It's official: California metallers BLEEDING THROUGH are calling it a day. Prior to going their separate ways, they will embark on one final tour spanning North America, Europe and Australia.

The Orange County band began 14 years ago, embarking on countless international tours, inspiring multiple logo/lyric tattoos on rabid supporters, releasing no less than seven studio albums and two DVDs and changing the face of heavy music alongside the rest of the NWOAHM (New Wave Of American Heavy Metal).

BLEEDING THROUGH participated in two Ozzfests, Vans Warped Tour, MTV2's Headbanger's Ball Tour, Australia's Soundwave festival, Europe's Never Say Die! and more. They've supported bands like SLAYER, MARILYN MANSON, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, AFI, HIM and MACHINE HEAD. Over the years, they headlined the Strhess Tour and other package tours. Their U.S. headlining trek in support of "The Truth" featured support from EVERY TIME I DIE, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and HASTE THE DAY and sold out two nights back to back at the Anaheim House Of Blues.

BLEEDING THROUGH has been featured on the cover of magazines like Outburn and Metal Edge. Alternative Press included their albums in "Most Anticipated" lists and Revolver twice featured keyboardist Marta Peterson on the cover of their "Hottest Chicks in Metal" issues.

The band's breakthrough album, "This is Love, This is Murderous", sold close to 150,000 copies in the U.S. alone. The follow-up CD, "The Truth", sold over 17,000 copies in its first week of releae in January 2006. They worked with producers Ulrich Wild (STATIC-X), Rob Caggiano (ANTHRAX), Devin Townsend (MISERY SIGNALS, GWAR, LAMB OF GOD) and Chris "Zeuss" Harris (MUNICIPAL WASTE) over the years.

BLEEDING THROUGH began as a side-project for then-EIGHTEEN VISIONS guitarist Brandan Schieppati, whose lyrics and persona remained the consistent voice through the band's evolving lineup. "Dust To Ashes" was issued by Prime Directive in 2001. Brian Leppke (guitar) and Derek Youngsma (drums) joined for the following year's "Portrait Of The Goddess" on Indecision. Ryan Wombacher (bass) and Peterson had come onboard by the time "This Is Love..." was issued in 2003. Lead guitarist Scott Danough was the last founding member (aside from Schieppati) to part ways with the band sometime after the release of "The Truth". Dave Nassie (ex-NO USE FOR A NAME) contributed a guest solo to 2008's "Declaration" and was an official member by the time the band released their 2010 self-titled album on Rise Records. Last year, Rise released "The Great Fire".

"This is Love..." and "The Truth" were released internationally through Roadrunner. "Declaration" was issued overseas by Nuclear Blast. In North America, those albums were handled by Trustkill. BLEEDING THROUGH's struggles with Trustkill Records became public in 2008. Trustkill eventually filed for bankruptcy, reportedly owing significant sums to BLEEDING THROUGH, THROWDOWN and other bands.

Through it all, BLEEDING THROUGH always relied on their fans, who often shared stories with how much their music had helped them, in turn.

In an exclusive statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Schieppati had this to say regarding the band's decision to wrap things up with BLEEDING THROUGH with final tours in 2013:

"When you have some success doing something that you love, you never really think about writing a statement about that something coming to an end. Well, that dream that we have had as BLEEDING THROUGH has come to an end.

"I think I can speak for the rest of my bandmates in saying that we always hoped it would end on our terms, and it has.

"We have been fortunate to have a strong fan base worldwide and have brought joy to many and pissed off many more.

"BLEEDING THROUGH was always a band that wore the emotion of the music on our sleeves. We cared about everyone like family that ever took the time to listen to our band, support our merchandise and go to our shows.

"Since 1999, we have been blessed to be able to tour the world, record seven records with some great musical minds, tour with amazing bands and people, work with people with character such as management, booking agents and road crew. Most importantly, we made lasting friends from this journey.

"We have been honored to be part of a expanding the musical movement of heavy music and hope to be remembered as a benchmark and pioneer of a specific style of music.

"We have been a band since 1999, and many of us just had life catch up with us in the way of marriages, kids, businesses and other endeavors. We can no longer dedicate what we need to to keep BLEEDING THROUGH going.

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

"To those who supported this band: It has been an honor."

The other members of BLEEDING THROUGH will issue personal letters via social-networking sites as well, so stay tuned.

