"Make It Sick", the sophomore album from Perth Western, Australia-based hard rockers BABYJANE, is available at CDBaby.com. The CD's title track, which features a guest appearance by John Corabi, former lead singer of MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE SCREAM and UNION, was recorded with legendary producer Michael Wagener's (METALLICA, SKID ROW, OZZY OSBOURNE) Wireworld Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The song can now be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

BABYJANE has thus far released one album, "Are You Listening?", which was mixed by Wagener in 2010.

BABYJANE is:

Andy Smith - Vocals, Guitar
John Gerasolo - Lead Guitars
Paul Judge - Bass, Vocals
Nik Kats - Drums

For more information, visit BABYJANE's web site, www.babyjane.com.au.

Currently putting the finishing touches to their second full length album, London's saviors of alternative metal THE DEFILED have released a video for the song "Blood Sells". Shot at London's Brixton Academy, the clip features footage from the band's set from the Jägermeister Music Tour.

Comments THE DEFILED frontman Stitch D: "When we got the call asking us to play at Brixton Academy as part of the Jägermeister Tour, we obviously jumped at the chance. Brixton has such a history and I've seen most of my favorite bands there and to get asked to play there on a bill including one of my childhood heroes THERAPY? as well as SKINDRED and BLACK SPIDERS was a dream come true. Obviously, we had to document it so we asked our good friend Aaron Shrimpton and his team to come and shoot it."

THE DEFILED will hit the road next March with GHOST and GOJIRA as part of the Jägermeister Music U.K. tour.

THE DEFILED's follow-up to last year's "Grave Times" album was funed by a campaign with Pledge Music. The recording sessions for the new CD took place at Audiohammer studios in Sanford, Florida with Jason Suecof, whose work with the likes of TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER has made him one of the most sought-after producers in metal.

Legendary rock band LED ZEPPELIN was awarded America's greatest cultural honor, the Kennedy Award, by President Barack Obama at The White House in Washington on Sunday, December 2. Also honored at the event were comedian and television personality David Letterman, bluesman Buddy Guy, actor and director Dustin Hoffman and ballerina Natalia Makarova.

LED ZEPPELIN was introduced by FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl, who called the band "his teachers."

"When Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham burst onto the musical scene in the late 1960s, the world never saw it coming," Obama said in his tribute.

"There was this singer with a mane like a lion and a voice like a banshee, a guitar prodigy who left people’s jaws on the floor, a versatile bassist who was equally at home on the keyboards, a drummer who played like his life depended on it," he continued.

He added: "It’s been said that a generation of young people survived teenage angst with a pair of headphones and a ZEPPELIN album ... but even now, 32 years after John Bonham’s passing — and we all I think appreciate the fact — the ZEPPELIN legacy lives on."

The president then thanked band for behaving themselves at the White House given their history of "hotel rooms being trashed and mayhem all around."

He finished his speech, saying: "We honor LED ZEPPELIN for making us all feel young, and for showing us that some guys who are not completely youthful can still rock!"

You can watch video footage of Obama's tribute ebelow.

ARMORED SAINT performed a number of cover songs with a variety of guest musicians — including AMON AMARTH's Johan Hegg and FATES WARNING/REDEMPTION's Ray Alder — at Metal Blade Records's 30-anniversary show, which took place this past Friday, November 30 at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California. The concert, which was hosted by "That Metal Show"'s Eddie Trunk and Don Jamieson, also included a short set by Arizona thrash metal veterans SACRED REICH in between GYPSYHAWK and ARMORED SAINT.

Added SACRED REICH vocalist/bassist Phil Rind: "Metal Blade were the first to offer us an opportunity on 'Metal Massacre 8', which led to a record deal and the release of 'Ignorance' and 'Surf Nicaragua'. Three of the best records ever — SLAYER's 'Hell Awaits', D.R.I.'s 'Dealing With It' and C.O.C.'s 'Animosity' — were all on Metal Blade. [Label honcho] Brian Slagel was and still is a huge fan and advocate for metal!"

In a 2007 interview, Slagel estimated that Metal Blade has released around 2,000 records. In addition to the "Metal Massacre" compilation he put together in 1982 while running the New Heavy Metal Revue fanzine — a local-band compilation that included METALLICA's first recorded release, BLACK N BLUE, MALICE, CIRITH UNGOL, DEMON FLIGHT, BITCH, AVATAR, and PANDEMONIUM — Slagel's fledgling record imprint released the early music by SLAYER and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY.

"It's been great to have worked with great bands at the beginnings of their careers and to help them develop those careers," Slagel said.

It was Slagel's enthusiasm for heavy metal as a fan that encouraged its humble beginnings and it is with that very same passion that Slagel has led Metal Blade Records to the forefront of the genre.

Metal Blade Records boasts one of the most comprehensive heavy metal catalogs in the world, including seminal releases by SLAYER, CANNIBAL CORPSE, GWAR, KING DIAMOND, SIX FEET UNDER, FATES WARNING, ARMORED SAINT, MERCYFUL FATE and many more.

"Vertikal", the new studio album from Swedish "art rockers" CULT OF LUNA, will be released in Europe on January 25 via Indie Recordings and in the U.S. on January 29, 2013 through Density Records. In addition to the regular CD, there will be released a limited edition of "Vertikal", including one bonus track. The vinyl will also be available through Back On Black.

