"Come Forth Plague" and "Perfidious Ceremony", the first two songs from Danish death metallers CROCELL to feature the band's new lead singer Asbjørn Steffensen (MORDAX), can be streamed using the ReverbNation player below. The tracks were produced by Jacob Olsen at JBO Sound.

Asbjørn will make his live debut with CROCELL on October 6 at Club Brutal in Aarhus.

Regarding Steffensen's addition to CROCELL, the band's guitarist, Tommy Christensen, previously said: "A number of skilled vocalists auditioned, but when Asbjørn visited, we knew straight away that we had found our new guy. Asbjørn could already sing most of the songs perfectly and together CROCELL sound better than ever before. We can't wait to finish our next album with the new lineup and hopefully play a shitload of concerts."

CROCELL's second album, "The Wretched Eidola", was released in May 2011 via Ultimhate Records.

The official lyric video for "Apocryphon", the title track of the fourth album from Austin, Texas metal luminaries THE SWORD, can be seen below. Due on October 22 via Razor & Tie, the CD was produced and engineered by J. Robbins (CLUTCH, JAWBOX) at Magpie Cage Studios and features cover art by famed comic book artist J.H. Williams III (Batwoman, Promethea).

"Apocryphon" track listing:

01. The Veil Of Isis
02. Cloak Of Feathers
03. Arcane Montane
04. The Hidden Masters
05. Dying Earth
06. Execrator
07. Seven Sisters
08. Hawks And Serpents
09. Eyes Of The Stormwitch
10. Apocryphon

Bonus tracks:

01. Arrows In The Dark (live at Emo's)
02. Barael's Blade (live at Emo's)
03. Chronomancer II: Nemesis (live at Stubb's)
04. Ebethron (live at Stubb's)
05. Cheap Sunglasses

"The Veil Of Isis" can be streamed at RollingStone.com.

According to THE SWORD frontman J.D. Cronise, "The Veil Of Isis" is the most "SWORD-ish" song of the album musically, yet notes that lyrically, "it's a little more metaphysical than a lot of our previous stuff. It talks a lot about cycles of nature and life and death and birth and transformation and death and rebirth.

"In essence, the song is about change," Cronise tells RollingStone.com. "[It's about] moving from one phase of the natural cycle to the next and the recognition of the knowledge revealed when such transitions occur. The lyrics make reference to Isis, the goddess of nature and magic, and her brother/husband Osiris, the god of the dead and the afterlife, as agents of those changes and keepers of sacred knowledge. The 'veil' is that which hides from us the true nature of the universe that, during our earthly existence, is largely hidden from us."

THE SWORD is now offering a limited-time-offer bundle including:

* Autographed limited-edition glow-in-the-dark 12-inch vinyl
* "Apocryphon" deluxe version digipak CD
* Three hand-numbered triptych 11 x 17 lithograph black light reactive posters
* Exclusive limited-offer "Apocryphon" T-shirt
* "Apocryphon" slipmat
* Includes digital download code

Asked about the band's decision to work with J. Robbins on "Apocryphon" after self-producing two records and then working with Matt Bayles, THE SWORD guitarist Kyle Shutt told AltPress.com, "We're all huge CLUTCH fans, and we know those guys real well. [James] did two of their last three records, and those sound great, so we figured it was a no-brainer. We called him up and he was into it. He saw our live show at a club in Baltimore on the tour before we came here so he could get a feel of the kind of show we put on because we wanted to make an album that sounds like we do live in a club. And it was great. It was a real speedy process."

On the topic of the musical direction of the new album, Shutt said, "It is a reflection of everything that we [have gone] through and the lessons we learned. We then deal with these situations metaphorically in our lyrics. This record is just 10 banging hard rockers. There's no real 'stick-out' thrash song, or, like, this one is the ballad. I don't think there's going to be any instrumental songs on this record, either, so that'll be a first for us. It's just 10 kick-ass rock songs."

