Austrian symphonic melodic metallers SERENITY have released the following statement:

"With great mourning we have to tell you all that [Mario Hirzinger], our dear friend, keyboardist, song and lyrics writer as well as founder of SERENITY leaves the band as of now...

"We already knew his decision for quite some time and fully understand Mario's wish for something new. Though we hoped to change his mind especially with such a great experience like ProgPower USA, which was always planned as Mario's last appearance with SERENITY. Well — we made him change his mind twice already — but not this time (more on that in his statement).

"The departure of Mario is a fact now and as a result we've been reconstructing SERENITY throughout the year already. We also have fixed arrangements with Mario's successor who will be announced at a later date.

"Mario, we honestly thank you for a great, never forgettable time, lots of cool and funny tour stories, lots of (great) work too,... We will see us for a drink or two."

Mario has released the following statment regarding his departure from SERENITY:

"Dear friends and fans! It took me a long time to think about it and now it's on me to explain my decision.

"Well, to sum it up, even if it may sound strange, I've got to move on. At very first, let me tell you it's got nothing to do with any personal issues, the guys still are and always will be some of my closest friends; I'm very thankful for every single minute I could spend with them in the recent years on stage, on tour, in the rehearsal room, visiting great places all over Europe as well as here in Austria! Of course, there sometimes had been moments of tension and serious discussions, every band knows that, but most of the time we just had great, occasionally quite silly fun, knowing we were a strong team of different characters working together and spending times off work in a meaningful way.

"The main point is, symphonic metal is not my favourite genre — never has been — and my music taste in general has changed in recent times. This year there had been a couple of happenings showing me I've got to seriously change some things in my life and leaving SERENITY is the first one. To be honest, it was not the first time I thought about that. The moment feels right to me now. I will continue creating music and lyrics on my own, also with other people, but without any business pressure or other limitations. Just for fun, just to see what's there 'hidden' in me and waiting to be set free.

"Even if I liked touring and being on stage with SERENITY a lot, I cannot carry on pretending I totally dig this sound and the whole business. I want to be an honest guy and don't want to back something if I'm not really into it. And everyone, especially the fans, deserves honesty here.

"I will move and most probably, if everything works out well, I will begin to study something — at least that's my plan so far, I have the strong feeling that I'm not at the end of my possibilities in life. Leaving the band will also give me some 'space' for all that. Yes, I'm one of the founding members, I gave the band its name back in 2001 and yes, it had been an absolutely great time. But somehow I think I've seen it all now and that chapter should be closed to give way for another one.

"With all those remarkable impressions and great memories — our September gig in Atlanta as 'climax' — I don't quit with a bad feeling. And I won't miss things like driving vans hundreds of kilometres by night and day, fast food on the road, broken backstage showers and toilets, half-full beer cans left behind on a table in the nightliner, dropping off on bumpy roads, all those strange unwritten 'business laws' and the … hm, let's say not really exemplary behaviour of some people in that business. The adrenaline rush right before a show, the cheering of the crowd, the first cold beer after the show, great backstage dinners with all the crew, funny and interesting conversations, getting to know new, sympathetic people, seeing a lot of impressive places especially on off days, the 'wall of sound' when the onstage sound mix is just awesome, the cozy tourbus bunk and feeling like in a cradle in there when travelling by night … these are things I certainly will miss. But one thing I won't have to miss is the friendship with Clèmentine, Georg, Tom, Fabio and Andi, which is highly important for me! And I know I'm very lucky to have these great people in my life.

"So, my dear gooooiiiis ;-), I wish you all the best for the future of SERENITY and all your upcoming plans – hold on to your dreams! I'm already looking forward to some crazy tour stories being told while having a beer or a coffee together!"

The Age Of Metal conducted an interview with SERENITY before their September 14 performance at the ProgPower USA XIII festival in Atlanta, Georgia. You can now watch the chat below.

SERENITY's third album, "Death & Legacy", was released in February 2011 via Napalm Records. The CD was produced by Oliver Philipps, Jan Vacik, Thomas Buchberger and Georg Neuhauser and it features guest appearances by Ailyn (SIRENIA), Amanda Somerville (AVANTASIA, EPICA, KISKE/SOMERVILLE) and Charlotte Wessels (DELAIN). The album was mixed and mastered by Jan Vacik at Dreamsound Studios in Munich, Germany. The artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann (LEAVES' EYES, ATROCITY, SONS OF SEASONS) and it "represents the historical based concept dealing with famous characters such as Galileo Galilei, Sir Francis Drake, Marco Polo and many more," acording to the band. "An angel of of death holding the book of time, symbolizing their legacy."

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION released its third album, "Afterglow", on Tuesday (October 30) amid a public feud between singer Glenn Hughes and guitarist Joe Bonamassa. In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, the axeman commented on Hughes' recent statement that this could be the group's final album, telling the site, "Never say never."

The war of words goes back to early September, when Hughes began telling journalists that Bonamassa's solo touring schedule was preventing BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION from touring and fulfilling its potential. He stated that if the situation didn't change, "Afterglow" could be the group's last recording project.

Asked if there is going to be more touring for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, Bonamassa states flatly, "Probably not. At least, not with me. You know, the deal was, three years ago when this thing started, everybody had day jobs. Everybody has a good day job. I tour the spring and the fall, religiously. And I'm not gonna be bullied into doing something. Whether Glenn wants to do more touring or not, that's for him to decide. But it's not for him to decide for me." The guitarist adds that he's not opposed to future recording work with the group, saying he's proud of the new album despite all the drama surrounding it. "I think it's a good record that's unfortunately been tainted by all this amateur-hour type of interview skills," he says. "I think Glenn will come to . . . he needs to have a little reality check, and that's fine. We all love him, and we'll forgive him. And it doesn't diminish the fact that he's a world-class singer, a world-class writer and a world-class bass player."

Norwegian extreme avant-garde metal masters QUADRIVIUM return after a six year hiatus with a new intense album, Methocha, out via SoulSeller Records on November 23rd in Europe and February 3rd, 2013 in North America.
The self-produced extreme masterpiece was recorded at various studios all over the world. It was finally mixed in Tower Studio, France and mastered in Panic Room Studio, Sweden. The eight mind-blowing tracks feature members from RAGNAROK, AUGURY and DOLLS OF DISASTER, with a guest appearance by Carl August Tidemann (ex-member of ARCTURUS, WINDS).