Originally released in 1989, VAMP’s The Rich Don't Rock album should be held in the same regard as other classic hard rock albums of the era. Produced by Tony Platt (AC/DC, FOREIGNER) and stuffed to the rafters with arena-ready choruses, hooky guitars and Tom Bellini's ballsy vocals, The Rich Don't Rock was a creative triumph for the German group.
But like the other artists made part of the Divebomb Records family, Vamp were victims of their record label's shortsightedness and their album went nowhere commercially. Being the hard rock fiends they are, Divebomb Records has tracked down the members of Vamp and have partnered with the band to bring The Rich Don't Rock back with the love and attention it deserves.

The Rich Don't Rock has been unavailable since the late '80s and this Divebomb Records Deluxe Edition features newly remastered band-supplied audio, 15 unreleased professional studio demos, 2012 interview with the entire band and archival live photos.
Due for reissue on January 8th digitally and on CD, The Rich Don't Rock (Deluxe Edition) includes the following tracklisting:

Disc 1:
'Heartbreak, Heartache'
'Like I Want'
'The Rich Don't Rock'
'Love Games'
'Renegade'
'All Nite'
'Lonely Nights'
'Stand By Me'
'Bleeding'
'Talk Is Cheap'
'Shout'
'Why'

Bonus tracks:
'The Rich Don’t Rock' (12” EP Version)
'Why' (12” EP Version)
'Shout' (12” EP Version)

Disc 2:
One Smack Killer - Demos
'Little Bit'
'Love Starved Woman'
'Dead In The Backseat'
'Junkyard D.O.G. (Dirty Old Geezer)'
'One Smack Killer'
'Gimme Some Lovin''
'I Don’t Know'
'The Big Mess'

The Rich Don't Rock - Demos
'Lonely Nights'
'What About Love'
'Down And Dirty'
'Waste Of Time'
'Love Games'
'Don't Bite'
'Talk Is Cheap'

Three years after announcing they were winding down their career, German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS appear to have changed their minds.

In an interview in the new issue of Classic Rock magazine, the band's lead singer, Klaus Meine, explained: "As the emotion built, it [not retiring] became a gradual decision. It's one thing to say, 'This is going to be the end of the SCORPIONS,' and another to do it. Our 'Sting In The Tail' album [2010] was such a success that a whole new generation of fans joined the party. It was amazing. And you know that with all the best parties, it's sometimes hard to find the door?"

SCORPIONS spent the first three months of 2012 in the studio with producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen resurrecting a dozen unfinished songs from what some people believe was the band's best and most creative period — leftovers from the albums "Blackout" (1982), "Love At First Sting" (1984), "Savage Amusement" (1988) and "Crazy World" (1990) — for an album that is tentatively scheduled for release later this year. "It will be material that was never finished; songs with pure SCORPIONS DNA from a very exciting time," Meine confirmed to Classic Rock. "Once we close the book on the crazy touring schedule, that's something we'll pick up again." An album of all-new SCORPIONS material may surface as well, according to Meine. "At this point nothing is out of the question," he said. "When we said adios with 'Sting In The Tail', our label, Sony Music, cried, 'No, no, no… What about this idea? What about that idea?' There are some offers you just can't refuse. I don't want to say too much right now, but I can reassure you there is still life in those bloody old SCORPIONS."

He added: "We'll just have to see what's realistic. We're working on a documentary movie about the band's history. We filmed the tour's big finale in Munich, which was very emotional."

Fan-filmed video footage of SCORPIONS' July 7, 2012 concert at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York can be seen below.

Brendan Crabb of Australia's Loud magazine recently conducted an interview with bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala of Finnish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Loud: This is your third tour here and you've had a different vocalist in tow on each occasion. How has [Dutch singer] Floor [Jansen] slotted into the band?

Marco: It's been coming together really well. I mean, of course, we knew her from, like, over ten years back when we were doing a tour together. In 2002, AFTER FOREVER was warming up for NIGHTWISH and we've known her since then. We knew that when we had kind of an emergency, she would be one vocalist who would be able to pull it off, and not only that, be able to pull it off fast. And she really did, so she's got my respect as a professional and the way she handled the fast call of the whole thing. She really nailed it down really fast. So it's all for the good.

Loud: She's out there performing material that was obviously written for other vocalists. Do you think she approaches the songs somewhat differently to her predecessors?

Marco: Well, of course, you've got to have room enough for the vocalist to have some kind of an interpretation of her own in the songs. It's just a matter of physics, that some things actually fit some people better. As a singer, I know it myself, that it comes down to little things also, and you've gotta have room enough. But I think she's been able to give quite a nice, personal perspective into the songs that she's doing live now. I'm really pleased with the way she's doing her thing.

Loud: It seems like the band are taking baby steps with the whole process too; taking her on tour and seeing how she fits into the band, without the pressure of having to make a final decision yet.