"Vertikal" track listing:

01. The One (02:16)
02. I: The Weapon (09:24)
03. Vicarious Redemption (18:51)
04. The Sweep (03:09)
05. Synchronicity (07:13)
06. Mute Departure (09:08)
07. Disharmonia 00:45)
08. In Awe Of (09:56)
09. Passing Through (06:03)
10. The Flow Reversed (limited-edition bonus track)

The song "I: The Weapon" can now be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

According to a press release, "Vertikal" marks a much-anticipated return for the band after five years spent cultivating the ideas and directing the influences that have helped form a concept for the album. Distilled throughout are themes of machinery, repetition and clear, linear structures honed to the visual imagery of Fritz Lang's classic expressionist science fiction film "Metropolis". The music broods, builds and boils as you may expect from CULT OF LUNA, but never overcomplicates itself or veers from its intentions; it is arguably their finest and most cohesive piece of work to date.

Commented the band: "Before we started writing, we were keen to find a theme that in a very direct way could be shown through the music, and we hope to have achieved this. We developed clear structures — very linear, refusing to over complicate the writing process.

"We realize fans have been waiting for what seems like an age for us to return to the live arena properly, but we were not keen on playing shows before we had the new material ready. There have been changes, and we wanted to come back on our own terms with something completely new. It is very important for us to transpose the idea of a new album into the live setting, to not tread water, and to include the fans in what we’ve been working on; you will be hearing this very soon."

CULT OF LUNA will return to the live arena for a full European tour, with a new set of dates just announced in April and May in addition to the previously announced period around the album's release in January and February. There are U.S. dates being planned and the band intend to tour further in late 2013.

CULT OF LUNA released a hardback book/audiobook called "Eviga Riket" on February 23, 2010 via C.O.L Press. According to the band, the book is "a short story covering the life and times of Mr. Holger Nilsson, the full story behind the 'Eternal Kingdom' [CULT OF LUNA's latest album] theme. The book will be bilingual, written in Swedish and translated into English. The narrated versions of this short story is accompanied by newly written CULT OF LUNA pieces and soundscapes."

CULT OF LUNA's DVD, "Fire Was Born", was released in April 2009 via Earache Records). Along with an epic live show recorded on July 1, 2008 at Scala in London, England, the disc — which was mixed, edited and designed by the band — features footage of mainman Johannes Persson and Anders Teglund (keyboards) answering questions from fans all around the world and the videos for "The Watchtower", "Leave Me Here" and "Back To Chapel Town".

The Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE kicked off the recording sessions for its new album yesterday (Sunday, December 2) with producer James "Jimbo" Barton — the man who engineered and mixed the band's classic 1988 LP, "Operation: Mindcrime", and its 1990 follow-up, "Empire", and co-produced 1994's "Promised Land". La Torre — who is also a member of Florida melodic metallers CRIMSON GLORY — states, "Day one of recording the new QUEENSRŸCHE album went great! Great things on the horizon."

The new QUEENSRŸCHE CD is tentatively due in early 2013 via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

In a recent interview with Metal Assault, QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield stated about the band's renewed collaboration with Barton: "It's a great thing — we're really excited about it, he's really excited about it. We've wanted to work with him for a while, but for whatever reason, we just hadn't gone there yet. This is a great time for us to do that, though. We all discussed who we wanted to do the record with, and he was one of the first names that came up. It was easy for us to pick up the phone and call him. It was like our relationship picked up right where it left off, so it's gonna be a lot of fun. He's a very creative guy that did some great records with us in the past. I think that's one of the most important things when it comes to why we want to work with him."

Asked if fans will see a return to the progressive metal sound QUEENSRŸCHE had in the '80s, Scott said: "What we're trying to do, and what has been really interesting since Todd has jumped into the band, we're trying to revisit the old QUEENSRŸCHE catalog — stuff off of the EP and "The Warning". That's always been a part of what we are, so yeah, definitely! I think in my opinion, we're really revisiting that vibe of why that music was special back then for us. There will be a modern flair to it, though, just because we're in the modern age. The fun thing about Jimbo being a part of it is that he can help tie together the two sides. He does come from our past and some of the great records and some of the great sounds that we're known for, but he's also living in the modern age and doing some interesting things as well. I think it's going to be a really great QUEENSRŸCHE record. People are going to go, 'Wow, that's QUEENSRŸCHE! That sounds just like what we've known them to be, and what we would expect them to now be.' That's what I think peple will get out of it."

Regarding the songwriting process for the new QUEENSRŸCHE CD, Scott said: "One thing about this record, is that it's completely written and performed by us five in QUEENSRŸCHE, which for whatever it's worth, was not the case as of the last few records that we made. We're really excited. That was one of the things that we really needed to work on and change and that we weren't really happy with. The whole record is us doing our thing, and you're going to get the energy that comes out of that. It's been a lot of fun because we've been tossing some great ideas around. The results will be when it's finally done and you can listen to it, but we're really excited about it and I think everyone else is gonna have a good time once they hear it."

Pictured below: QUEENSRŸCHE in the studio with James "Jimbo" Barton (Photo credit: Savoia Photography Live)

Former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon performed two solo tracks — "Like A Show Inside My Head" and "Watching Me From Afar" — at the opening gala for Sweden's Helsingborg Arena this past Friday, November 30. Also appearing at the event were SOILWORK/THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA members Björn Strid and David Andersson (guitar).

Fan-filmed video footage of Olzon's performance can be seen below. Photos of the ceremony are available at this location.

Prior to the event, Anette stated: "When I was asked to perform in the opening gala, I got so happy and proud but also really sad when it clashed with mine and NIGHTWISH South American tour. Now when me and NIGHTWISH have gone separate ways, the window again opened and I am so happy to stand in the arena in front of all dear people from Helsingborg. And for the very first time I will perform my own solo songs that has never been performed before, so it is a very special evening for me in every way."