Chief songwriter and keyboardist Erlend Antonsen states: "Four years after our first album we return with an expanded line-up, our strongest material to date and a production to match. Venturing ever deeper into the avant-garde side of metal and finding different atmospheres to explore, we have finally managed to put it on tape and present it to you in the form of the Methocha album. Expect everything from full-on metal, mystical atmospheres to dives into a much darker abyss."
Methocha tracklisting:

'Methocha'
'Deep Syphon Focus'
'Eye Of Mimas'
'Orbital'
'Destroyer'
'Phobos Anomaly'
'The Labyrinth Of Infinity'
'Blackbird Abiogenesis'

The online premiere of the track 'Methocha' can be heard below:
Quadrivium is:

Erlend Antonsen (Keyboards)
Etienne Gallo (Drums)
Attila Bakos (Clean Vocals)
Leif Johan Strode Godø (Raw Vocals)
Svein-Ivar Sarassen (Bass)
Thor-Axel Eriksen (Guitars)
Lars Jensen (Vocals)
More on Quadrivium at this location.

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on "Koi No Yokan", the seventh studio album from Sacramento, California's DEFTONES, can be streamed at Amazon.fr. The group worked again with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who helmed 2010's "Diamond Eyes" and has also worked on albums by RUSH and FOO FIGHTERS.

Due on November 13, "Koi No Yokan" will feature the following track listing:

01. Swerve City
02. Romantic Dreams
03. Leathers
04. Poltergeist
05. Entombed
06. Graphic Nature
07. Tempest
08. Gauze
09. Rosemary
10. Goon Squad
11. What Happened To You?

DEFTONES has tapped Christopher Mills (MODEST MOUSE, INTERPOL) to direct the video for "Tempest". The clip will make its online debut during the coming days.

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep, DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno stated about the songwriting process for "Koi No Yokan", "We were coming out of a tough time, obviously, and our goal was to kind of rebuild what we created over all the years. I felt like we had to prove ourselves. We'd taken so much time between records, had some inner turmoil, and our records were starting to get pieced together versus really being created together, so for us it was a chance to get back to basics. We didn't have an idea of what sort of style we wanted. We just came in fired up and motivated to do something great. It was all very positive. We had more songs than ever, tons of ideas."

Guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy of Florida metallers TRIVIUM performed a short solo acoustic set this past Thursday, November 1 at the 2112 restaurant — which is co-owned by two members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES, Peter Iwers (bass) and Björn Gelotte (guitar) — in Gothenburg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

TRIVIUM is currently touring Europe with AS I LAY DYING, CALIBAN and UPON A BURNING BODY.

TRIVIUM's latest album, "In Waves", sold 22,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on The Billboard 200 chart — the highest U.S. chart entry of the band's career. The group's previous CD, "Shogun", opened with just under 24,000 units back in October 2008 to debut at No. 23. The effort followed up "The Crusade", which registered a first-week tally of 31,000 copies in October 2006 to enter the chart at No. 25.

"In Waves" was recorded primarily at Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, Florida (with only the drums having been tracked at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida) with the production/mixing team of Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT, FEAR FACTORY) and Martin "Ginge" Ford, along with engineer Carl Bown.

New Jersey-based "mathcore" act THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN will enter the studio on November 5 with producer producer Steve Evetts (EVERY TIME I DIE, POISON THE WELL) to begin recording its new album for a tentative April 2013 release.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN guitarist Ben Weinman previously stated about the band’s forthcoming CD, "This new material is very punk-, very hardcore-influenced. Maybe it's all the amazing bands reuniting from my youth that is inspiring this. Billy [Rymer, drums] and I have just been listening to old hardcore records blasting through my house and then going down to the dungeon and just bashing. Greg [Puciato, vocals] also seems to be in a very dark place lyrically. I think it's going to be pretty creepy. If these songs don't put some holes in the wall, I don't know what will."

The band recently announced the amicable departure of rhythm guitarist Jeff Tuttle.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's latest album, "Option Paralysis", was re-released last year in a "Paralyzing Edition" exclusively as a digital download. This first-anniversary reissue included four bonus tracks, plus a video in the iTunes version.

U.K. rockers THE BURNING CROWS will enter Rockfield Studios in Wales in the spring to record their debut album for a May 4, 2013 release. Funding for the CD is being aided by the PledgeMusic.com project, which encourages fans to contribute funds to the recording of albums and the artists themselves to donate to charity as a part of their fundraising.

THE BURNING CROWS' EP, "Never Had It So Good", came out earlier this year. The effort was prooduced and mixed by Nick Brine (THE DARKNESS, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OASIS) and features a guest appearance on keyboards by Keith Weir (THE QUIREBOYS, DEF LEPPARD).

THE BURNING CROWS is:

Whippz - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Lance Daniels - Guitar
Will Lockett - Bass
Chris Chapman - Drums

The two-song 2012 demo that got veteran death metallers ACHERON signed to Listenable Records can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The tracks "Satan Holds Dominion" and "Asphyxiation (Hands of God)" were recorded with the following lineup:

Vincent Crowley - Vocals, Bass
Kyle Severn - Drums
Max Otworth - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Shuan Cothron - Guitar

The band's new album, "Kult Des Hasses", is scheduled for release in the spring.

The infamous underground legends have been a cult band for over two decades and have released a number of recordings throughout their existence.

Commented ACHERON founder and frontman Vincent Crowley: "ACHERON has been a thriving entity for many years now. We never got a proper push from any of our past labels to get to the next level.

"The band has received a lot of interest within the last year.

"When Listenable Records talked with me about signing ACHERON, I was indeed interested. The reason being is that he was a fan of ACHERON a long time ago. He believes in our music and wants to finally give ACHERON the push we deserve.

"'We are not just a band, we're a fucking diabolic War Machine!'"

German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS have made "Blackout" canvas prints available via their official web store.

The band says: "A must-have for any self-confessed SCORPIONS fan, this canvas looks absolutely fantastic on any wall and will add that special touch to your home or office. High-quality canvas print on stretched wooden frame."