Marco: Yeah, because this is the thing, that when you need to change vocalists in the middle of the tour, you actually give yourself the luxury of doing just the immediate plans. Like, "Let's do the shows and see how it goes" and really get to know each other backstage, sitting around in the pubs and bars, buses and airplanes and all that. All this is in order to see how we fit together. So that is kind of a luxury that we've never had before, that we can do the shows and everything and then make our decision based on how well we really got along.

Loud: Regarding Anette's [Olzon] departure, I know Tuomas [Holopainen, NIGHTWISH keyboardist/mainman] has been asked in other interviews about it and his response was that the statement the band issued at the time said all that they wanted to tell the public about the split. Did you learn something from the manner in which Tarja [Turunen] left that you applied to the situation with Anette?

Marco: Yeah, we learned that it's probably better if you don't go into too much personal detail, and just let it lie. We agreed that this time we would do it this way in order not to create too much media hassle; which was pretty overwhelming at the time with Tarja, when the split happened with Tarja. Like six months in Finland doing no interviews at all and still the press found something to write every day. So yeah, we wanted to keep it simple this time.

Read the entire interview from Loud magazine.

SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo joined METALACHI — billed as the first and only heavy metal mariachi band — on stage last night (Friday, January 4) at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California to perform the SLAYER classic "Raining Blood". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

METALACHI is described as "a five-piece ensemble of classically trained mariachi musician brothers, but taking their cues from KISS, GWAR and ROB ZOMBIE. Their show includes outrageous costumes, personas and on-stage antics." The band features Vega De La Rockha on vocals, Maximilian "Dirty" Sanchez on violin, Poncho Rockafeller on guitarron, Ramon Holiday on guitar, El Cucuy on trumpet and is managed by mysterious impresario Warren Moscow.

Using traditional mariachi instruments, METALACHI plays such songs as JUDAS PRIEST's "Breaking The Law", OZZY OSBOURNE's "Crazy Train", GUNS N' ROSES' "Sweet Child O' Mine" and a METALLICA medley.

METALACHI is a music/comedy stage show that seamlessly blends the worlds of SPINAL TAP and Cheech & Chong into an all-out stage spectacle for the eyes and ears. METALACHI has been performing to sell-out crowds throughout the U.S. for over two years and have already built a devoted and diverse fan base comprised of metalheads, hipsters, fashionplates, lowriders, artwalkers, loft-dwellers, and street urchins alike.

British heavy metal flag-bearers BEHOLDER will release their new album, "The Order Of Chaos", in February. Produced by frontman Simon Hall in conjunction with Simon Cliffe, the CD contains "twelve tracks of uncompromising metal fuelled and driven by Hall's signature roar," according to a press release.

"Fiercely proud to be British yet disillusioned with much the nation offers has meant anger, frustration and pure bloody fury has lyrically shaped this album as an all-out attack!" the press release adds. "With undeniable hook lines, complexity and brutal delivery that will draw you in kicking and screaming as we again point scorn and derision at a world marked by massive inequalities of wealth and power. Whether it is politicians, bureaucrats, celebrity, media, war tyrants, plastic faced hags, those who have simply shaped the world, or just a need for a flesh-ripping zombie apocalypse fix, all are thrown into the album."

"The Order Of Chaos" track listing:

01. Black Flag
02. Profit Of The Lie
03. Here I Stand
04. Splinter
05. The Tale Of Eleanor Grey
06. Killing Machine
07. Morphine Serenity
08. Liar
09. Toxic Nation
10. Out Of Ashes (instrumental)
11. Footprints
12. This Blackened Earth

Check out an album teaser below.

"Eyes Popping Out", the new video from Danish extreme metallers ILLDISPOSED, can be seen below. The clip was directed by MNEMIC guitarist Mircea Gabriel Eftemie.

"Eyes Popping Out" comes off ILLDISPOSED's new album, "Sense The Darkness", which entered the official chart in Denmark at position No. 78. Released on September 21, 2012 via Massacre Records, the CD was recorded at Antfarm Studio in Aabyhøj, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST, SICK OF IT ALL). The artwork was created by Mircea Gabriel Eftemie.

ILLDISPOSED recently parted ways with bassist Jonas "Kloge" Mikkelsen and replaced him with Kussen. The band states, "That's Danish for 'The Cunt.' Unfortunately, Jonas couldn't find the time to keep up with our activities anymore."

Swedish death metallers SOREPTION will release their second album, "Engineering The Void", in early 2013 via Ninetone Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Deterioration Of Minds" was recorded, mixed and produced by Tommy Rehn at Ninetone Studios. The CD cover artwork was created by Raphael Gabrio of Insane Visions and can be seen below.