Helsingborg Arena started to be built in 2009 and is Helsingborg's new main arena for indoor sports, concerts, events, meetings and other events. The location and the arenas multi-functionality has opened for it to be a new meeting place for the cities citizens and incoming guests. The arena holds up to 5,500 people.

A short video message from DISTURBED and DEVICE frontman David Draiman, taped earlier today (Sunday, December 2) at the Boston Music Awards at the Liberty Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, can be seen below.

DEVICE, the new industrial-style project featuring Draiman and former FILTER guitarist Geno Lenardo, will release its first single, "Vilify", in early February. The band's full-length debut will follow in the beginning of April. Other songtitles set to appear on the CD include "You Think You Know", "Recover", "Hunted" and "War Of Lies".

Draiman revealed the existence of the project last March, saying it would be in the vein of industrial acts like NINE INCH NAILS and MINISTRY. He later announced that Lenardo was joining the group, although further members' identities have yet to be unveiled.

DISTURBED went on an open-ended hiatus last year, with Draiman saying at the time that all four members wanted some time to pursue other endeavors. "We've got other things that each of the band members wanted to pursue individually, outside of DISTURBED," he said. "There's other businesses we have, there's other interests. We've got futures hopefully to help cultivate for our families and our children, and they can't all revolve specifically around DISTURBED."

DISTURBED has not indicated when it plans to return, although all four members say they're likely to come back.

Aside from Draiman, DISTURBED bassist John Moyer has branched out recently by joining ADRENALINE MOB, a new group also featuring ex-DREAM THEATER and AVENGED SEVENFOLD drummer Mike Portnoy.

Acclaimed vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (DIO DISCIPLES, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) was interviewed prior to his November 29 solo concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina. You can now watch the chat below. Also available is fan-filmed video footage of the entire show.

Released in May 2009, Owens' first solo album, "Play My Game", landed at position No. 66 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. The CD was released via SPV/Steamhammer. The offering consists of around a dozen brand-new tracks that Owens composed himself or together with renowned friends, such as Bob Kulick, Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), Mike Callahan (ex-EARSHOT) and John Comprix (BEYOND FEAR, RINGWORM).

Owens is without doubt among the most important metal vocalists of the past 15 years. When he succeeded Rob Halford, joining JUDAS PRIEST in May 1996, the press rubbed their eyes, surprised as well as impressed: Owens had previously been a fairly unknown quantity to international music journalists and only a few new of him from the band WINTERS BANE, but he recorded his first PRIEST album, the Grammy-nominated "Jugulator" (1997) with more aplomb than even insiders had expected. Following successful tours with the British metal legends, the strong studio recording "Demolition" (2001), and the live recordings, "Meltdown - 98 Live" (1998) and "Live In London" (2003), and the movie "Rock Star" that was loosely based on Tim's experience with JUDAS PRIEST, Halford's return put an end to Owens' stint with JUDAS PRIEST. More or less immediately, he was enlisted by Jon Schaffer to team up with ICED EARTH and sang on "The Glorious Burden" in spring 2004. Three years later, Owens followed suit with the ICED EARTH album "Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Pt. I)", which succeeded the self-titled highly praised debut by his own band BEYOND FEAR. Spring 2008 saw Owens move on to join one of the world's best guitar players Yngwie Malmsteen, debuting with a sensational vocal performance on "Perpetual Flame".

Interview:

Finnish extreme metallers RAWAGE will release their new EP, "Triumph Of Sin", as a digital download on December 14 via Violent Journey Records (physical copies will be available straight from the band).

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Jesus Sodomized
02. Black Era
03. Triumph of Sin

Formed in 2009 in Loimaa, Finland, RAWAGE is musically influenced by black, thrash and death metal, following the footsteps of DESTRÖYER 666, DESASTER and GOSPEL OF THE HORNS.

RAWAGE is:

Matti Koivisto - Guitar
Lauri Osmonen - Guitar
Marko Ala-Kleme - Vocals
Janne Lukka - Drums
Kalle Lehtinen - Bass

"Junkyard Oblivion", the first-ever video from Norwegian black metallers ENDEZZMA, can be seen below. The clip was produced by the Effektor Film Company and was directed by ENDEZZMA frontman Morten Shax and R.M. Camera and editing are by R.M.

"Junkyard Oblivion" comes off ENDEZZMA's full-length debut, "Erotik Nekrosis", which was released on November 28 in Europe and will be made available February 5, 2013 in the U.S. via Agonia Records. The seven-track follow-up to 2008's MCD "Alone" features a lineup of musicians who between them can lay claim to decades of experience garnered in the earlier and darker recesses of the Norwegian black metal scene: Morten Shax on vocals, the late Trondr Nefas (URGEHAL, BEASTCRAFT, VULTURE LORD) and Mattis Malphas (BEASTCRAFT) on guitars, Sregroth (URGEHAL, ÅSMEGIN) on bass and Carl Balam (NATTEFROST, ASTAROTH, ex-INFERNAL) on drums. The CD was recorded at the Slaughterhaus Studio in Oslo and crafted by producer Robert Blix. Artwork is by the Kazakhstani artist Alexandr Balinets.

"Erotik Nekrosis" track listing:

01. Junkyard Oblivion
02. Enigma Of The Sullen
03. Against Them All
04. Swansong Of A Giant
05. Hollow
06. Krossing Rubikon
07. Soulcleansing

ENDEZZMA offers up the cold atmosphere that permeated the sounds that came out of the original Norwegian black metal scene and combines them with eerie, seductive compositions to form the epitome of nekro requiems. The ENDEZZMA of today can trace its roots back to 1992 with frontman Morten Shax's band DIM NAGEL, which, as is often the case with bands, went through the usual vicissitudes of bankrupt labels and states of hibernation. It wasn't until 2006 that Shax decided the time was right to start playing again and, recruiting URGEHAL's Trondr Nefas, set about transforming his old band. On the way to their first festival gig in 2007, Shax changed the name of the band to ENDEZZMA, and the transformation was well and truly underway.