SCORPIONS' eighth album, "Blackout" featured a number of standout tracks like the radio hit "No One Like You", "Dynamite", "Can't Live Without You", "China White" and the title track.

A self-portrait of artist Gottfried Helnwein is featured on the cover of the album. Rudolf Schenker portrays this character in the "No One Like You" music video.

According to EUobserver, the European Commission has said that Poland's prosecution of the extreme metal band BEHEMOTH and the group's leader, Adam "Nergal" Darski, for "blasphemy" is against European values.

In a statement released on Wednesday (October 31), it said that "national blasphemy laws are a matter for the domestic legal order of the member states."

It cited the European Convention Of Human Rights, a Poland-signatory treaty attached to the Strasbourg-based rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, on freedom of expression.

"This right protects not only information or ideas that are favorably received or regarded as inoffensive or as a matter of indifference, but also those that offend, shock or disturb," the commission said.

In a new posting on the BEHEMOTH Facebook page, Darski provided a link to the EUobserver article and added, "As some of you know, I've been battling this bullshit for a few years now. Things are getting more serious and... dangerous.

"Anyways, looks like freethinking wins over obscurity in the end. If not in Poland, at least in Europe... Read and share.

"I wanted to thank you for all the words of support and encouragement. This means everything to me.

"Onward to victory! Hail freedom!"

According to Reuters, Poland's Supreme Court ruled on October 29 that Darski committed a crime when when he called the Catholic Church "the most murderous cult on the planet" during BEHEMOTH's September 2007 performance in Gdynia and tore up a copy of the Bible, calling it "a book of lies."

A lower court will now decide if Darski is guilty of the crime, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail.

"[The decision] is negative and restricts the freedom of speech. The court decided that this is allowed in a democratic system," Jacek Potulski, a lawyer for Darski, told Reuters.

He added, "We are still arguing that we were dealing with art, which allows more critical and radical statements."

Ryszard Nowak, chairman of the privately run Nationwide Defence Committee Against Sects, told Polish television about today's court ruling, "The Supreme Court said clearly that there are limits for artists which cannot be crossed."

Back in August 2011, a Polish judge ruled that Darski's ripping up of a Bible during a show was a form of artistic expression consistent with the style of his band.

Judge Krzysztof Wieckowski said he considered Darski's actions "a form of art." He added that the court had no intention of limiting freedom of expression or the right to criticize religion.

The court said audience members who testified said their religious feelings had not been hurt despite the fact they were Christians.

After the 2007 incident, Nowak sued BEHEMOTH for promoting Satanism. Although a court expert witness on religious matters said that the act of destroying the Holy Bible could offend somebody's religious feelings, the case was discontinued because no one except Nowak accused BEHEMOTH of insulting their religious beliefs. (Under Polish law, there must be at least two formal complaints before a charge is laid. The previous complaint was made in 2008, and recently an unspecified number of other complaints had been filed.)

In a 2009 interview with Decibel magazine, BEHEMOTH bassist Tomasz "Orion" Wróblewski explained that the Bible-tearing incident was by no means a spontaneous outburst. "We'd been doing that for two years on tour before it happened in Poland," he said. "So, we had discussed it many times before. A BEHEMOTH show is a BEHEMOTH show, and BEHEMOTH fans are coming to a BEHEMOTH show. BEHEMOTH fans know what BEHEMOTH is about, know what the lyrics are about, and know at least a little of the philosophy behind the band. So, it's kind of surprising that there are people coming to the shows and feeling offended with what we do onstage. If such a person comes to a show, he comes with the purpose of being offended, I guess, and it shouldn't be like that. We're not offending any particular person. We're just offending the religion that we've been raised in."

Polish-language TV report on the October 29 Supreme Court ruling:

Fan-filmed video footage of the Swedish all-girl hard rock quartet CRUCIFIED BARBARA performing on October 7 at Vortex in Siegen, Germany can be seen below.

CRUCIFIED BARBARA's third studio album, "The Midnight Chase", was released on May 23 in Japan and May 28 in Europe. A North American release followed on July 31 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was recorded at Music-A-Matic Vintage Recording Studio in Gothenberg, Sweden with sound engineer Henryk Lipp and producer Chips Kiesby.

"It feels like a beginning," guitarist/vocalist Mia Coldheart told Metalholic.com about the new album. "It was a really special experience to record it. It was a lot of stress but it was so much more fun than the previous [albums]. We worked really hard, and I think we've become better song writers. I'm really proud of it, and it's so much fun to play the songs. It feels more natural. I think we found our way to write songs, and working together, it was much easier. I think we learn something from every time we enter the studio."

Added guitarist Klara Force: "Recording this album it felt like sound-wise, song-wise, like we were finding a home. We're mature enough to know exactly what we're doing. It turned out the way we wanted, and it's sort of like we found the key on how to do it — and we did it. I think we were a little bit more daring with this album as well."

Formed in Stockholm in 1998 by bassist Ida Evileye (now-wife of MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake) and Force, CRUCIFIED BARBARA plays a fiery brand of rock 'n' roll tinged with metal and lashings of punk, pop, thrash, and whatever else dares to cross their path. Ida Evileye dominates her trusty Sandberg bass, Force rocks steady on her '76 Gibson Explorer, Coldheart belts out her unapologetic vocals while riffing all over her Gibson Gothic Flying V, and Nicki Wicked pounds on her hot pink sparkle Yamaha Maple drum kit until you're splayed across the floor with a bull's-eye knock-out punch that'll make you spit your teeth out. Now you know what happens when MOTÖRHEAD mates with THE RUNAWAYS.

AEROSMITH members Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford took part in NBC's live benefit concert, "Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together", yesterday (Friday, November 2) at the New York studios of NBC at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It aired live across the East Coast and tape-delayed on the West coast.

Hosted by NBC "Today" anchor Matt Lauer, the commercial-free telethon included an all-star rendition of "Under The Boardwalk" with Steven Tyler, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen, as well as a deeply emotional version of "Dream On", with Tyler sitting behind a piano.

Money collected will be donated to the American Red Cross relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy.