"Engineering The Void" track listing:

01. Reveal The Unseen
02. The Nature Of Blight
03. Breaking The Great Narcissist
04. A Speech To Survival
05. Utopia
06. Monumental Burden
07. I Am You
08. Engineering The Void

Formed in 2005, "SOREPTION unleash their surgically precise and unique, razorsharp voilence with technically and artistically advanced riffs topped off with in-your-face brutal vocals, leaving the listener nothing short of stunned and ready to bow down to the mature display of how death metal should be played," according to a press release.

SOREPTION is:

Fredrik Söderberg - Vocals
Anton Svedin - Guitars
Stefan Nordlander - Session Guitarist
Rickard Persson - Bass
Tony Westermark - Drums

SHATTER MESSIAH, featuring founding members Curran Murphy (guitars) and Robert Falzano (drums) are gearing up for the release of their third full length album, Hail The New Cross. The album features a revamped line-up that now includes Michael Duncan (vocals), Pat Gibson (guitars) and Jim Lewis (bass). More details and pictures will be available soon.
The band has announced four live dates to kick off 2013, with more shows to be announced soon:

February
1 - Phoenix Hill Tavern - Louisville, KY
2 - The Brick Alley - Frankfurt, KY
8 - The Foundry - Lakewood, OH
9 - The Tap House - Akron, OH

Norwegian/Italian metallers TRISTANIA entered the studio on Friday, January 4 to begin recording their seventh full-length album for a late May release via Austria's Napalm Records. The first part of the recording sessions (drums) will take place at Tanken Studio in Oslo with engineer Fredrik Wallumrød, before the band moves to another location where they will join the CD's producer for the remainder of the recordings.

TRISTANIA's sixth album, "Rubicon", was released in August 2010 via Napalm.

TRISTANIA in 2007 announced the addition of Italian singer Mariangela "Mary" Demurtas to the group's ranks. Guitarist Gyri Losnegård was added to the lineup in 2008.

The band's previous CD, "Illumination", was released in January 2007 via SPV. The effort was recorded at Woodhouse Studios in Hagen, Germany with producer Waldemar Sorychta (LACUNA COIL, TIAMAT, GRIP INC.).

Cooper City, FL-based doom/black metal act ANTITHEIST have released their debut EP, entitled Heretical Musings.

The band consists of Zachary D. Randall on guitars, vocals and synth and Ken Hayward, formerly of IMPURITY on bass, guitar and vocals and features Lars Wagner of THE HITTING ROOM who performed and recorded drums for the EP.

Each of the tracks on the EP, styled as "a pentalogy of rituals for the rational mind", was crafted by Zachary D. Randall and Ken Hayward during the months of February through November in 2012 of the Common Era. Randall’s guitars are symphonic in their complexity and bone-crushing in intensity. Hayward’s bass creates unity while transcending the typical role of the black metal bassist by adding depth through harmony with Randall’s guitars.

"The Empty Throne takes me to that world of EMPEROR, DISSECTION and DISMEMBER - blackened death metal - I love it. More please!", enthused Mike Campbell, guitarist in progressive metal outfits SUNS OF THE MORNING STAR and MANIFEST TEST SUBJECT.
Heretical Musings tracklisting:

'Ritual of Becoming'
'Bridging the Gap'
'The Empty Throne'
'Pursued By the Magi'
'Heretic's Fight'

Listen to the tracks below:

Heretical Musings by Antitheist

More on Antitheist here.

"Trapped In Black", a brand new song from New Jersey metallers ATTACKER, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the group's new album, "Giants Of Canaan", which is due later in the year. The CD will feature recently recruited singer Bobby "Leatherlungs" Lucas (SEVEN WITCHES, OVERLORDE, MORBID SIN) and bassist Jon Hanemann, who replaced Lou Ciarlo in April 2012.

"Giants Of Canaan" was recorded at Katalomi Studios in Jersey City, New Jersey and engineered and mixed by Pat "Taps' Guden and drummer Michael Sabatini. The CD was mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (SEPULTURA, SUFFOCATION, UNEARTH) in New Windsor, New York.

"Giants Of Canaan" track listing:

01. As They Descend
02. Giants Of Canaan
03. Trapped In Black
04. The Hammer
05. Washed In Blood
06. Sands Of Time
07. Curse The Light
08. Black Winds Calling
09. Steel Vengeance
10. Born Into Battle
11. The Glen Of The Ghost

Audio samples of all the songs from the CD can be streamed below.