Regarding the subject matter covered in the new songs' lyrics, Shutt said, "There are lyrical themes that weave in and out of the songs, but there's no story or anything like that. With 'Warp Riders', J.D. [guitarist/vocalist John Cronise] had already written [the story] and now he [doesn't] have the time to sit down and write another book. We had the idea to make a comic book for 'Warp Riders', but we had some really poor management at the time, so nothing really came together with that and it was going to cost so much money that it never saw the light of day. It was just a nice thing we did. Now we're moving on to other things."

METALLICA is scheduled to enter the studio "soon" to begin work on its next full-length album, tentatively due in 2014. Speaking to RollingStone.com, the band's guitarist, Kirk Hammett, stated about the status of the songwriting process for the next CD, "Right now, we're kind of preoccupied with dealing with this 3D movie that we shot up in Canada last month. So that's kind of taking our time right now — that's the priority, to deal with that. But once we're done with that, we're going to start hunkering down and putting riffs together. That's all going to happen soon." Asked if METALICA's next album will once again be helmed by producer Rick Rubin, who worked on 2008's "Death Magnetic", Kirk said, "I really don't have an answer about Rick Rubin, although his name certainly comes up."

Hammett was also asked about the recent RollingStone.com readers' poll where METALLICA's third LP, "Master Of Puppets", was voted the "Greatest Heavy Metal Album Of All Time."

"[That was] amazing," Kirk said. "Totally and completely amazing to me. That album, for me, is my favorite METALLICA album. We had been playing together as a band with that lineup for about three years. We were definitely peaking, and 'Master Of Puppets', in my opinion, was the sound of a band really gelling and really learning how to work well together. At the time, we were just making another album. We had no idea it would have such a range of influence that it went on to have. It was the first time that we could spend time in the studio and work on guitar sounds for a couple of days, really experiment with different sounds and overdubs. It was just a good time for me . . . and I played a lot of poker with [late bassist] Cliff Burton in the studio. We'd just play poker, wait for Lars [Ulrich, drums] to finish a track — which would sometimes be days — and we'd be bored."

"Death Magnetic" was METALLICA's last under its contract with Warner Music Group — where the band has been making records since 1984.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told The Pulse Of Radio about the end of the band's contract with Warner, "It's kind of a good feeling to feel that you're free from any piece of paper that binds you to something. But over our career, we've learned a lot about record companies, the goods and evils of the business and this and that, and we're not very focused on that right now. It is what it is, and when it becomes time for us to either renegotiate or shop around or do things ourselves or something like that, we don't know. There's nothing but options, which is great."

METALLICA's 3D movie will reportedly mix concert footage with a storyline.

The band is financing the project itself and has hired "Predators" director Nimród Antal to get behind the camera. Antal filmed METALLICA's three concerts in Vancouver, Canada for use in the movie.

The show featured a brand new 140-foot-by-50-foot stage that included what a post at the band's web site called "colossal components and striking visual elements spanning METALLICA's entire 30-year career."

Photo below courtesy of Metallica.com

Denver, Colorado-based metallers CELLADOR are working on new material for a tentative early 2013 release. The band states, "We have most of the music recorded aside from the vocals and a few solos. We are currently auditioning musicians to round off lineup and involve their contributions to the tracks. A full lineup is the main focus, but if nothing else Chris [Petersen, guitar/vocals] will continue to do the vocals otherwise."

According to a press release, "longtime [CELLADOR] fans can rest assured that this epically pleasing, melodic speed aural adventure shall feature all the trademarked speed, melody, and integrity of the band's past inspirations, filtered of all obstacle and dilution!"

CELLADOR's most recent release was the "Honor Forth" EP, which came out in 2011.

The band's current lineup is as follows:

Chris Petersen - Guitars/Vocals
James Pickett - Bass
Nick Mccallister - Drums
Diego Valadez – Keyboards

CELLADOR's debut CD, "Enter Deception", was issued in June 2006 via Metal Blade Records.