To make a donation, visit RedCross.org, call (800) RED-CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 contribution to the cause.

Original BLUE ÖYSTER CULT members Allen Lanier (keyboards, guitar), Albert Bouchard (drums, percussion), Joe Bouchard (bass), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar) and Eric Bloom (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) will reunite to perform on November 5 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City.

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, celebrated the 40th anniversary of "Blue Öyster Cult" — unleashed in 1972, the eponymous debut album from America's heaviest psychedelic metal band presaged punk, thrash and hardcore — with the release of "Blue Öyster Cult - The Columbia Albums Collection", a monumental career-spanning BLUE ÖYSTER CULT library comprised of 16 CDs (the full official canon plus two discs of rarities) and the mythic "Some Other Enchanted Evening" DVD (a blistering concert video from 1978). The highly-collectible boxed set was made available this past Tuesday, October 30.

"Blue Öyster Cult - The Columbia Albums Collection" brings together the group's 14 official Columbia Records albums — including newly-mastered editions of "On Your Feet Or On Your Knees", "Fire Of Unknown Origin", "The Revolution By Night", "Mirrors", "Cultosaurus Erectus", "Extraterrestrial Live", "Club Ninja" and "Imaginos" — alongside two newly-curated bonus discs: "Rarities" and "Radios Appear: The Best Of The Broadcasts" (a special collection of classic live performances).

In addition, the "Blue Öyster Cult - The Columbia Albums Collection" box set comes with a special download code good for four live concert broadcasts as well as as a forty-page booklet chock-full of photos and liner notes from celebrated music writer and guitarist Lenny Kaye.

"Blue Öyster Cult - The Columbia Albums Collection" includes:

01. Blue Öyster Cult (1972 - studio - with 2001 CD bonus tracks)
02. Tyranny And Mutation (1973 - studio - with 2001 CD bonus tracks)
03. Secret Treaties (1974 - studio - with 2001 CD bonus tracks)
04. On Your Feet Or On Your Knees (1975 - live) - 2012 Remaster
05. Agents Of Fortune (1976 - studio - with 2001 CD bonus tracks)
06. Spectres (1977 - studio - with 2007 CD bonus tracks)
07. Some Enchanted Evening CD (1978 - live - with 2007 CD bonus tracks)
08. Some Other Enchanted Evening DVD (1978 - live)
09. Mirrors (1979 - studio) - 2012 Remaster
10. Cultosaurus Erectus (1980 - studio) - 2012 Remaster
11. Fire Of Unknown Origin (1981 - studio) - 2012 Remaster
12. Extraterrestrial Live (1982 - live) - 2012 Remaster
13. The Revolution By Night (1983 - studio) - 2012 Remaster
14. Club Ninja (1985 - studio) - 2012 Remaster
15. Imaginos (1988 - studio) - 2012 Remaster
16. Rarities
17. Radios Appear: The Best of the Broadcasts

Originally formed in Long Island as SOFT WHITE UNDERBELLY in 1967, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT combined adventurous lyrical themes with an aggressive instrumental sound. With passion and intelligence on display in equal measure, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT became the thinking fan's rock band and a sign of life in a sea of dull, anemic soft-pop. Anthems like "Godzilla", "Harvester Of Eyes" and "Don't Fear The Reaper" stretched the boundaries of rock topics while lead guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser became a hero to legions of budding axe-wielders. The band's mystique extended to their album artwork, resulting in some of the most distinctive and iconic LP covers of the rock era. "Blue Öyster Cult - The Columbia Albums Collection" gathers the essential pieces of the BLUE ÖYSTER CULT story into one mind-boggling totality.

Pavement Entertainment has signed the Chicago death metal band I KILLED EVERYONE to a four-album deal. The group will enter the studio soon with producer Don Byczynski (BORN OF OSIRIS, OCEANO, VEIL OF MAYA) to record its new album for an early 2013 release.

Formed in early 2008 by drummer Tom Salazar, I KILLED EVERYONE consists of "a merciless group of musicians [who] unfurl their ability to create music that is fast, heart-racing as well as heavy," according to a press release.

I KILLED EVERYONE is:

Tim O'Brien: Vocals
Bill Williams: Guitar
Jason Cordero: Guitar
A.J Kolar: Guitar
Tom Salazar: Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of W.A.S.P.'s November 2 concert at 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands can be seen below.

30 years ago— on September 21, 1982 — W.A.S.P. played its first show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. On September 21, 2012, W.A.S.P. embarked on the "30 Years Of Thunder" anniversary tour starting in the United Kingdom and continuing worldwide. This world tour is the biggest spectacle W.A.S.P. has ever created. The two-hour show consists of three parts: a one-hour set containing songs from the first four albums; a 25-minute shortened version of "The Crimson Idol" complete with the movie accompaniment; and a set of material from the new W.A.S.P. studio album, older material and everything in between. This performance includes multiple video screens, pyrotechnics, and elements from the early W.A.S.P. shows and Blackie Lawless' moving microphone stand "Elvis."

W.A.S.P.'s latest album, "Babylon", was released in Europe on October 12, 2009 through Global Music (via Demolition Records) and was made available in the U.S. on November 17, 2009.

Former THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving has signed a deal with Deadlight Entertainment for the French release of his solo album entitled "Thieves And Liars".

According to a press release, "Thieves & Liars" "is far from the idea of metal and hardcore. Instead, [the CD] spring from layers of guitars, classic rock, eclectic melodies and even goth. THE CURE, NEW ORDER, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, MASSIVE ATTACK and Mark Lanegan are names that spring to mind in describing the record that was recorded in 2011/2012, mixed by BURST and SÓLSTAFIR producer Fredrik Reinedahl and mastered by legendary producer/engineer Tue Madsen (SICK OF IT ALL, HATESPHERE)."

Regarding how the effort came together, Dolving said, "Beginning in July 2011, I had come to a place in my life and art where for some reason I knew, this is it. No more adapting to groups, superficial ideas of genres, or styles. I started recording, with no censoring, complete flow of conciousness. Free creation. Finally. Without restraints. And I made a couple of songs every weeks, it just kept pouring out. I realized this was a truly inspired record falling into play.

