff]. On the records prior, it was mostly me. This one's been all me so far," he said. "He's welcome to contribute. It's just a matter of him [putting] something [together] and getting it to us."

OUTLOUD, the Greek/American melodic hard rock band that made waves with its self-titled debut album in 2009 and the follow-up, "Love Catastrophe", in 2011, is back with a vengeance.

George Kollias of the band NILE, one of the best extreme metal drummers in the world and longtime friend of OUTLOUD, will lay down the drum tracks on OUTLOUD's next album, tentatively titled "Let's Get Serious", for a late 2013/early 2014 release.

Commented OUTLOUD guitarist/keyboardist Bob Katsionis (also of FIREWIND): "We (Chandler Mogel, Bob Katsionis and bassist Sverd) are currently working on new melodic and versatile songs, and George Kollias' addition is gonna put the icing on the cake! We couldn't be more excited about this lineup for our new album. We are deep into the songwriting process and believe that this is some of the best and most powerful material we have written thus far. We can't wait to share it with you!"

In other news, OUTLOUD has launched a search for a second guitarist and permanent drummer. Please send links/video/bio etc. to bob_katsionis@yahoo.gr.

Frontiers Records will release of DE LA CRUZ's debut full-length album, "Street Level", on March 22 in Europe and March 26 in North America.

Hailing from the Gold Coast, Australia, DE LA CRUZ is easily one of the most promising arena hard rock acts to come out of underground scene. They came to the attention of the fans when Geoff Barton of Classic Rock magazine described their sound as "a pomptastic, hyper-active [DEF] LEPPARD!" in his review of the band’s self-financed EP.

DE LA CRUZ was formed after a meeting between guitarist Casey Jones and Auckland-born singer Roxxi Catalano. With Catalano's air-raid siren vocals, street-level attitude and Jones' fretboard-melting riffs and string-searing shred, the pair instantly clicked musically and through a shared passion for '80s arena-style rock and musical respect, the dream was started. Jones and Catalano went on to record several demos via the Internet over the next few years until they put together the right lineup, adding Rory Joy on guitar, Grant Daniell on bass and Lacey Lane on drums.

"This album talks about our highs, the lows, the parties and all of the crazy times we've had!" says Jones. "We aimed for a killer album to introduce DE LA CRUZ to the world and this is the height of our musical existence thus far and we cannot wait for everyone to have the CD in their hands. This is DE LA CRUZ!"

DE LA CRUZ has kept the musical coordinates of its debut EP and developed into something new and exciting.

"DE LA CRUZ means anthemic rock!" continues Casey, "We make hard-hitting, yell-it-out-loud arena rock with a blast from the past and a twist of something new!"

"Street Level" track listing:

01. Street Level
02. Girls Go Wild
03. Turn It Up
04. Legions Of Love
05. Gimme Love
06. Cherry Bomb
07. Dreaming
08. Invincible
09. Worlds Collide
10. S.E.X.
11. Set The Night
12. Shine

The digital release of the first single, "Cherry Bomb", is scheduled for February 4.

DE LA CRUZ is:

Roxxi Catalano - Lead Vocals
Casey Jones - Guitar
Rory Joy - Guitar
Grant Daniell - Bass
Lacey Lane - Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, former TNT singer Tony Harnell and electric violinist Cassandra Sotos performing an acoustic cover version of the LED ZEPPELIN classic "Ramble On" on Sunday, January 27 at the TC Electronics at this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show in anaheim, California can be seen below.

Since leaving TNT in 2006, Harnell has been recording hard rock, metal and acoustic rock albums and has been putting on entertaining acoustic shows to sold-out crowds in the the New York City area with his current backing group, which features guitarist Jason Hagen, Amy Harnell (vocals, percussion) and newest member, Cassandra Sotos (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, MARK WOOD), on seven-string electric violin.

Thal and Harnell met 20 years ago when Tony was forming a new band after TNT took a break in 1992, and in January 2012, Ron and Tony were reunited at the NAMM convention in Anaheim, California, where they started discussing the possibility of working together.