Lucas in April 2012 laid down his vocals on the track "Steel Vengeance" (formerly "Condemned"). The song, which has never appeared on an ATTACKER album, was previously released as an extremely limited-quantity single for the band's 2008 Keep It True X festival appearance.

Video footage of the three-robot act COMPRESSORHEAD playing a stirring rendition of the classic MOTÖRHEAD anthem "Ace Of Spades" during band practice at the Robocross headquarters in Berlin can be seen below.

COMPRESSORHEAD, which hails from Germany and consists of guitarist Fingers, bassist Bones and drummer Stickboy, will perform at this year's edition of Australia's Big Day Out festival. Playing a selection of well-known covers, the mechanical trio will join the likes of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, THE KILLERS, VAMPIRE WEEKEND, BAND OF HORSES, CHILDISH GAMBINO and ALABAMA SHAKES.

"When Stickboy debuted at Big Day Out 2008, I knew that if he found the right musicians to work with the sky would be the limit," said Big Day Out producer Ken West. "Stickboy's solo performance is still the most viewed YouTube act performing that year including RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Now with Fingers and Bones by his side, I believe the world debut of COMPRESSORHEAD at Big Day Out 2013 will be the highlight not to be missed."

COMPRESSORHEAD's mission statement:

"Did you ever wonder what Danny Carey would sound like if he had four arms?

"How about if Angus Young had 78 fingers? Imagine what Robert Trujillo would sound like if he was actually made of metal?

"Well, wonder no more, meatbags.

"COMPRESSORHEAD is the world's heaviest metal band.

"Stickboy, Fingers and Bones are guaranteed to shake and rattle the world of meatbag music.

"Stickboy was created to exacting specifications. Four arms, two legs, one head, no brain. he plays a Pearl 14-piece kit with double kick. Stickboy junior, the bastard child of an unknown mother, takes control of the hihat shuffle. Inception date: 2007.

"Fingers joined Stickboy in 2009 and brings 78 purpose-built fingers, enough to play the entire fret board and pluck.

"Bones is the highest-precision bass player in known existence, and the youngest member of the band. Inception date: 2012.

"Stand aside, meatbags. Oil is thicker than blood."

Sweden Rock Magazine, Scandinavia's biggest hard rock magazine and Sweden's top-selling music magazine, has joined forced with two of the country's most legendary metal bands. To celebrate Sweden Rock Magazine's 100th issue, CANDLEMASS and ENTOMBED have recorded cover versions of each other's songs for a CD single sent exclusively to the magazine's subscribers with issue #100, out January 8. It will not be available elsewhere.

CANDLEMASS has recorded a heavy version of ENTOMBED's classic death'n'roll song "To Ride, Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth". This marks vocalist Mats Levén's (KRUX, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION) first official CANDLEMASS recording since he took over from the recently departed Robert Lowe.

ENTOMBED laid down a cover of CANDLEMASS' uptempo song "Black Dwarf" from 2005's comeback album "Candlemass".

These covers, which can be streamed below, will be performed live when CANDLEMASS and ENTOMBED take the stage for two special concerts at Sweden Rock Magazine's 100th-issue party at Debaser Medis in Stockholm, Sweden on January 26. There might also be a guest appearance or two. Tickets are on sale and cost SEK 220.

For information on how to subscribe to Sweden Rock Magazine, go to this location.

The first in a series of clips featuring track-by-track descriptions of "Straight Out Of Hell", the new album from German power metallers HELLOWEEN, can be seen below.

The official video for "Nabataea", the first single from "Straight Out Of Hell", can be seen below. The seven-minute-plus composition about the legendary kingdom, located in today's Middle East, where the first real democracy existed over 3000 years ago, develops on several levels, including 3-D animation at motion picture level. The secret Nabatean city, Petra, only discovered last century, is the backdrop for many myths and legends, and here it provides the ideal subject matter for a set of lyrics far removed from the rock 'n' roll norm. HELLOWEEN singer Andi Deris was inspired to write the song during a holiday.

"Straight Out Of Hell" will be released in Europe on January 18 and in North America on January 22, 2013. The cover artwork for the CD was once again created by Martin Häusler, who previously worked with the band on the "7 Sinners" and "Gambling With The Devil" CDs.

"Straight Out Of Hell" was produced by Charlie Bauerfeind, who also worked on "7 Sinners", and sees the five musicians maintaining a rawer edge throughout, working quickly in the studio (MiSueno Studio in Tenerife) and delivering 13 brand new compositions that, in the words of founding member, guitarist Michael Weikath, will "kick even the laziest listener's ass!"