"As the songs kept coming, I asked Per Möller Jensen, who I'd been playing with in THE HAUNTED for 10 years if he would like to play on the record, and he was completely open for diving into it. He explained he wanted time to really put his heart into and certainly he did. Mixing an amazing classic rock feel and a energetic inspiring jazz influence his drums blew my mind as I heard what he had come up with for the songs.

"I spoke to [producer] Tue Madsen, who I had befriended during hours of work with THE HAUNTED, we share a deep love of music and we decided that he would master. Fredrik Reinedahl who got involved with HOUSE OF DOLVING back when we started recording in 2011 has become a dear friend along the process. We met each other for the first time back in summer of '95 and he kept playing stuff to me that I really love that he had or was mixing. BURST, PASSENGERS, ABANDON and later SÓLSTAFIR. The man is a bona fide sound wizard and really one of the smartest, loving people I know.

"And a year after a couple of hundred alone long nights at end, it's all in place. This is 'Thieves And Liars'.

"I really hope you will enjoy it as much we have making it."

"Thieves And Liars" track listing:

01. Meinhof
02. Song For You
03. Hands On
04. One Sweet Moment
05. Ordinary Folk
06. Sunday Mornings
07. Cocksucker Blues
08. My Will To Die
09. No Solicitors
10. So Sick
11. All This Beauty

"Hands On" can be streamed below.

Previously a vocalist for MARY BEATS JANE, Dolving joined THE HAUNTED in 1997 and sang in their debut self-titled album. In 1998, he left the group to concentrate on a band called ZEN-MONKEY but returned in 2003 following the departure of Marco Aro (the vocalist which took over Dolving's spot after Peter's 1998 exit). He has since appeared on the studio albums "Revolver" (2004), "The Dead Eye" (2006), "Versus" (2008) and "Unseen" (2011).

German power metallers HELLOWEEN will release their new album, "Straight Out Of Hell", in Europe on January 18 and in North America on January 22, 2013.

HELLOWEEN recently completed work on the video for the CD's first single. The six-minute opus "Nabataea" develops on several levels, including 3-D animation at motion picture level. The legendary kingdom Nabataea provides the atmospherically dense reference for the strong first release from HELLOWEEN's new album.

Do we really have to worry? Is our civilization standing right on the edge of the abyss? Is the Maya calendar actually right, predicting the end of the world on December 21, 2012? New age circles are convinced that the apocalyptic prophecy can be derived from the Mesoamerican civilization's calendar.

"Complete bullshit," reckons HELLOWEEN singer Andi Deris. "We will all survive the year 2012 and face an even more positive and energetic future."

HELLOWEEN have documented how this future could look like, or rather sound like, on "Straight Out Of Hell". It's a work full of speed and toughness, with optimism and great joy of playing, featuring complex arrangements, strong hooks and plenty of catchy melodies. Or, to let the facts speak for themself: 13 mostly fast-paced songs that turn out to be impressively multi-layered and will completely delight all HELLOWEEN fans, due to the different songwriters Andi Deris, founding members Michael Weikath and Markus Grosskopf, and guitarist Sascha Gerstner.

Says Weikath: "'Straight Out Of Hell' is the consequent development of the two albums before. '7 Sinners' was recorded more or less in the wake of 'Gambling With The Devil', while the new songs are a continuation of the '7 Sinners' directives, only a little less doom bound and noticeably more positive. These songs will kick even the laziest listener's ass."

HELLOWEEN's guitarist is referring to tracks such as "Make Fire Catch The Fly", "Far From the Stars", "Church Breaks Down", the title track (written by bass player Markus Grosskopf), and the straightforward "Years" — all of them racing through the terrain a =t full speed. In addition, there is the complex and passionate "Burning Sun" by Michael Weikath, which Deris refers to short and sweet as "one of Weikath's highspeed masterpieces" (the limited edition will feature a special Hammond version in memory of DEEP PURPLE's recently deceased organ player Jon Lord). "World Of War" by Sascha Gerstner convinces with thrashy guitar riffs, demonstrating HELLOWEEN's impressive virtuosity.

Says Deris: "What's so special about this band, is the fact that we were always allowed to do anything we wanted, or — even if we allegedly weren't — did it anyway. Even the at the time slightly tabooed 'The Dark Ride' initially earned us negative reviews, but ended up with multiple gold awards. That's the kind of freedom you feel on 'Straight Out Of Hell' as well — we didn't let anybody or anything put pressure on us."

But HELLOWEEN wouldn't be HELLOWEEN if "Straight Out Of Hell" would not feature the band's other, slightly more groovy side as well. With "Waiting For The Thunder" Deris has — in his own words — contributed "a rock song reminding of the old PINK CREAM 69 tunes." Gerstner lets off steam on "Asshole" and complements the album with "Hold Me In Your Arms", a wonderful ballad, providing the desired antithesis to the otherwise extremely energetic record. Speaking of energy: the determination that has always been an integral part of the HELLOWEEN camp was captured perfectly by their producer Charlie Bauerfeind at the band's own MiSueno studio in Tenerife. Bauerfeind consciously created a raw sound, keeping the edge of HELLOWEEN's new songs and working without computer-controlled devices.

"With a world-class drummer like Dani Löble in the studio, you don't need click tracks or computer support," Markus Grosskopf praises his drummer. "Thanks to Dani, the whole album breathes pure authenticity, which distinguishes 'Straight Out Of Hell' from lots of other artists' productions. In addition, the new album sounds more compact and homogeneous than '7 Sinners' has, and is one of the fastest releases in HELLOWEEN's history."

Also, there are significant differences in a number of topics HELLOWEEN tackle on "Straight Out Of Hell". The best example of the ability to think outside the box of pure metal cliché is their first single release 'Nabataea', which HELLOWEEN's singer wrote during a holiday. The song is about the legendary kingdom, located in today's Middle Eastern region, where the first real democracy existed over 3000 years ago. The secret Nabataean city Petra, hidden behind a cliff scenery and only discovered at the beginning of the 20th century, is the origin of many myths and legends.

Says Deris: "We took the liberty to tell this exciting culture's whole story, although the song therefore lasts more than seven minutes. Truth be told, if there had been more to tell, the track would have been even longer."