After Ron attended one of Tony's performances in August 2012, which Thal proclaimed was "the best acoustic show he had ever seen," Tony, being a fan of Ron's otherworldly and original fretwork, asked if he'd like to join him on the project and contribute to his EP, which was already underway. Harnell states: "In addition to Ron's superhuman and beautiful guitar playing, he also happens to have a great voice and writes amazing songs, which will greatly add to this project both live and in the studio." Thal has also been a longtime fan of Harnell's songwriting and vocal artistry, so the new coalition seems more than natural.

With the new lineup and EP on the way, the group will tour nationally and internationally as a foursome featuring Harnell, Thal, Amy Harnell and Sotos under the name TONY HARNELL & THE WILDFLOWERS FEATURING BUMBLEFOOT. Hagen will remain an integral part of songwriting and recording and will be appearing with the group for local performances. Harnell adds: "Ron's live appearances with this project will be subject to his schedule with GN'R, but he'll be with us for the live shows whenever possible."

Harnell and Thal have also been discussing other plans for a full electric band and have already started to reach out to some well-known musicians to join them.

The vocalist search is over for Germany-based melodic rockers KING'S CALL, who have recruited U.K.'s Mike Freeland to sing on their forthcoming album, "Lion's Den".

The brainchild of Greek musician Alex Garoufalidis (guitar, vocals), KING'S CALL also features in its ranks Azerbaijan native Asec Bergemann (drums), and Germany's Andreas Kramer (bass).

KING'S CALL's search for a new singer took them to Germany, Scandinavia, the U.S. and even Brazil, but the band ended up finding Freeland virtually in their backyard. As it turns out, while laying down tracks, producer Chris Tsangarides (GARY MOORE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JUDAS PRIEST, THIN LIZZY) introduced Freeland to the guys and they hit it off straight away.

Freeland is known for his work fronting legends PRAYING MANTIS and MORE. His new adventure with KING'S CALL will not interfere with his other projects and he is looking forward to working with his new bandmates and help them to conquer the melodic rock scene.

KING'S CALL recorded be the follow-up to 2011's "Destiny" (Mausoleum Records) at the Ecology Studios with Tsangarides and is in the final stages of mixing the disc.

Italian guitarist Gabriele Bellini will guest on "Chains Of Blood", the new single from the London, U.K- and Rome, Italy-based progressive rock band HERETIC'S DREAM.

The group, which has supported such artists as Richie Kotzen and CRUCIFIED BARBARA, will record the new single at Kick studio in Rome at the beginning of February.

The video for "Chains Of Blood" will be shot in mid-February in the U.K. The track will serve as the first single from HERETIC'S DREAM's new album, "Walk The Time", which will be released in September via the Italian record label Videoradio.

HERETIC'S DREAM's latest CD, "The Unexpected Move", came out in May 2012.

FullOnDrums.com conducted an interview with KORN drummer Ray Luzier 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. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked how often he changes his cymbal setup, Luzier replied: "We're working on the new KORN record right now with producer Don Gilmore [LINKIN PARK, GOOD CHARLOTTE, LACUNA COIL, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE], and Don's got great ears. So he'll make suggestions, like, 'Hey, try this cymbal,' Or 'Try that.' And I just bring everything I've got and I just let him go through it. And his ears are so great, because my band tunes down to Z flat. It's so low, it's like you've gotta have something matched with those frequencies."

KORN's latest album, "The Path Of Totality", saw the band teaming up with dubstep producers and DJs to add a whole new electronic layer to their sound. The band's guitarist, James "Munky" Shaffer, told the Phoenix New Times in an interview last October that while KORN's sound will continue to evolve, it is unlikely that the band's next CD will be like its predecessor. "I wouldn't say it's a 180[-degree turn] from the last album, but we're definitely taking a different approach," he said. "We're not going with the dubstep style, but we are using a lot of interesting recording techniques.

Asked if the next album will be a bit heavier than "The Path Of Totality", Munky said, "I think it will be. I think once Jonathan [Davis] puts vocals on it, it has...it's more melodic and the guitars are more aggressive and much more in your face. I think what we did before was bold and took a lot of balls, in regards to the album devoted entirely to dubstep. To me it's very much a KORN album, but I want to feature more guitar on this album, on the one we're writing right now, we still have one foot in the electronic [style], not necessarily the dubstep [sound], and we still have a fresh approach on the guitar riffs with some melodic vocals. Jonathan is great at sort of delivering the aggressive lyrics and vocals."