Bristling with positive energy, songs such as "Make Fire Catch The Fly", "Far From The Stars" and the title track itself, written by bassist Markus Grosskopf, show that when HELLOWEEN push their collective foot to the floor they are never too keen to ease off the gas; and they take chances, ever willing to use their well-documented virtuosity to break out of the mould.

Says Deris: "We've always followed our own path when it comes to music… and if someone had ever tried to stop us, well, we'd have done what we wanted, anyway! Some of our moves have attracted negative reactions at first, but in time they've gone on to reap success and reward, and that's the kind of freedom you can feel on this new album — we don't allow ourselves to be put under pressure…"

With Deris, Weikath, Grosskopf (also a founding member) and guitarist Sascha Gerstner all providing material, "Straight…" is a passionate, multi-layered affair, complete with a limited-edition premium package featuring a special Hammond organ run-through of Weikath outing, "Burning Sun" — this version conceived as a tribute to DEEP PURPLE's Jon Lord.

On the live front, meanwhile, HELLOWEEN (fresh from appearing at prestigious Japanese festival Loud Park) will be returning to the road in March 2013 — the first part of a world tour set to kick off in mainland Europe, with GAMMA RAY as special guests. The follow-up to the "Hellish Rock Tour" of 2007-2008, this extended outing, dubbed "Hellish Rock Part II", will bring the band to the U.K. on April 16 for a one-off date at the London Forum.

"Straight Out Of Hell" track listing:

01. Nabataea
02. World Of War
03. Live Now!
04. Far From The Stars
05. Burning Sun
06. Waiting For The Thunder
07. Hold Me In Your Arms
08. Wanna Be God
09. Straight Out Of Hell
10. Asshole
11. Years
12. Make Fire Catch The Fly
13. Church Breaks Down

Limited-edition bonus tracks:

14. Another Shot Of Life
15. Burning Sun (Hammond version; dedicated to Jon Lord)

"Nabataea" description:

Canadian progsters PYRAMID THEOREM, hailing from Toronto (Richmond Hill), Ontario released a video for their new song 'Another Day Slips By' in December 2102. Check it out below:
The band released their new self-titled album in July 2012. It is now available via CDbaby.com here and through the Amazon widgets at the bottom of the page.

The tracklist is as follows:

'The Old Knew'
'Forever In Chains'
'Another Day Slips By'
'Primitive Design'
'The Dream'
Pyramid Theorem is:

Stephan Di Mambro - synth/guitars/vocals
Sam Ermellini - guitars/vocals
Christian Di Mambro - bass/vocals
Vito De Francesco - drums/percussion

Check out their official website here.

Producer/ex-SOILWORK guitarist Peter Wichers has issued the following update:

"Super stoked about the new JAMES LABRIE (DREAM THEATER) solo album. I am honoured to be a part of a project with amazing musicians and and people such as James LaBrie , Matt Guillory , Ray Riendeau , Peter Wildoer and Marco Sfogli . All I can say is that this album will be great. I am also working on two other projects which I am super exited about. Can't say exactly what it is, just yet. This year will kick ass!"
Wichers officially left Soilwork in June 2012 for the second time due to “creative differences.” Back in December 2005, Wichers left Soilwork, only to rejoin in September 2008. At the time of his initial hiatus from the band Wichers said, "I was at a place in my life where I felt burnt out on touring and I needed to get my life into a more stable situation."

Peter’s current statement is as follows:

"I want to thank everyone who has supported Soilwork over the years. It has been a wild and fun ride, but it’s time for me to explore different options in my career. I will cherish all the amazing moments I have gathered from my time with Soilwork, and I would not be where I am today without the help from you fans, my family and Soilwork. Thank you!"

Wichers has played on every Soilwork album with the exception of 2007's Sworn To A Great Divide; for which he was replaced by Daniel Antonsson (DARK TRANQUILLITY, DIMENSION ZERO).

Bulgaria-based modern thrash/melodeath/power metal band WARTIME have released their new album, Solar Messiah.
Solar Messiah tracklisting:

'Dreams Of Pale'
'The Deepest Fear'
'Sanity' (Introduction)
'For One Moment In Time'
'Memories'
'Inner Sight'
'Endless Horizon'
'God's Sun Hours'
'Solar Messiah'
'The Day Of No Return'
'Palette Of Grey'

Check out the new video, for the album track 'For One Moment In Time', below:
More on Wartime at this location.

Ludwigshafen, Germany-based technical death metallers SPHERON have inked a deal with Apostasy Records. The band's debut album, "Ecstasy Of God", will be released soon. The CD was produced by Christoph Brandes at Iguana Studios (NECROPHAGIST, DEADBORN, MALADIE).