For more information, go to this location.

Swedish melodic metallers BLOODBOUND will release their fifth full-length CD, "In The Name Of Metal", on November 7 via AFM Records, The effort was recorded with producer Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY, SONIC SYNDICATE, HYPOCRISY, CENTINEX, CARNAL FORGE). According to the band, "This is BY FAR the best album we've done!"

"In The Name Of Metal" track listing:

01. In The Name Of Metal
02. When Demons Collide
03. Bonebreaker
04. Metalheads Unite
05. Son Of Babylon
06. Mr. Darkness
07. I'm Evil
08. Monstermind
09. King Of Fallen Grace
10. Black Devil
11. Bounded By Blood
12. Book Of The Dead 2012 (bonus track)

The lyric video for the song "Metalheads Unite" can be seen below.

BLOODBOUND filmed a video for the "In The Name Of Metal" title track last month.

BLOODBOUND's fourth album, "Unholy Cross", entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 50. The CD was released on March 18, 2011 via Germany's AFM Records.

BLOODBOUND in 2010 parted ways with lead vocalist Urban Breed due to "musical and personal differences" and replaced him with Patrik "Pata" Johansson (DAWN OF SILENCE) from Finspång, Sweden.

Winnipeg, Manitoba's aggressive, progressive, intricate thrashers ALPHAKILL are currently streaming their debut album, Unmitigated Disaster. Check it out on SoundCloud below:
Unmitigated Disaster was mastered at Sonic Train Studios by KING DIAMOND's Andy LaRocque of notoriety.
Alphakill is:

Justin Stear - vocals, lead guitar
Jon Warren - lead guitar
Jesse Skoleski - bass
Derrick Kroll - drums

For further updates, visit Alphakill on Facebook.

MINDFEED's classic albums Perfect Life? and Ten Miles High have been reissued today (October 1st) on iTunes and other digital outlets.

The British heavy metal band were formed in 1996 around vocalist Glynn Morgan and drummer Jay Micciche. Both were former members of progressive metallers THRESHOLD and toured with the band supporting the likes of PSYCHOTIC WALTZ and DREAM THEATER. With bassist Jase Birnie replacing temporary member John Jowitt (IQ, ARENA), Mindfeed signed to Inside Out Records and recorded their debut album Perfect Life? at Backstage Studios with producer Andy Sneap.
In 1998 Mindfeed returned to Backstage Studios to record their second album, Ten Miles High.

European tours followed supporting fellow British rockers SKYCLAD and American progressive metal band SYMPHONY X. Second guitar duties for the tours were performed by Skyclad's Steve Ramsey and John Slater respectively, with former SAXON drummer Dave Brougham brought in to replace the departing Jay Micciche for the Symphony X dates. Following the tour Mindfeed returned home to start work on a third album which would unfortunately never materialise. The following year the band played at the 10th anniversary of the legendary Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany for what would be their final performance.

Check out an official trailer for the reissues below:
The video for 'My Heart Bleeds' (from Perfect Life?) can be viewed below:

Swedish melodic metallers HAMMERFALL will release a concert DVD+2CD and Blu-ray+2CD, "Gates Of Dalhalla", on November 30 via Nuclear Blast. The set will feature the band's extraordinary 135-minute 15th-anniversary show that took place on July 28 on the historic open-air stage Dalhalla, built in an old quarry near the small Swedish village Rättvik. The footage was captured by Swedish director Patric Ullaeus of the Revolver Film Company AB, who has previously worked with IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, EUROPE and LACUNA COIL, among many others.

Commented HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak: "The set contained 26 tracks and lasted two hours and 15 minutes, by far the longest and most comprehensive gig of our entire career! We played songs from every album and then some. There were lots of guests and pyros, and we had 80 Marshall cabinets and the big shield with the HF logo carved out in the middle hanging brought out of storage, all set in an extremely unique venue. You really have to see it to understand. This concert really captured the essence of HAMMERFALL live in 2012 very well!"