KORN will reunite with founding guitarist Brian "Head" Welch for several festival shows this summer, with Welch playing full shows with the band for the first time since 2004.

Multi-camera video footage of INTO ETERNITY's January 18 performance at The Vat Pub in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada can be seen below.

INTO ETERNITY last year tapped Amanda Kiernan of the Edmonton, Alberta-based metal band THE ORDER OF CHAOS as their new touring vocalist. Kiernan took over from Stu Block, who was hired away in 2011 by American metallers ICED EARTH, leaving INTO ETERNITY without a full-time singer.

Kiernan made her live debut with INTO ETERNITY on February 24, 2012 at the 11th edition of the Manitoba Metalfest at The Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

INTO ETERNITY's signature sound has often been described as a hybrid of latter-day DEATH and CONTROL DENIED, combined with the technical stylings of DREAM THEATER.

INTO ETERNITY's last album, "The Incurable Tragedy", came out in 2008 via Century Media.

Swedish female singer/songwriter Lisa Ljungberg has recorded a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH song "Air Dance" for her newly released album "Seven Seas". The CD is available through Haywire Recordings and can be purchased on iTunes, CD Baby and LisaLjungberg.net.

Ljungberg's rendition of "Air Dance" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Lisa Ljungberg is a singer and pianist from Gothenburg, Sweden. She is a renowned musician and songwriter who has worked with many national and international acts.

In 2010, Lisa began recording her debut solo album. An eclectic mix of jazzy ballads, soul and acoustic pop made up the core of her album "Pretty Good Life". Lisa sang and played passionately with lyrical subjects referring to her own experiences in life.

In 2011, the single "Don't You Wanna Know" was released. This song has enjoyed quite a bit of airplay on various radio stations and was a competitor in the songwriting contest, "Svensktoppen Nästa", held on Sweden’s radio P4.

In 2012 the single "Short Stories" was released.

It's 2013 and "Seven Seas" is out. This album is more upbeat than its predecessor but is as diverse as ever, with blues/jazz ballads, catchy pop hooks, modern country and even a rockabilly song. Lisa and co-writer/producer Leif Larsson were once again in charge behind the board.

Lisa Ljungberg's cover of "Air Dance":

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has issued the following update:

"Ideas are just starting to take shape for the next studio record. The legendary guitarist [and] great friend Steve Stevens [BILLY IDOL] has come up with one track so far that will definitely be on my next record. It is a kick-ass cool rock 'n' roll song that I guarantee will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Just how I like it. We are going to work on more songs together too. Also my guitar player, Jeff George, has come up with a couple of great ideas that we will also be demoing very soon.

"We are really going to get cracking on the new material right away and have a new studio album out sooner than you think!

"I am so happy to collaborate with Steve; he has always been one of my favorite guitar players! We are going out rock this bitch down to the ground in 2013, mother truckers!"

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.

Video footage of ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO, the experimental band led by TESTAMENT/ex-SAVATAGE guitarist Alex Skolnick, performing inside the lobby of the Marriott hotel in Anaheim, California on January 26 during this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show can be seen below.

ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO's fourth album, "Veritas" (Latin for"Truth"), was released in March 2011 via the innovative jazz label Palmetto Records. The 11-track album contains nine original compositions, a cover of METALLICA's "Fade To Black" and a bonus remix of the song "Bollywood Jam" by Jay Sustain and Nik Chinboukas. The record was produced by Alex Skolnick and recorded at Spin Recording Studios in Long Island City, New York.

Alex Skolnick is a true guitar hero. At sixteen years old, he joined a group of twenty-somethings who'd formed a thrash metal band called TESTAMENT. Alex stayed with the band through five critically acclaimed albums and countless tours with, among others, SLAYER, MEGADETH, JUDAS PRIEST and WHITE ZOMBIE. After hearing and seeing one of Miles Davis' electric bands on TV, Alex relocated to New York City to play and study jazz.

ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO (AST) was formed while Alex was earning his BFA in jazz from New School University in Manhattan. AST has been lauded by critics, fans and musical heroes alike ranging from Downbeat to Jazziz to the Village Voice to Kirk Hammett of METALLICA.



Photo below courtesy of ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO Facebook page

QUEENSRŸCHE/CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre joined Christian hard rockers STRYPER on stage last night (Saturday, January 26) at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California to perform the IRON MAIDEN classic "The Trooper" and STRYPER's "Surrender". Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Frontiers Records recently announced the signing of STRYPER to a multi-album deal. The first CD to be made available the agreement will be a collection of re-recorded versions of the band's classic songs, due in North America on March 26. Entitled "Second Coming" and produced by Michael Sweet, the CD will contain a total of 16 cuts — two from "The Yellow And Black Attack", six from "Soldiers Under Command", six from "To Hell With The Devil", as well as two new tracks, "Bleeding From Inside Out" and "Blackened".

Paul Kuhr of NOVEMBERS DOOM, one of the organizers of the forthcoming tribute album dedicated to WOODS OF YPRES frontman David Gold, entitled A Heart Of Gold: Tribute To Woods Of Ypres, has checked in with the following update:
"After speaking with Steph (Ledrew), and going over options at great length, we need to raise the money for the manufacturing of the CDs. To do this, we are going to ask for people to pre-oder by using PayPal. There are two options for you. A donation of $10 will get you a download link in the near future, and for $20 you will get a download link as well as the physical double CD when available. We need to raise $3000 dollars total, and we want to see how quickly it looks like we will reach this goal before releasing the download link."

"This is going to take a bit of faith, that you won't get ripped off, but I assure you, this is going to happen. Stephanie and I are hard at work to make sure. I will keep everyone updated here as to how close we are to reaching that goal. The prices are $10 and $20, but if you want to see this happen faster, by all means, donate more, what ever you can. Every dollar will get this done faster.

Pre-Order Donations - PayPal
$10 - download only
$20 - download and physical double CD

Send donations as a PayPal Gift to pkuhr@comcast.net. In the note section, include your email address for the download link and your physical address for the CD to be mailed. This is important, as the "gift" feature doesn't send that information."

The confirmed tracklist is as follows:

Disc 1
'Thrill Of The Struggle' - CATUVOLCUS
'Adora Vivos' - Raphael from MUSK OX
'Lightning And Snow' - EARTHEN
'Falling Apart' - CANOPY
'A Meeting Place And Time' - PANZERFAUST
'Finality' - KUHRZARTH
'The Sun Was In My Eyes' - ANEMIC
'Retrosleep In The Morning Calm' - ALBIREON
'Suicide Cargoload' (live) - GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH
'Career Suicide' - RELIQUIS

Disc 2
'Wet Leather' - NOVEMBERS DOOM
'Crossing The 45th Parallel' - ECLIPSE ETERNAL
'Allure Of The Earth' - AMARANTH
'The Shams Of Optimisim' - PAGAN RITUAL
'Silver' - Joel Violette and Rae Amitay of WOODS OF YPRES / THRAWSUNBLAT
'The Sea Of Immeasureable Loss' - BEGOTTEN
'Shedding The Deadwood' - EMPYREAN PLAGUE
'Trillium: The 3rd Of Three Winters' - Justin Bender of INTO ETERNITY
'The Looming Of Dust In The Dark' - THE GOV AND CARVER

Go to the tribute album's official Facebook page here for updates.

Three tracks from the album have been posted: 'The Sun Was In My Eyes by Anemic, 'Lightning And Snow' by Earthen, and 'Finality' by Novembers Doom's Paul Kuhr (with his daughter) and GODDAMN ZOMBIES' Will Bozarth. Check them out below:

Singer Tim Aymar (CONTROL DENIED, PHARAOH), bassist Rev Jones (STEELHEART, MOUNTAIN, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP), guitarists Ken Erb (SHOK PARIS) and Jim Dofka (DOFKA) and drummer Sik Nik, along with special guest violinist April Childers have covered RAINBOW's classic 'The Gates Of Babylon', taken from their last album to feature Ronnie James Dio in 1978, Long Live Rock 'n' Roll.
Jim Dofka comments:
"Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio are icons of rock n' roll, heavy metal, guitar, vocals, performers and songwriters! They fall in that 'one in a million' category!