Commenting on "Erotik Nekrosis" and the delays that dogged the album, including the tragic and untimely death of Trondr Nefas, Shax had this to say: "After delays that almost seem to have been a series of malicious and morbid curses conspiring against us, it is with understandable relief that we can finally get 'Erotik Nekrosis' out there.

"The reasons for the delay are legion, and it is probably best just to say that the path of darkness is a troubled and mysterious journey through life and there's an intensity to the sickness that accompanies it which can only be dealt with over short periods of time. Sadly, too, it is impossible to predict the season that death will gather its harvest, and we lost Trondr Nefas — our close friend, our brother and our guitarist, under tragic circumstances.

"It's been five years since we released 'Alone', so it's definitely time for ENDEZZMA to turn the page on what went before and move forward.

"I know many people have been waiting and waiting for this album, and some probably gave up along the way, but I hope we will not let down all of the patient morbid souls.

"This album is for all of the individuals that stayed true to the band, all of you who never stopped waiting. 'Erotik Nekrosis' is dedicated to death and to you, Trondr!"

MEDICATED, the Finnish metal band featuring former NORTHER vocalist Aleksi Sihvonen, has made its new EP, "Glasstrophobic", available for free download at this location.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. The Verge
02. Fever
03. Glasstrophobic
04. Take It
05. Magnum For Amen

Former IMPERANON and current FINNTROLL keyboardist Aleksi Virta contributed a guest solo on the track "Take It".

Photos from the "Glasstrophobic" recording sessions can be found at this location.

MEDICATED's "Ways To Make You Fall" EP came out in 2010.

The band recently supported WINTERSUN at their "Time I" release concerts in Finland.

Formed in 2005, MEDICATED describes its music as "melodic thrash- and death-influenced metal with big choruses, screaming and clean vocals, versatile rhythms and fast guitar tunes."

MEDICATED is:

Aleksi Sihvonen (ASXX, ex-NORTHER) - Vocals
Samuli Hyttinen (SERAPHIEL) - Guitar
Dani Nuutinen - Guitar
Jani Kinnunen - Bass
Pertti Pätsi (SERAPHIEL) - Drums

Canadian metal legends ANVIL have entered NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, AIRBOURNE, FILTER, ATREYU, ALICE COOPER) to begin recording their new album, "Hope In Hell", for a late spring/early summer release via The End Records in North America and SPV/Steamhammer in Europe. The CD will mark the recording debut with the band of bassist Sal Italiano who replaced Glenn Gyorffy (a.k.a. Glenn Five or G5) in January.

Marlette previously worked with ANVIL on last year's "Juggernaut Of Justice", which was made available as a limited-edition digipak (including two bonus tracks), double gatefold LP in blue vinyl, standard version and a digital download.

On September 24, Steamhammer/SPV re-released three albums from ANVIL, all featuring new booklets containing new liner notes from guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner plus new photos.

"Back To Basics" (2004) and "Still Going Strong" (2002) will be available again as a high-class "2 in 1" double digipak CD, while 2007's "This Is Thirteen" opus will be re-released as a digipak CD, as well as a double gatefold LP, both with an exclusive bonus track.

In an interview with MusicFrenzy.net, Lips stated about the departure of Gyorffy and the addition of Italiano, "It's so much more a relaxed, comfortable feeling on the stage. Sal steps back for me to do the front thing rather than trying to compete with it, or be a distraction to it. It's comfortable — it makes it very comfortable when everybody realizes what it all is and there's no bad vibes, which is… I mean, vibes between the members is everything and the ill feelings that we had around us are gone."

Italiano is a member of the Long Island, New York IRON MAIDEN tribute band LIVE AFTER DEATH and original progressive metal act THE NIGHTMARE STAGE, as well as a former member of the acclaimed '80s heavy metal group CITIES.

Glenn Five joined ANVIL in 1996 and has appeared on seven of the band's albums, including "This Is Thirteen" and the group's latest release, "Juggernaut Of Justice", on which he wrote and sang the song "This Ride".

"Horizont", the new video from MANNTRA, the Croatian industrial rock band featuring founding members of OMEGA LITHIUM, can be seen below. The song is the title track of MANNTRA's debut album, which was released this week via Spona/Kontra.

MANNTRA was created in the summer of 2011 by three people who decided to make music that combines hard and industrial rock with elements of national ethno music from their country.

According to a press release, the songs on "Horizont" tell the story of gritty life in their lands, but full of hope and joy of life. They tell the story of love, anger and survival. They create the omnibus that sounds like, and tells the story of life in their lands. Careful wording and background ethno music elements immerse the listener into the life of ordinary people who cope with everyday troubles and happiness they find in small things.

MANNTRA was recently chosen to create the main theme for the videogame "Legends of Dawn", which is being developed by Dreamatrix Studios.

"Horizont" track listing:

01. Gorki San
02. Manntra
03. Balkanska
04. Vjeruje Ponizno
05. Na Svijetlu
06. Kiša
07. Nebitna
08. Horizont
09. Monstrumi
10. Kalvaria (CD bonus track; "Legend Of Dawn" theme)

MANNTRA's first video, "Kiša" (English translation: Rain), was released in March and was viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube in less than two weeks.

"Horizont" can be downloaded for free at Manntra.hr.

Brant Bjork, John Garcia and Nick Oliveri — formerly of KYUSS — have announced their new project: VISTA CHINO. The group, comprised of the three founding members of the legendary rock band and guitarist Bruno Fevery, is currently recording new material in anticipation of a 2013 worldwide release that will coincide with major touring plans.