Special guests during the concert included original HAMMERFALL members Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES) and Mikael Stanne (DARK TRANQUILLITY), as well as ex-HAMMERFALL guitarist Stefan Elmgren.

Added Oscar: "Everything concerning this release is special: the venue, the occasion, the setlist, the guests. If you are going to celebrate something, do it properly, and this is exactly what we have done. HAMMERFALL with extra everything, 100% live, 0% bullshit."

The setlist for the concert was as follows:

01. Patient Zero
02. Heeding The Call
03. Any Means Necessary
04. B.Y.H.
05. Riders Of The Storm
06. Let's Get It On
07. Crimson Thunder
08. Renegade
09. Blood Bound (special guest: Stefan Elmgren)
10. Last Man Standing (special guest: Stefan Elmgren)
11. Fury Of The Wild (special guest: Stefan Elmgren)
12. Drum Solo: Anders Johansson
13. Always Will Be
14. Dia De Los Muertos
15. Steel Meets Steel (special guest: Mikael Stanne)
16. Threshold
17. The Dragon Lies Bleeding (special guest: Jesper Strömblad)
18. Let The Hammer Fall
19. När Vindarna Viskar Mitt Namn (special guest: Roger Pontare)
20. Something For The Ages
21. The Templar Flame
22. Oh Fortuna (special guest: Team Cans)
23. Glory To The Brave (special guest: Team Cans)
24. One More Time (special guest: Team Cans)
25. Hammerfall
26. Hearts On Fire (featuring all special guests)

A "Gates Of Dalhalla" "preview teaser" can be seen below.

The members of HAMMERFALL announced in March that they were take an extended break immediately following their festival appearances this summer.

"It has been an unbelievable first 15 years, to say the least," said guitarist Oscar Dronjak, "and now we are taking a pause to ensure that we have another 15 years ahead of us."

There will be no HAMMERFALL activities in 2013, but the band promises to return strong the following year. "The plan is to use the year off to recharge our batteries and come back more vital than ever with a new album in 2014," explained singer Joacim Cans.

HAMMERFALL's new album, "Infected", sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD debuted at No. 16 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.

HAMMERFALL's previous CD, "No Sacrifice, No Victory", opened with 1,400 units to land at No. 38 on the Top New Artist Albums chart.

"Infected" entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 2 (right behind LADY GAGA!). The CD was released in Europe in May 2011 and was made available in North America in June via Nuclear Blast Records. Laying down the foundation themselves in their own studio in Sweden, the members of HAMMERFALL then traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to finish it up with acclaimed producer James Michael (MÖTLEY CRÜE, SCORPIONS, MEAT LOAF). He also mixed the album, giving it a decisive updated edge without losing any of the essence of the band's sound.

HAMMERFALL was among the five final nominees that competed for the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" honor at the Swedish Grammis awards (Swedish Grammy equivalent), which was held February 14, 2012 at Kungliga Operan in Stockholm.

Guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski of Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH will release his autobiography, "Sacrum Profanum", in Poland on October 17. The book, whicih was previously described by Nergal as "a really long in-depth interview," will initially only be made available in Polish, but "depending on interest, we might be translating this into English," he said.

The "Sacrum Profanum" cover photo was taken by Ivo Ledwozyw, with post-production by Seth Siro Anton (PARADISE LOST, KAMELOT, MOONSPELL, SOILWORK, EXODUS, JOB FOR A COWBOY, DECAPITATED, VADER).

Several promotional clips for "Sacrum Profanum" were recently directed by Dariusz Szermanowicz of Polish producers Grupa 13, with whom Nergal previously collaborated on the BEHEMOTH videos "At The Left Hand Ov God" and "Ov Fire And The Void".

The trailers were scripted by Nergal and are "little portraits of certain chapters of the book," according to the BEHEMOTH frontman. The clips show Nergal reading excerpts from the autobiography as well as acting out parts of stories that he describes as "some funny, some sad, some evil — some related to the band, some not." The series of trailers are in the Polish language with English subtitles.