For years, I have wanted to cover the Rainbow song 'The Gates Of Babylon'. When I finally took the step to cut the track, my band DOFKA, was on hiatus. I reached out to some of my Metal friends and ended up with an amazing group of individuals! And all are Rainbow/Dio fans!! Bass extraordinaire Rev Jones and I have been talking about doing a project for quite sometime. I was very excited to have him aboard. Tim Aymar and I played in Psycho Scream together. We used to cover Mob Rules and Country Girl in our live show. Tim was an obvious choice to share the Dio worship! I have been a fan of Ken Erb's guitar playing since I first heard Shok Paris in the late '80's. Dofka and Shok Paris did a show together in Cleveland a year or so ago. He was the final link! I was lucky enough to have a guest appearance by April Childers on Violin. April and I teach together at JK Musician's Workshop in Pennsylvania.

I really hope you enjoy the track! It's one of my favorite Rainbow songs! Long live Ronnie James Dio and long live rock n' roll!"

Greek black metallers BURIAL HORDES have released the previously unreleased track ‘Absolute Obedience’ for streaming. Check it out below:
The band will enter devasoundz studios on February 16th to begin recording their third album which will be entitled Incendium.

Tracklisting for the new album is as follows

‘Unleash Havoc’
‘Horns Of Consecration’
‘Nailed Curse’
‘Path Of Bloodshed’
‘Abomination’
‘Scorned’
‘Black Shrouds Of Depravity’
‘Incendium’

Stockholm, Sweden’s DYSANGELIC have signed with Sliptrick Records for the release of their new album The Dysangelic Principle which is available now on Spotify. It will be released soon worldwide digitally and on CD.

The album was recorded at Solna Studios with Mike Wead (THE HAUNTED, EDGE OF SANITY, CANDLEMASS, KING DIAMOND).
Tracklisting is as follows:

‘Return To The End’
‘Misery Bound’
‘All In Vain’
‘A Dark Room, Furnished In Fading Light’
‘The Mill Of Sorrows’
‘Truth Beyond Reason’
‘Catharsis’
‘Void Of Silence’

The track ‘Return To The End’ can be heard below:

French doom/death FUNERALIUM have announced will release their new two-disc album Deceived Idealism on February 1 via Japanese label Weird Truth and on vinyl LPs via French label Ostra Records. A limited die-hard version will also be available on Ostra Records exclusively.

Mixing and mastering for the album was completed by Chris at Worship studio between May 2012 and July 2012.

According to a press release: “Clocking at 88 minutes, Deceived Idealism is relentless, bleak and crushing. This complex monolith of extreme doom has trodden new paths, drawing its influences from doom metal and old-school black metal, but also filthy death metal and dark metal passages.”

Artwork and design were done by photograph and graphic-designer Yamaneko Tadeshi and can be seen below:
Tracklisting is as follows:

Disc one:
‘Blood, Phlegm And Vomit’
‘21st Century Ineptia’
‘Deceived Idealism’

Disc Two:
‘Hang These Bastards’
‘Don't Hope For Any Better Things Now’
‘The Higher We Climb, The Harder We Fall’

A teaser trailer for the album can be seen below:

LOWBURN out of Finland, featuring past and present members of BATTLELORE, have released a new four song EP entitled Soaring High. It is available both as a limited CD edition and digitally via Bandcamp here.
The band features present Battlelore members Henkka Vahvanen (drums) and Tomi Mykkänen (guitar/vocals), and former B'lore members Miika Kokkola (bass) and Tommi Havo (guitar)

The Soaring High tracklist is as follows:

'Soaring High'
'Running On Fumes'
'The Power It Holds'
'Moonful Of Stars'

Check out the tracks below:

Soaring High EP by Lowburn

For information on Lowburn go to this location.