"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)

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 ("Hellish Rock Part II") will bring the band to the U.K. on April 16 for a one-off date at the London Forum.

CSA Celebrity Speakers — which represents speakers, including the world's experts on leadership, strategy, innovation, marketing and Nobel prize winners — has posted a couple of showreels showcasing IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson's skills as a public speaker, featuring footage from his October 10 keynote speech at the IBM Smarter Business event at the Stockholm Waterfront Congress in Sweden.

Dickinson is the lead singer of IRON MAIDEN, a commercial pilot, business angel, entrepreneur, creative business thinker and international fencer. Bruce was a pilot and marketing director for Astraeus Airlines, which recently went into administration and is now in the process of leading them out of liquidation. In addition, Bruce has government funding to create an aircraft maintenance company creating 1500 jobs in Wales.

Bruce is involved in an air ship venture to manufacture lighter than air drones with a contract to supply the U.S. Army. He is also setting up a separate training company (Real World Aviation) to train future pilots.

Bruce left IRON MAIDEN in 1993 in order to pursue a solo career, his passion for fencing and an interest in becoming a pilot. Bruce rejoined the band in 1999 and has gone on to release four albums; despite this, he hasn't stopped flying Boeing 757s.

Bruce is very keen to speak on his projects tying it in with business start-up, entrepreneurship and business creativity. In addition, he is willing to talk about the parallels between his music and business careers. He is also able to deliver team building experiences focused around his flight simulator.

Swedish/German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY are ready to promote their latest album, "Khaos Legions", in Mexico and South America and are giving their fans a chance to be part of an exciting project.

Comments the band: "Big news for our upcoming South America tour! We will be documenting the entire tour for the next official ARCH ENEMY DVD (to be released in 2013)! We are bringing along the team from Filmefahrer Pictures (who also shot the Cologne, Germany 2012 show) to film the shows, do interviews with the band members, shoot backstage footage, fans and incidentals during the entire run of the tour.

"We are so excited to come back to Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico as well as discovering new places like Uruguay, Peru and Costa Rica that we simply must immortalize this experience — and the crazy fans we’ll meet along the way!

"Additionally, we will have the team from Abysmo filming the Chile show in HD with several cameras. We are also looking into recording the Mexico show with a local film team there.

"Stay tuned and come to the shows, if you want to be a part of our next DVD (and Blue-ray) extravaganza!"

ARCH ENEMY's ninth album, "Khaos Legions", sold around 6,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 78.

The band earlier in the year amicably parted ways with guitarist Christopher Amott and replaced him with 26-year-old American musician Nick Cordle (ARSIS).

Renowned Scottish singer Doogie White (pictured below), who has worked with such bands as RAINBOW, CORNERSTONE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, MIDNIGHT BLUE, PRAYING MANTIS and TANK, has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"In the 16 years or so since I left RAINBOW, I have never spoken publicly about my reasons for leaving. The truth is that I don't believe it's anyone's business but Ritchie's [Blackmore, RAINBOW guitarist/mainman] and mine.

"It was therefore with some interest (and a raised eyebrow or two) that I listened to the [October 27] interview given by Candy [Ritchie's wife and BLACKMORE'S NIGHT bandmate Candice Night] on WRCN [hear audio below; Candice's story begins around the 19-minute mark]. I have to say that her version of events came as a surprise to say the least.

"While I am not named specifically, it is implied that I was party to a move within the band to hold Ritchie to some kind of financial ransom at what turned out to be our final show.

"That show was in Denmark, at Esbjerg, not Sweden Rock as Candy said in the interview, and I recall it rather well. Who wouldn't, given what followed!

"I remember the night before that final concert when Ritchie, Cozy Powell [drums] and I sat drinking red wine, sharing tales and having a great time. If anyone had told me then that the very next night RAINBOW would be no more, I would never have believed them. We played football together the next day, as usual, and all was well between Ritchie and me, as far as I knew.

"I cannot and do not speak for any of my former band mates, that is for them to do so, should they wish.

"For my part, though, at no point did I ever ask Ritchie, his management, or anyone else connected with RAINBOW for more money. The notion that I was in a position of sufficient power to 'blackmail' Ritchie is pretty funny anyway. It was RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW after all.

"Of the future of RAINBOW at that time, Ritchie and I had talked of a new album at the end of the U.S. tour in '97. That would come, I was told, after he had 'finished with Candy's album.' I actually took five song ideas to Esbjerg and gave him the tapes. You can find most of them on the CORNERSTONE album 'Human Stain'.

"I remember very clearly the conversation Ritchie and I had outside his dressing room that night after the show, and I remember the reasons why I did not sign that hastily reworked contract there and then. Those reasons are as valid today as they were on my return to London after the show (I returned to London on my own incidentally and did not, as has been suggested in the same interview, arrive at the plane the next day drunk with another band member). Those reasons are between Ritchie and I, they have remained private for many years, and they will remain so for many more, despite this silliness.

"For the record, Ritchie always treated me fairly. I got paid what I was contracted to get paid; whether it was publishing, performance fees or merchandise payments and I never had any issues or problems with him.

"I always appreciated that he gave me a big opportunity and took a chance on me. In return I gave him, RAINBOW and the fans my very best.

"Even after I had left the band, there were a few occasions when Ritchie stepped in on my behalf when the new 'management' would not/could not help on certain matters. I am grateful to him for that.

"The only thing I wanted more of from Ritchie was time: more time to make great music with him.

"For what it's worth I believe that the reason RAINBOW did not, has not and will not continue is because Ritchie wants to do something else... BLACKMORE'S NIGHT.

"He seems happy with what he is doing. I am happy with what I am doing. I wish him well and I hope that he wishes me the same.

"Neither I nor Ritchie will lose any sleep over this. And neither should you."

Audio below: Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night speaking to 103.9 WRCN-FM, Long Island's classic rock radio station, on October 27, 2012

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Jimmy Page confirmed that he's remastering all nine LED ZEPPELIN albums, with each set being readied as deluxe, expanded editions featuring, "extra music and bonus material." Page, who produced all of LED ZEPPELIN's live and studio albums, has served as the band's chief archivist and personally oversaw the remastering of the band's catalogue back in the nearly '90s.