The fourth trailer can now be seen below.

An excerpt from the book (in Polish) can be downloaded at this location.

In December 2010, Darski underwent a bone marrow transplant procedure after being diagnosed with a life-threatening form of leukemia.

Trailer #4:

Seattle's post-hardcore/electro band MONSTERS SCARE YOU! has teamed up with AbsolutePunk.net to premiere the music video for the track "Shut Up Our Song Is On". The song will be featured on the group's Century Media debut, due out in early 2013.

MONSTERS SCARE YOU! was formed in 2008, and in their short existence, has created an enthusiastic fan base with the combination of pop, metal and electronica.

In 2010, MONSTERS SCARE YOU! went into the studio to work with engineer/producer Joel "Casey Jones" on the "Teratophobia" EP. The CD's release was followed by a West Coast tour consisting of 23 shows in 25 days. With increasing crowds and buzz, MONSTERS SCARE YOU! became one of the top unsigned bands in Alternative Press magazine.

MONSTERS SCARE YOU! is:

Cory Fay - Vocals
Brandon "Bird" Ereth - Guitar
Connor Theisen - Drums
Josh Benson- Bass, Vocals
Joey Duckett- Keys, Electronics, Vocals
Chad Keller- Guitar

Romanian female-fronted metal band MAGICA will release its sixth album, "Center Of The Great Unknown", on October 12 via AFM Records. The CD's cover artwork was created by Claudio Bergamin and can be seen below. The album is based on "The Diary Of Admiral" by R.E. Byrd, "Godess Of Atvatabar" by W. Bradshaw, "Beasts, Man And Gods" by F.A.Ossendowsky and a few more authors and adventurers.

According to a press release, "Fans can look forward to a diverse and powerful album, again very much effected by Ana's [Mladinovici] outstanding vocals and the guitar work of Bogdan Costea."

"Center Of The Great Unknown" track listing:

01. Center Of The Great Unknown
02. Masterspell
03. King Of The World
04. Open
05. The Earth Is Young?
06. Step Into The Night
07. No Horizon
08. One Angry Gaia
09. Mark Of Cain
10. Under The Auroras
11. Daca 2012 (bonus track)

The song "One Angry Gaia" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

MAGICA's fifth album, "Dark Diary", was released in May 2010 via AFM Records.

MAGICA is:

Ana Mladinovici - Vocals
Bogdan Costea - Guitar
Emy Burcea - Guitar
Tiberiu Dutu - Bass
Sebastian Natas - Drums

Iranian thrash metallers 5GRS have posted video footage from their gig at the Persian Metal Festival 2012. The video can be seen below:
The band recently announced a new lineup and released the following statement: "We are proud to announce new members to the camp: Sanam5049 - vocal, Yashar Mojtahedzadeh - drums, Faraz Jabbari - bass and Arastoo Hanafi - guitar. The change is something we had to do in order to keep 5GRS a live playing entity!"

Guitarist Pooyan Madadi commented: "I started 5grs in 2004 and during these years I have worked with many musicians, but most of the time it didn’t work at all and I am always looking for some stable guys to work with as a real band. When I was starting the third album I met Yashar and Faraz and after a side project which was a cover band named NIGHT CRAWLERS, I found that our attitude is so close together and we decided to work together in 5grs. Meanwhile we confirm the first Persian metal festival in Armenia and Sanam who was the studio singer and the second oldest member decided to sing for this festival for the first time upon the stage. And finally Arastoo joined us as the lead guitarist and I hope we can work together for a long time and I hope we can get what we deserve."

Drummer Yashar Mojtahedzadeh commented: "After working with some other bands, I've finally decided to join 5grs and the main reason was not necessarily their music but their perseverance and their approach to this music, which was totally amazing and that was exactly what I was looking for. You can feel a great and cool atmosphere in this band and I am sure with this attitude we can set our bar and goal higher and higher in the near future."