The final live appearances of KYUSS LIVES! — featuring the same lineup as VISTA CHINO — will take place in early 2013 as part of Australia's Soundwave Festival. The guys are looking forward to playing their classic songs along with new material.

Ex-KYUSS members Josh Homme and Scott Reeder filed a lawsuit against their former bandmates in March, claiming that they "made every attempt to help [Garcia and Bjork] continue KYUSS LIVES! respectfully. Only to discover while they looked us in the eye, KYUSS LIVES! management and band had filed federal documents in 2011 in an attempt to steal the name KYUSS. This is desperately what we were trying to avoid."

In his August 2012 ruling, a federal judge said that the new band may not use "the 'Kyuss' mark in any capacity unless the word 'Lives' follows the word 'Kyuss' in equally prominent lettering," He also prohibited KYUSS LIVES! from using the name "in conjunction with any studio album, live album, or other audio recording." The judge also warned the members of KYUSS LIVES! that "future concerts under the 'Kyuss Lives' mark might continue to subject them to liability for trademark infringement" and suggested, "It may be in Defendants' best interest to begin re-branding under a new name."

In a May 2012 interview with RolllingStone.com, Bjork stated about Homme and Reeder's lawsuit, "They don't want to mention that they trademarked the name KYUSS after I left the band, assuring that I had no rights in KYUSS' future. They're both accusing John and I of doing something that they actually did themselves. Their inner conflict is this: both Josh and Scott want control and money from KYUSS LIVES!, but they don't want to participate and they ultimately don't want us to exist. The double standard is unbelievable."

He added, "Josh and I were the creative force within the band and after the completion of our second record, 'Blues For The Red Sun', we developed an opposing view on how the band should exist and operate. In 1992 Josh discovered publishing, which is the financial revenue stream for songwriting. After that, he wanted to write all the songs. As a drummer, I couldn't make him play my songs. I wasn't going to compromise my heart and soul and play drums for Josh to make money in a band I started. So I left the band. I was a confused, angry and sad 19-year-old idealist who sacrificed my love of my band for what I believed in. Two and a half years later, Josh would break up the band after John confronted him about the same thing; his need to control the band for personal gain."

Photo credit: K. Campbell

Redwood City, California's PICTURE ME BROKEN will release a new EP, "Mannequins", on December 18 via Standby Records. The CD was produced and recorded by David Bendeth (BREAKING BENJAMIN) and features the single "Torture", available for streaming below.

Led by Brooklyn Layla Allman, it hasn't taken PICTURE ME BROKEN long to convince fans worldwide that they are a breed of old school soul meets modern day turmoil to create a modern sound that will appeal to all that experience it. With Allman's father being the musical legend Gregg Allman, it would have been easy for this act to simply let his stigma dictate their career path and allow them somewhat immediate success. But Brooklyn and PICTURE ME BROKEN had different ideas; ideas of doing their work themselves, cutting their own niche out in a very tough active rock market, and slugging it out day by day on the road. They have proven themselves to be musically superior to any act they've toured with to date by showing not only hard work, but a willingness to connect with their audience...one fan at a time if necessary.

With Allman out in front of PICTURE ME BROKEN, this is a band that commands attention from even the first glance. Brooklyn Allman is clearly a beautiful woman, as is evidenced by her 2012 nomination in Revolver magazine's "Hottest Chicks In Metal." That, however, doesn't begin to portray the incredible talent that she has as a singer, a songwriter and a performer. Allman's voice showcases everything you could ever want from a vocalist; be it soft alluring pain on songs like "Beautiful Disease" or a much more guttural rage that she lets loose on songs like "Holy Drug".

"Mannequins" will be followed in early 2013 by PICTURE ME BROKEN's debut full-length release for Standby Records.

Oakland, California-based power trio HIGH ON FIRE will have its next two shows professionally recorded for the band's upcoming live album:

Nov. 30 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
Dec. 01 - Music Hall Of Williamsburg - Brooklyn. NY

HIGH ON FIRE's latest album, "De Vermis Mysteriis", sold around 7,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 63 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on April 3 via eOne Music, the CD was recorded in Salem, Massachusetts' GodCity Studios with producer and CONVERGE guitarist Kurt Ballou. The 10-song effort — touted as "direct, eye-opening and powerfully supernatural" — is the band's sixth studio recording and the follow-up to 2010's "Snakes For The Divine" which debuted at No. 62 on The Billboard 200 chart and has been called "wonderful" by The New York Times and "an exhilarating rush" by the Chicago Tribune.

"De Vermis Mysteriis" (or "Mysteries Of The Worm") takes its title from a fictional grimoire created by "Psycho" author Robert Bloch and incorporated by H. P. Lovecraft into the lore of the "Cthulhu Mythos" (Lovecraft mentioned "De Vermis Mysteriis" as one of the books that "repeat the most hellish secrets learnt by early man"). The album carries a deeply mystical undercurrent, incorporating fantastical themes and lyrics detailing, among other things, time travel, a serum called liao that is made out of a black lotus and "a Jesus twin who can see the past through his ancestors' eyes." And that's just scratching the surface!