In Page's new interview with Mojo magazine, he explained, "There are a number of LED ZEPPELIN projects that will come out next year because there are different versions of tracks that we have that can be added to the album so there will be box sets of material that will come out, starting next year. There will be one box set per album with extra music that will surface."

There has been no release date set for the box sets and it's not known whether the albums will be released at once or staggered, as was done by PINK FLOYD for their deluxe "Immersion" collections.

Coming on November 19 will be LED ZEPPELIN's new live collection, "Celebration Day", which was recorded and filmed at ZEPPELIN's December 10, 2007 reunion show at London's O2 Arena. The concert film will be released on CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc through Swan Song/Atlantic Records.

Finnish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH and Reino are making history together. Each pair of Reino slippers is accompanied by an authenticity certificate, which guarantees you have a genuine and authentic pair of NIGHTWISH Reinos.

Says NIGHTWISH: "This must be the #1 Christmas present for this year! Check 'em out!!!"

The very first pair of Reino slippers was produced in Tampere, Finland at the time of the Great Depression in 1932. The classic slippers have kept their original look and endured unchanged the years of the depression, the wars, the oil crisis, the globalization and the whims of the fashion. Today, 80 years later, the Reino slippers are more popular than ever.

For more information, go to this location.

Friends of SUICIDE SILENCE singer Mitch Lucker gathered last night (Thursday, November 1) in Riverside, California, where the 28-year-old grew up, to celebrate the life of the musician who died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash the day before. A separate vigil was held at the crash site in Huntington Beach that was attended by fans as well as some of Mitch's family members, including his wife of two years, Jolie, and his five-year-old daughter, Kenadee. Check out video footage below.

Lucker was riding his black 2013 Harley-Davidson south on Main Street about 8:55 p.m. Wednesday when he hit a light pole near the intersection of 13th Street. The motorcycle continued sliding south on Main Street and struck a northbound 2007 Nissan Titan pickup.

Lucker was seriously injured and was treated at the scene by paramedics. He died shortly after 6 a.m. at UC Irvine Medical Center.

According to his wife, the singer made a choice Halloween night to drink and ride.

Jolie Carmadella said she didn't know why her husband left home Wednesday night and didn't know where he was headed, but she did reveal that she found some empty containers at home.

Asked what message she had for SUICIDE SILENCE's fans in the wake of the musician's death, Carmadella said, "Just make the right choice. Don't hurt your family. Don't drink and drive."

The surviving members of SUICIDE SILENCE posted a statement on their Facebook page Thursday morning reading, "There's no easy way to say this. Mitch passed away earlier this morning from injuries sustained during a motorcycle accident. This is completely devastating to all of us and we offer our deepest condolences to his family. He will be forever in our hearts."

Asked what attracted him to motorcycles, Mitch told AltPress.com in an interview last month, "The danger in it. Being a frontman in a band, you get addicted to adrenaline rushes. When you're onstage, there's not more of a rush. When I get home from touring, I need to find something to match that so I don't get my adrenaline withdrawals. Being exposed to every element of danger while you're sitting on a motor — that, to me, is freedom."

SUICIDE SILENCE recently inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Entertainment, the new division of Nuclear Blast formed by Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger and former Roadrunner A&R chief Monte Conner.

The band has released three albums so far — 2007's "The Cleansing", 2009's "No Time to Bleed" and last year's "The Black Crown".

Inakustik has set a December 3 release date for Michael Schenker's "Temple Of Rock: Live In Europe" that will be made available on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and as a limited deluxe edition containing all three formats. This essential live rock'n'roll release includes songs performed live in Tilburg, The Netherlands in May 2012, and at London's High Voltage festival in 2011.

Schenker sees his music as a building block in the construction of the Temple Of Rock. "The Temple is almost finished," explains Michael. "The foundation was laid in the '60s by LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH. The walls were then built by UFO and others in the '70s. By the '80s, it was further reinforced by the likes of the SCORPIONS, and many more influential rock bands."

The Tilburg gig, recorded May 2012, features Schenker (lead guitar), Doogie White (vocals; RAINBOW, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TANK), Herman Rarebell (drums), Francis Buchholz (bass) and Wayne Findley (rhythm guitar, keyboards). London's 2011 High Voltage festival features Michael Voss (vocals), Rudolf Schenker (SCORPIONS), who plays rhythm guitar on "Rock You Like a Hurricane", "Hanging On" and "Doctor Doctor", UFO's Pete Way, who plays bass guitar on "Doctor Doctor", and vocalists Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and Doogie White, who both sing on "Doctor Doctor".

"Live In Tilburg" track listing:

01. Into The Arena
02. Armed And Ready
03. Lovedrive
04. Another Piece Of Meat
05. Hanging On
06. Cry For The Nations
07. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
08. Coast To Coast
09. Assault Attack
10. Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
11. Lights Out
12. On And On
13. Let It Roll
14. Shoot Shoot
15. Rock You Like A Hurricane
16. Rock Bottom
17. Holiday
18. Blackout
19. Doctor Doctor

"Live At High Voltage" track listing:

01. Armed And Ready
02. Another Piece Of Meat
03. Rock You Like A Hurricane (ft. Rudolph Schenker)
04. Hanging On (ft. Rudolph Schenker)
05. Doctor Doctor (ft. Rudolph Schenker)

Formats and special features:

CD Edition - 2 Disc

* Recording from 2012's Tilburg, Netherlands concert
* Recording (extracts) from London's 2011
* High Voltage Festival

DVD Edition - 1 Disc

* Recording from 2012's Tilburg, Netherlands concert
* Recording (extracts) from London's 2011
* High Voltage Festival
* Bonus-Footage‚ Before The Show (Tilburg)
* Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, dts, Stereo

Blu-ray Edition - 1 Disc

* Recording from 2012's Tilburg, Netherlands concert
* Recording (extracts) from London's 2011
* High Voltage Festival
* Bonus-Footage‚ Before The Show (Tilburg)
* Bonus-Footage‚ Sound check (Tilburg)
* Audio: DTS HD Master, Stereo

Limited Deluxe Edition - 4 Discs

* Includes 2 CDs, 1 Blu-ray, 1 Bonus DVD.
Bonus DVD includes the following content:
- Brighton Rehearsal
- Doogie's Video Impressions

Guitarist Alex Hellid of Swedish metal veterans ENTOMBED is recovering after undergoing "a major operation which thankfully went very well," according to a posting on the band's Facebook page. He is now "looking forward" to continuing to work with the new ENTOMBED album, which is expected sometime next year.