A track from the album, "Saturnian Satellites", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Formed in 2008, SPHERON released an EP, "To Dissect Paper", two years later.

SPHERON is:

Daniel Spoor - Vocals
Tobias Alter - Lead Guitar
Mark Walther - Rhythm Guitar
Matthias Minor - Bass
Tobias Blach - Drums

Swedish metallers ENGEL have recruited Mikael Sehlin (DEGRADEAD) as their new singer.

Sehlin (pictured below) made his live debut with ENGEL earlier tonight (Friday, January 4) at the Gothenburg Sound Festival at Trädgårn in Gothenburg, Sweden.

ENGEL parted ways with singer Magnus "Mangan" Klavborn in November and recruited Lenne (ex-TWELVESTEP) as his temporary replacement. In a statement announcing his departure from the group, Klavborn said: "I'm not going to rant about the who's and why's, just say goodbye." He added: "I have had a lot of good times and I am sad to leave it behind, but that's how it goes sometimes. It's not a farewell forever; I'm not going to quit music."

ENGEL's latest album, "Blood Of Saints", entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 60. Released on May 18, 2012 via Season Of Mist, the CD was recorded at Antfarm studios in Aabyhøj, Denmark. According to the group, the album is "a good mixture between both [previous ENGEL efforts] 'Threnody' [2010] and 'Absolute Design' [2007], but with some new angles as well!"

"Broken", the new video from the Irish hard rock band MILLION $ RELOAD, can be seen below. The song comes off the group's second album, "A Sinner's Saint", which was released last July via Frontiers Records.

Formed in Northern Ireland in 2005, MILLION $ RELOAD started immediately to develop their craft by playing live in the local club circuit leaving behind them a trail of fans hungry for more. Their catchy anthemic tunes soon gained them a recording deal, which culminated with the release of the debut album "Anthems Of A Degeneration" in 2008. A tour-de-force of vast hooks, killer riffs and moments of joyous, snake-hipped abandon, with shades of everyone from AC/DC and AEROSMITH through to THIN LIZZY and THUNDER confirming that these young Irishmen know their history and salute it with style, while also displaying a powerful and compelling character and atmosphere that is all their own.

"MILLION DOLLAR RELOAD sound is the culmination of our individual influences: no-frills, balls-to-the-wall, straight-up rock and roll," says singer Phil Conalane. "Loud guitars , big vocals and the odd guitar solo with killer hooks. We have a definite sound, it's not a new sound and we are not trying to re-invent the wheel, there are no delusions of grandeur in M$R. We know what we are about. All of us have our own personal influences that clearly can be heard in our songs, AC/DC, AEROSMITH, early GN'R. We don't try to emulate those bands, we have our own take on modern day rock n roll, but they are definitely a big influence."

The band toured heavily in support of the album and shared stages with THUNDER, THE DARKNESS, BUCKCHERRY, PAPA ROACH and more. This has further pushed the band's abilities and focused their songwriting abilities. The result is the new killer album, "A Sinner's Saint", which has sparkled the attention from the Italian label Frontiers Records which immediately signed the band upon hearing the new stuff the Irish five-piece created.

Indeed, from blistering, cocksure sing-alongs like "Blow Me Away", "Bullets In The Sky" and "Wicked", through to the irresistible bluesy ballad "Broken", "A Sinner's Saint" is a flawless exercise in smart, sassy songwriting and a superb showcase for the electrifying chemistry that exists between these five musicians. You can't keep a band this good, or an album this strong, down for long, and now that they have started to build momentum once again, MILLION $ RELOAD must surely be on the road to rock 'n' roll glory. They've got the balls, the belief and the tunes to make it happen.

"Rock 'n' roll is escapism…you can forget about your everyday troubles and woes, rock out, sing and scream along, have a beer and a smoke!" grins Phil Conalane. "It's nothing new, this kind of balls-out rock 'n' roll, but it's been buried away these last few years because too many people in the industry wrote it off as old fashioned and out of touch, but people are beginning to realise what proper rock 'n' roll really is! We're the real deal and we're here to stay!"

"A Sinner's Saint" track listing:

01. Fight The System
02. Bullets In The Sky
03. Blow Me Away
04. Can't Tie Me Down
05. Broken
06. I Am The Rapture
07. Wicked
08. Smoke N Mirrors
09. Headrush
10. Pretty People
11. It Ain't Over
12. Protest (bonus track)

PAIN OF SALVATION frontman Daniel Gildenlöw has issued the following update:

"Hi all! We hope you all had a great Christmas, and that you will walk into 2013 with smiles on your faces tonight. We are getting our work visas for
Russia ready and long to get there and play again. Meanwhile, I am busy cutting and mixing the acoustic album and building big jumps for my sons' snowracers :) This winter has truly been the most beautiful one I can recall, and I am glad I could spend so much of it at home.