Musically, "De Vermis Mysteriis" is absolutely explosive, showcasing the California power trio's thundering roar and expanded harmonic and rhythmic palettes while the songs move confidently through multiple riffs and movements. HIGH ON FIRE construct tough, burly stoner metal that is at once devastatingly epic and mercilessly metallic as superstar guitarist Matt Pike's sizzling ax and avenging-angel riffs fuse with Des Kensel's double-kick-drum onslaught and Jeff Matz's concrete crushing, Burton-esque bass guitar. Over the course of forty-five minutes, HIGH ON FIRE have created an amalgamation of fantastical lyrical ideas and brute force musicianship anchored in an endlessly captivating, punkishly frantic sound. Simply put, the band generates awesome on demand and has a virtual chokehold on monolithic-sounding, masterfully crafted epic music. HIGH ON FIRE is a savage bull in the china shop of modern metal.

"From Heroic To Depraved", the new rehearsal video from German death metallers OBSCENITY, can be seen below. The track comes off the band's eighth studio album, "Atrophied In Anguish", which was released on September 14 as a digipak and as a digital download via Apostasy Records. The CD was again recorded at Soundlodge Studio in Rhauderfehn with producer Jörg Uken.

Commented the band: "'Atrophied In Anguish' is the quintessence of diverse epoches of OBSCENITY. We combined typical '90s melodic parts and leads with modern blastparts. The new album is a mixture of 'The 3rd Chapter' and 'Cold Blooded Murder' with a giant sound that goes without Lego-Trigger and other technical stuff."

The cover artwork for "Atrophied in Anguish" was created by Remy of Headsplit Design (ARCH ENEMY, PSYCROPTIC, WHITECHAPEL) and can be seen below.

"Atrophied In Anguish" track listing:

01. Erase The Divine
02. All You Can Kill
03. Atrophied in Anguish
04. From Heroic To Depraved
05. Swine To The Slaughter
06. Perfect Pain
07. Neurotic Frenzy
08. Diary Of A Scapegoat
09. Monoistic Living
10. Hystarical Illusion

OBSCENITY last year announced the addition of bassist Jörg Pirch (ex-TEARS OF DECAY) and guitarist Christoph Weerts (ex-ASSASINATED) to the group's ranks. The band was also rejoined by drummer Sascha Knust (ex-THE AWAKENING, SETHNEFER).

OBSCENITY in 2010 recruited Tampa, Florida native Jeff Rudes as its new singer.

OBSCENITY's seventh CD, "Where Sinners Bleed", was released in 2006 through Armageddon Music. The follow-up to 2002's "Cold Blooded Murder" was recorded at Soundlodge studio in Rhauderfehn, Germany.

OBSCENITY was previously signed to Morbid Records, which issued four of the band's albums, ending with "Cold Blooded Murder".

OBSCENITY is:

Jeff Rudes - Vocals
Hendrik Bruns - Guitar
Christoph Weerts - Guitar
Jörg Pirch - Bass
Sascha Knust - Drums

Producer Ross Robinson (KORN, SLIPKNOT, SEPULTURA, SOULFLY, LIMP BIZKIT) met with Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH last weekend in Warsaw, presumably to discuss a possible collaboration with the band on their next studio album. BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski posted a photo on his Facebook page of him, BEHEMOTH bassist Tomasz " Orion" Wróblewski and Robinson, captioning the picture with just three words: "Things ARE happening…"

In a 2008 interview with Sevenstring.org, former EMPEROR vocalist/guitarist Ihsahn was asked if there was any truth to the rumor that Ross Robinson was in talks to produce the band's ill-fated fifth album. "There has been many rumors concerning that," Ihsahn replied. "[Ross] came backstage after a show in L.A. in 1999, together with Casey Chaos from AMEN, and said he would love to work with EMPEROR. However, we always liked doing the decision making on our own, so we said, 'No, thanks.' To this day, I've never worked with a producer, though I try to be one myself, I guess. Apparently, Ross got hate mail for even suggesting working with EMPEROR, which is kind of stupid, as in all black metal ideology fairness, I think, we were capable of deciding who and who not we wished to work with."

One of the most successful hard rock producers of the late '90s, Robinson began as a thrash metal guitarist (he was a member of MURDERCAR, which included future SACRED REICH and MACHINE HEAD drummer Dave McClain, and he played on DÉTENTE's classic 1986 LP, "Recognize No Authority"), before receiving his first studio credit, as an assistant engineer for W.A.S.P.'s 1993 concept album, "The Crimson Idol". He eventually hooked up with the then-up-and-coming alt-metal band by the name of KORN and produced the group's first two albums. Robinson also helmed the debut CD from LIMP BIZKIT, 1997's "Three Dollar Bill Y'All", before going on to work with such acts as SLIPKNOT, MACHINE HEAD, SEPULTURA (their RIAA-gold-certified release "Roots"), SOULFLY, AMEN, COLD, GLASSJAW, AT THE DRIVE-IN, THE CURE and VANILLA ICE's rap-metal makeover/comeback album, "Hard To Swallow".

EMI Label Services has set a March 4, 2013 release date for "Out Of The Darkness", the second album from British metallers SACRED MOTHER TONGUE. The eleven-track collection is "a truly stunning piece of work, showcasing the band's huge ambition and quantum leap forward in vision and scale," according to a press release. A fascinating and cohesive body of work, linked thematically by lead singer Darrin South's journey through depression into a new realisation of happiness, [the CD] is as bold and beautiful an example of superlative songwriting and epic drama as you're likely to hear in 2013."

Created by all four members of the band, "Out Of The Darkness" sees Darrin step to the fore as one of Britain's premier rock vocalists, replacing his screams of yore with a more melodic approach, perfectly complemented by the world-class guitar skills of Andy James. With Lee Newell and Josh Gurner's inventive powerhouse rhythm section underpinning each track, "Out Of The Darkness" is a masterclass showcase in creating an album of true light and shade.