A video can be seen below:
5GRS are:

Sanam5049 - vocal
Pooyan Madadi - guitar
Yashar Mojtahedzadeh - drums
Faraz Jabbari - bass
Arastoo Hanafi - guitar

Simon Oberender, keyboardist/guitarist of the German progressive metal band BEYOND THE BRIDGE, passed away last week. The cause of death has not been announced.

Oberender, who was also the keyboardist for Amanda Somerville's band TRILLIUM, worked at the Gate Studios in Wolfsburg, Germany as a sound engineer and producer. He recorded, mixed, mastered (along with Sascha Paeth) and produced BEYOND THE BRIDGE's debut album, "The Old Man And The Spirit". He also appeared on several other recordings, including AVANTASIA's 2010 releases "The Wicked Symphony" and "Angel Of Babylon", EDGUY's "Age Of The Joker" (2011), EPICA's "Requiem for the Indifferent" (2012), RHAPSODY OF FIRE's "The Frozen Tears Of Angels" (2010) and KAMELOT's "Silverthorn".

As an engineeer, Oberender worked on albums by AVANTASIA, DESTINATION'S CALLING, EDGUY, EPICA, MAYAN and others.

Less than a month ago, Oberender performed with BEYOND THE BRIDGE at ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta, Georgia in what was the band's first-ever appearance in the United States.

Commented Somerville: "With tremendous sadness, I mourn the passing away of an amazing friend, colleague and bandmate, Simon Oberender. This tragic loss causes me, and all of us who knew and loved this incredibly talented man, great pain.

"This is a collection of video footage [see below] I've put together of Simon from over the years. He was a bright, happy soul and while editing this together, I found myself laughing along with him through my tears. His enthusiasm, joy, dedication, humor and talent touched me and everyone who knew him.

"Simonovsky, you are, and ever shall be, sorely missed."

Legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen is working on his autobiography. Described as "the only real and true story written by Malmsteen himself," "Relentless", will be released in early 2013.

A trailer for the "Relentless" book can be seen below.

As previously reported, Malmsteen has launched an instructional web site, RelentlessShred.com.

If you become a member of the site, you will receive access to "exclusive, never-before-seen content," reads a message on the site.

Want to learn to play guitar — and actually impress? Dying to learn Yngwie's techniques? Tired of watching nobodies, trying to teach you how to play Yngwie's songs? Now, why would you take lessons from a random, when you can learn from Yngwie himself?

For the first time in history, Yngwie Malmsteen is giving lessons on how to become a virtuoso like him! Inside, you will find lessons on everything from bending to six-string arpeggios. Also inside are tablatures, DVDs, and other items exclusive to this site. You won't find any of these things, especially not Yngwie himself, on any other site! Relentless Shred is the only place to go to not only learn guitar; but to master it.

There are four levels of membership: Bronze ($34.99 per month), Silver ($49.99), Gold ($79.99) and Master Virtuoso ($99.99).

"If people are getting back into playing good guitar solos, I'm obviously all for it," Malmsteen recently told Spin magazine. "I don't understand how music ever got to the point where they were a bad thing."

"In the early '90s, something happened," added Malmsteen, 49. "All these alternative bands came out and couldn't play and made fun of guitarists who could by saying they were over the top. I remember thinking, 'What is this shit?' But to quote [violinist and composer Niccolò] Paganini — and I put myself in the class with him and Hendrix — 'One must feel strongly to make others feel strongly.'"

Asked if shredding was in need of some humanizing, Yngwie said, "I don't think so. Less is not more. More is more. These punk musicians couldn't play and were heralded for it. They couldn't even tune their guitars, yet people thought I was the self-indulgent one? I think every player worth listening to realizes now that limitations are for the lazy."

Greek death metal act WAR POSSESSION, featuring members of EMBRACE OF THORNS, MERCILESS CRUCIFIXION and WARGOAT, has inked a deal with the Polish label Hellthrasher Productions for the release of the band's new EP, "Through The Ages".