Threeman Recordings, which is owned and run by members of ENTOMBED, recently launched a new collaboration with Ninetone Records. The first release under this arrangement was a single for the re-recorded version of the song "Amok" from ENTOMBED's 2007 album, "Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments", produced by Patrik Frisk (CORRODED).

"Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments" was released in the U.S. on July 31, 2007 via Candlelight/Threeman Recordings. The 10-song effort marked the group's first release with drummer Olle Dahlstedt (ALPHA SAFARI, ex-MISERY LOVES CO.), who replaced Peter Stjärnvind in 2006. Mastering duties were handled by Soren Elofsson at Cosmos Mastering in Stockholm, Sweden.

"Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments" entered the Swedish national chart at position No. 3. This was the highest chart position in the band's career.

The current lineup of ENTOMBED features Victor Brandt (TOTALT JÄVLA MÖRKER, AEON, SATYRICON) and second guitarist Nico Elgstrand (who previously played bass for the group).

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett joined DEATH ANGEL on stage last night (Thursday, November 1) at Public Works in San Francisco, California during a launch party for Kirk's book, "Too Much Horror Business - The Kirk Hammett Collection". You can now watch video footage of his performance below. The event also featured "zombies, burlesque dancers, horror face painting, special guests Judgement Day" and DJ sets by Motion Potion and guest MC Nikki Blakk.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Hammett, who has been collecting items and watching horror movies since he was a child, told Loudwire why he thinks the genre is so popular. He explained, "They're just fun. They're a fun experience. It's not unlike a roller coaster ride, you know? A good horror movie should have peaks and valleys, a good horror movie should move you emotionally, a good horror movie should be exciting to watch and energizing in a weird kind of way . . . horror movies deliver that."

Hammett added, "I've always been attracted to the darker things in life. I was never one to go for light, airy stuff, even as a child. My whole aesthetic has always been one of the darker side. That rings true also in my tastes in music."

Asked to name his favorite horror films, Hammett mentioned movies like 1932's "The Mummy" and a '70s low-budget cheesefest called "Dracula Vs. Frankenstein" before saying, "To me, it's just endless. I think about certain movies and I think, 'Oh, that's my favorite.' Then I think about others and I say, 'No, that's my favorite.' It's so difficult for me."

The book's title is taken from a song by punk legends the MISFITS and Hammett was asked if he spoke with any members of the band about using it. He replied, "I told Glenn [Danzig, singer] that I was making this book when I saw him last December. He seemed all right with it. I think by now if he wasn't all right with it I would've heard something."

Professionally filmed video footage of UNEARTH's October 13 concert at SD Livehouse in Guangzhou, China can be seen below.

UNEARTH is currently taking part in a co-headlining tour with technical metal comrades BORN OF OSIRIS. This is UNEARTH's first full U.S. tour since appearing on select All Stars Tour shows and their October trek in Southeast Asia. This tour kicked off on November 1 in Nashua, New Hampshire, with stops along the way in Bloomington, Illinois; Dayton, Ohio; and Lake Worth, Florida before ending up on the West Coast as part of California Metalfest VI with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, AS I LAY DYING and more.

UNEARTH's new album, "Darkness In The Light", sold 6,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 72 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "The March", opened with around 11,000 units back in October 2008 to land at No. 45.

"Darkness In The Light" was recorded at Zing Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts with producer (and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist) Adam Dutkiewicz. The effort was mixed by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM) from Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida.

"Vanquish in Vengeance", the title track of the new conceptual album from Pennsylvania-based extreme metallers INCANTATION, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. Due on November 26 via Listenable Records, the long-awaited followup to 2006's "Primordial Decimation" carries a recurring lyrical theme that addresses the countless acts of genocide in the name of religion throughout our history.

"Vanquish In Vengeance" was recorded at Mars Studio with Bill Korecky and was mixed by Dan Swanö at Unisound Studios. Cover art comes courtesy of Worthless.

Commented INCANATATION mainman John McEntee: "The title track is about the massacre of Saxons in the town of Verdun in 782, called on by order of King Charlemagne.

"As an album title, it has a different meaning to me. 'Vanquish In Vengeance' symbolizes the long history of the band. We have fought many battles over the years to keep things going. We have always stayed true to our original vision and have never caved into trends. After a long wait between albums we are back with a vengeance with some of our darkest and heaviest material to date."

"Vanquish in Vengeance" track listing:

01. Invoked Infinity
02. Ascend into the Eternal
03. Progeny of Tyranny
04. Transcend into Absolute Dissolution
05. Haruspex
06. Vanquish In Vengeance
07. Profound Loathing
08. The Hellions Genesis
09. From Hollow Sands
10. Legion of Dis

"Vanquish In Vengeance" will also be available in a limited edition box featuring a flag and an exclusive metal pin.

Although based in Pennsylvania, INCANTATION has enjoyed a 23-year musical career as one of the leaders the New York death metal scene along with SUFFOCATION, IMMOLATION and MORTICIAN.

INCANTATION and Listenable Records' working relationship resulted in "Decimate Christendom" (2004) and "Primordial Domination" (2006) albums.

Video footage of WOLF's entire October 26 performance at Academy 2 in Oxford, England can be seen below.

WOLF last year parted ways with guitarist Johannes "Axeman" Losbäck and replaced him with Simon Johansson (ABSTRAKT ALGEBRA, BIBLEBLACK, MEMORY GARDEN). Simon previously played with WOLF in 2009 when they supported W.A.S.P. for four shows.

WOLF's sixth album, "Legions Of Bastards", was released in April 2011 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Ravenous" was produced by Pelle Saether at Studio Underground in Vasterås, Sweden. The cover artwork was once again created by Thomas Holm (the man who was responsible for the legendary MERCYFUL FATE "Melissa" and "Don't Break The Oath" covers).