Produced by Scott Atkins (BEHEMOTH, SYLOSIS, CRADLE OF FILTH), "Out Of The Darkness" hints at the power of METALLICA, the melody of ALTER BRIDGE, the darkness of ALICE IN CHAINS and the visceral edge of MACHINE HEAD, while bringing a uniquely British sensibility to these stadium-rocking influences.

"Out Of The Darkness" follows the massively acclaimed release of SACRED MOTHER TONGUE's EP, "A Light Shines", in September of this year.

"Out Of The Darkness" track listing:

01. Intro (Out Of The Darkness)
02. Demons
03. Bird In Hand
04. Seven
05. Pawn
06. Bleeding Out
07. A Light Will Shine
08. The City Is Crying
09. Just A Ride
10. Evolve/Become
11. Believe

Swedish metallers ENFORCER have inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band's new album, "Death By Fire", will be released on February 1, 2013.

Commented ENFORCER vocalist/guitarist Olof Wikstrand: "It feels great to finally have finished this long-awaited third ENFORCER record. Now with Nuclear Blast on board, we're gonna make sure to spread it to every corner of this planet. You can expect nothing but the total, self-defining ENFORCER record."

Added Nuclear Blast head of A&R Andy Siry: "We’ve been following the career of ENFORCER since their debut album, because from there on, they formed the spearhead of a new, young generation of traditionally influenced metal. We're impressed by the band's consequent and authentic appearance, whether on stage, concerning their sound, their image and so on. This reminds of the atmosphere of departure and the rebellion, heavy metal represented at the beginning of the '80s. ENFORCER have got that special something, represent their ideals and they know what they want. We're looking forward to the upcoming CD and a long successful cooperation."

ENFORCER's second album, "Diamonds", was released in May 2010 in Europe by Earache Records and in the rest of the world through Heavy Artillery.

Having released its debut album, "Into the Night", in November 2008, ENFORCER kicked open the floodgates for the return of traditional heavy metal, paving the way for many other young bands to follow. With critical acclaim pouring in from fans and the international music press, ENFORCER wasted no time taking their show to the road for their first European and American tours as well as a litany of appearances at many of Europe's most highly regarded festivals.

Photo credit: Gustav Öhman Spjuth

Serbian female-fronted metal band FACE OFF has inked a deal with Toronto, Canada's Maple Metal Records. The group's debut album, "The Colour Of Rain", will be released in early 2013. The nine-song CD was recorded at Music Studio Novicic from 2011 to 2012 with producer Vladimir Novicic.

A three-minute audip preview of the forthcoming album is available in the YouTube clip below.

Formed in 2006 by vocalist Marija Kovacevic and guitarist Stefan Vitasovic, FACE OFF is currently a quartet, rounded out with bassist Stanislav Stanojevica and a yet-to-be-announced new drummer. The group has already won a few competitions in its native homeland, toured across Serbia, been broadcast by national radio, and performed on Serbian national TV.

"The Colour Of Rain" was recorded with FACE OFF's previous lineup of Marija on vocals, Stefan and Miroslav Veselinovic on guitars, Danilo Svorcan on bass, and Milos Branisavljevic on drums.

"The Colour Of Rain" track listing:

01. The Colour Of Rain
02. Dream Chamber
03. Close Enough
04. War Against War
05. The Innocence
06. Voices
07. Fragile
08. Lost In Translation
09. The End

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based metallers SINGLE BULLET THEORY have parted ways with guitarist Joe Brannigan and have replaced him with Harry Bartholomew Lannon.

Commented SINGLE BULLET THEORY frontman Matt DiFabio: "[Joe] has decided to focus on his martial arts training and wants to dedicate more time to his other band, OF WRATH AND RUIN. I'm sad to see Joe go but wish him the best of luck with all of his endeavors. He did, however, write a killer song and it will be featured on the new SINGLE BULLET THEORY record, 'The Arena'.

"Harry is an exceptional lead and rhythm player and we intend to make the triple guitar attack even more insane now!

"Harry will be making is live debut with the group on our March weekend runs."

SINGLE BULLET THEORY is still seeking a permanent drummer following the departure of Nick Bunczk. According to DiFabio, "Nick has been kind enough to continue to fill in. However, as it gets closer to his expected time of arrival for his baby, it will become much harder to schedule performances."

SINGLE BULLET THEORY made the recently recorded track "Edge Of Broken" available as a $1 download via the band's Bandcamp page. The song is a reworked piece of older music that will appear as a bonus track on SINGLE BULLET THEORY's forthcoming album.

SINGLE BULLET THEORY's latest album, "IV", was released in September 2011 via Goomba Music.

Slash has revealed via Twitter that he has recorded a song over the weekend for the first horror film from the guitarist's production company, Slasher Films, called "Nothing To Fear". "Myles [Kennedy, singer of Slash's solo band and ALTER BRIDGE] did a fantastic vocal," Slash added. "[It sounds] haunting/creepy as hell."

Anthony Leonardi III, a creature artist and storyboard artist who worked on "Rango" and "47 Ronin", is directing the movie, which began shooting in May in Louisiana.

Slash told The Pulse Of Radio that he's looking forward to seeing how "Nothing To Fear" turns out. "It's [a] really good production team, the special effects people are great, the cast is great, the story's great — everything's great about it," he said. "And it will be interesting to see where this particular one, how it comes out and where it goes, 'cause we're planning on doing two a year."

"Nothing To Fear" has already been picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment.

The movie is the first of a proposed series of horror films produced by Slash's company, which he launched last year in partnership with two other producers.

"Nothing To Fear" is based on an actual town in Kansas, which, according to legend, is one of the seven gateways to Hell.

The company has three other films in development, including "Wake The Dead", which based on the graphic novels by Steven Niles, with Haley Joel Osment playing Victor Franklin, a college student experimenting with reversing death.