Happy New Year everyone, see you on the other side!"
Watch Pain Of Salvation's official website here for updates on their live schedule.

Spanish industrial metal/rock four-piece combo KILLUS is putting the finishing touches on its as-yet-untitled fourth album for release in the first half of 2013 via Art Gates Records. In the meantime, the band is featured on a MARILYN MANSON tribute album entitled "Sampled And Souless", which will be released in February through Engraved Ritual. The group's cover version of the track "Get Your Gunn", which is included on the CD, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

KILLUS' third album, "Never Something Was So Real", which was released in 2011, featured collaborations with Richard Sjunnesson (SONIC SYNDICATE) and Cat Casino (DEATHSTARS).

"The Azathoth Cycle", the new video from Swedish death metallers PUTERAEON, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's sophomore album, "Cult Cthulhu", which was released lasy June via the German label Cyclone Empire. The 11-song follow-up to 2011's "The Esoteric Order" was tracked at RZA Mobile Recording with sound engineer Kristian "Risza" Isaksson (EVERGREY, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, PSYCORE, RECLUSION, NOTRE DAME) and was once again be mixed by KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque at his Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden.

Coming from the Gothenburg area, PUTERAEON caused quite a bit of a stir with its three demo CDs, "Fascination For Mutilation", "The Requiem" and "The Extraordinary Work Of Herbert West".

PUTERAEON was spawned in 2008 by mainman Jonas Lindblood (TAETRE, THORIUM), who states the following: "I started doing some riffs that took me back to my roots in death metal, the glorious early '90s!"

In addition to Jonas (vocals, guitar), PUTERAEON features Anders Malmström (NOMINON, PROPHANITY, IMMEMORIAL, INVERTED) on drums, Daniel Vandija (13ITCH) on bass and Rune Foss on second guitar.

Slash has blasted Scott Weiland for claiming in various interviews that he was going to be rejoining VELVET REVOLVER, saying, "None of us have a clue what he's talking about… We're not buying it."

Weiland recently said that he thought it was "the perfect time for VELVET REVOLVER to get back together," telling Rolling Stone magazine, "I am completely open to it, and I know there are other guys in the band that are completely open to it."

VELVET REVOLVER has been without a singer and on more or less permanent hiatus since Weiland was dismissed from the band in April 2008. He rejoined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS at that time and has toured constantly and cut one album with them.

In an interview in the new issue of Classic Rock, Slash was reluctant to address Weiland's recent comments, saying "I don't even want to give him this attention, to tell you the truth."

He added: "I think at this point Scott just got fired from STP and I think he's trying to pull off that trick of trying to get something else going on, and we're not buying it. The door's shut on this side and it's probably shut on that side too, so he's on his own. And he deserves it, too."

Slash continued: "Scott is completely speaking out of his ass [about the VELVET REVOLVER reunion]. Nobody at this end has had any conversations with Scott on this subject, except maybe [VELVET REVOLVER guitarist] Dave Kushner, because he was the only one in the band who was really close to him. And all things considered, we don't have a good professional relationship with Scott.

"And it also pisses me off because he's put STP through so much shit over the years, and put us through shit too when we were working with him. In 2008, that was all over with, so at this point, when he starts coming up with this stuff, it's like, whatever."

The guitarist said he is in a good frame of mind these days and he had no intention of bringing a begative influence like Weiland back into his life. "It's been great," Slash said. "It's basically since I got my shit together and stopped touring with Scott. Even if I didn't have my solo thing going on, I still wouldn't work with him."

VELVET REVOLVER did reunite with Weiland for a four-song set in January 2011 at a Los Angeles tribute concert for late songwriter John O'Brien (see video below), but the band has otherwise remained inactive.

Gore metal pioneers NECROPHAGIA have posted a rough demo of the new track, 'Warlock Messiah'. Listen below:
Necrophagia recently confirmed that their upcoming release, WhiteWorm Cathedral, will feature the return of Mirai Kawashima (SIGH) on keyboards/synthesizer.

WhiteWorm Cathedral is expected in May or June, and will be followed by festival appearances in support of the release.
Other previously posted demo tracks can be heard below. Stay tuned for updates.

'Hexen Nacht (All the Witches Dance)':
'March Of The DeathCorps(e)':