Slash described "Wake The Dead" in an interview as "basically a modern, young Frankenstein story about a brilliant college student who's discovered how to animate dead tissue — but he's a teenager so he goes overboard."

"S.O.S.", a brand new song from the Spanish death/grind band GRUESOME STUFF RELISH, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below. The track comes off the group's forthcoming album, "Sempiternal Death Grind", which will be released on January 25, 2013 on CD, LP (three different versions) and as a digital download via FDA Rekotz.

There is an abundance of (early) CARCASS-worshiping bands around the globe, but there are three that posses the same old, rotten spirit and the same musically quality like the U.K. cult band: GENERAL SURGERY, HAEMORRHAGE and GRUESOME STUFF RELISH. On previous releases, GRUESOME STUFF RELISH showed us the direction straight to the crypt to your most horrible nightmares with a stunningly intense brand of classic death metal and gory grindcore. After two full-length albums and various split releases, it's time for album number three — "Sempiternal Death Grind". This is the most intense and creepy material the band has written to date.

"Sempiternal Death Grind" track listing:

01. A Date With Fulci
02. Desecrated
03. Deadlicious Feast
04. S.O.S.
05. They Are The Plague
06. End Is Near
07. They Follow Your Scent
08. Became A Zombie
09. Gruesome Stuff Relish
10. Sex Drugs & Grind
11. In Death We Breath
12. Scratching The Violet Velvet

A video for the track "Desecrated" will be released next week.

GRUESOME STUFF RELISH is:

Noel Kemper - Vocals, Guitar
Santiago Argento - Guitar
Joss Franco - Bass
Paolo Deodato - Drums

An audio recording of former TNT singer Tony Harnell and his band THE MERCURY TRAIN performing acoustic versions of a couple of TNT classics at the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City can be streamed below.

As previously reported, TONY HARNELL & THE WILDFLOWERS FEATURING BUMBLEFOOT, the band featuring Harnell alongside GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, will make its live debut on January 18, 2013 at The Cutting Room in New York City.

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.

TONY HARNELL & THE MERCURY TRAIN's debut album, "Round Trip", was released in Europe on July 2, 2010 and in the USA on July 27, 2010 via Frontiers Records.

"Round Trip" is a very special record: a stripped down, reinvented retrospective of Tony Harnell's past classics originally recorded with his previous bands TNT, WESTWORLD and STARBREAKER, with one brand new song, "Anywhere But Here", recorded exclusively for this release.

New Jersey metallers ATTACKER have completed mixing their new album, "Giants Of Canaan", for a February 2013 release. 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.

"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 will be mastered next week by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (SEPULTURA, SUFFOCATION, UNEARTH) in New Windsor, New York. A label announcement will follow shortly thereafter in December.

"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 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.

Acclaimed Dutch vocalist Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH, AFTER FOREVER, REVAMP) sang a version of the song "Oh, Mio Babbino Caro" by classical music composer Giacomo Puccini for "Tiende Van Tijl", a show about classical music presented by Tijl Beckand. Floor says, "They invite 'pop singers' to sing a classical piece. And even though I studied classical singing, I am not a opera singer full time."

She added, "It was great to do again. I did their trailer a few years ago as well and now the shows on TV a lot, it's really nice to be invited again. It was on a short notice, however, so I had no time to prepare a new aria. I wore a dress you would normally not see me wear!"

Jansen's appearance on "Tiende Van Tijl" was taped late last month and will air on January 2, 2013.

Floor made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington.

Jansen is handling lead-vocal duties on all of NIGHTWISH's currently scheduled tour dates after the group parted ways with Anette Olzon at the end of September.

A two-minute video report from Swiss TV channel Telebasel featuring performance and interview footage of German metal queen Doro Pesch taken on November 27 at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland can be seen below.

Doro's new album, "Raise Your Fist", sold 585 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 65 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.

In a recent interview with Lords Of Metal, Doro stated about the the switch from her previous label home (AFM Records) to Nuclear Blast, "The record deal with AFM was up and I decided to check if some other options were available. My current guitar player, Bas Maas, who was in AFTER FOREVER, told me that he had good experiences with Nuclear Blast and that it was a great label to be on. Furthermore, there were several people that I've worked with in the past that moved from AFM to Nuclear Blast, like Sandra Eichner and Markus Wosgien, and they also told me that it would be a good label for me. Of course, Nuclear Blast is bigger than AFM and has worldwide distribution, which is also very important for us, as we play shows across the globe. I'm still very good friends with the people from AFM and I was also very much involved in the release of the compilation album 'Under My Skin' that was released by them a couple of weeks ago, as I wrote liner notes for all the songs that are on that album."

Regarding the departure of guitarist Joe Taylor and addition of Bas Maas, Doro said, "I don't think that it made a very big difference on the songwriting process, but Bas is a person that's full of life and very energetic. You can hear that on 'Revenge', which is a song that he wrote the riff for, which is a very high-energy and fast type of song. Furthermore, he's great as a live guitarist as well, as he really knows how to rock on stage and that's very important for a show. I'm still very good friends with Joe, who's been in the band for about sixteen years, and he joined us on stage during the show we did last October in New York. But the non-stop touring that we do is a hard lifestyle and he really wanted to take some time off from that."

On the topic of her expectations for "Raise Your Fist", Doro said, "I will be very happy when the fans say they love the record; that's the most important for me. I really don't keep up with numbers, which are, in my opinion, great to talk about afterwards. It's nice if we will be able to make the charts again, but to me, those kind of things don't really matter. Much more important is that the fans dig the songs in a live situation and, since we already played 'Raise Your Fist' several times live, the first signs are very positive."