Due in November, "Through The Ages" will feature the following track listing:

01. In The Shadow Of The Ancient Gods
02. Medieval Bloodlust
03. World War Domination
04. A Taste Of Things To Come (Chaos Awaits)
05. Deathmarch

The song "World War Domination" is available for streaming using the SoundCloud player below.

Former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon has "closed" her official blog, just hours after it was announced that she was parting ways with the group.

In her final message to the fans, she wrote, "Dear blog readers: With this I say farewell to you and this blog. This blog was a way for me, as the singer in NIGHTWISH, to keep more in touch with you, NIGHTWISH fans. Now when this chapter has ended, there is no more need for me to do this blog and from today I close it.

"I want to thank you all for being my readers for so many years, for your loving support and I wish you all a happy and healthy life! Stay kind to others and live life easy!

"Lots of love, Anette Olzon (from now on just Anette Olsson;=)"

As reported earlier today, NIGHTWISH will be joined on the road by Dutch singer Floor Jansen (AFTER FOREVER, REVAMP). The band stated about the decision, "In recent times it has become increasingly obvious that the direction and the needs of the band were in conflict, and this has led to a division from which we cannot recover."

They added, "We are all strongly committed to this journey, this vehicle of spirit, and we are sure that this will lead to a brighter future for everyone.

"We forever remain excited about the adventures to come, and we are extremely proud of the two beautiful albums and the wonderful shows we shared together."

Olzon joined NIGHTWISH in 2007 as the replacement for Tarja Turunen after the latter was fired in 2005.

San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD have spent nearly two full decades establishing themselves as one of the best live acts in the hard rock and metal world, bringing venues and crowds to their knees night after night, for years at a stretch. Few, if any, of their peers can deliver the type of sweat-soaked, deafening and totally punishing live sets that the band delivers with near-religious fervor, in their native U.S. and across the globe.

That's why the band had to capture its live fury on tape…again. They'll be releasing "Machine Fucking Head Live" on November 13 via Roadrunner Records. It's their second live effort — "Hellalive" was released in 2003 — but in the nine years that have passed, the band has only gained in power; MACHINE HEAD still slay and administer a beating in the live realm.
"
"Machine Fucking Head Live" was recorded at various tour stops across the globe last year. It features songs from throughout the band's expansive catalog, including crowd favorites like "Imperium", "Aesthetics of Hate", "Locust", "Ten Ton Hammer", "This is the End" and "Halo".

"The Head Cases [MACHINE HEAD's nickname for the band's fans] have been so intense on this tour cycle that we had to start capturing the shows, especially with technology making it so much easier to record," said frontman Robb Flynn. "We culled some of the best nights where the band and crowd were on fire and made a badass, nearly two-hour, double live album, which is a great documentation of where the band is at, 18 years deep."

"Machine Fucking Head Live" track listing:

01. I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)
02. Be Still And Know
03. Imperium
04. Beautiful Mourning
05. The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears
06. Locust
07. This Is The End
08. Aesthetics Of Hate
09. Old
10. Darkness Within
11. Bulldozer
12. Ten Ton Hammer
13. Who We Are
14. Halo
15. Davidian

"Machine Fucking Head Live" was mixed and mastered at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Juan Urteaga and Robb Flynn.

MACHINE HEAD will hit the road in North America with DETHKLOK, ALL THAT REMAINS and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER beginning October 30.

Reunited hard rockers UGLY KID JOE have launched a Kickstarter campaign to offer their fans the opportunity to get involved with the production of their music video for the song "I'm Alright" off their latest EP, "Stairway To Hell".

Commented the band: "It has been a minute since our last music video, and we want to take it to the next level with this one. We're going the independent route and only with your help and generosity can we make this thing happen.

"We have lots of cool merchandise, some very rare and limited, and even a special experience on the set to offer you.

"Your donations will go directly to the making of this video, from renting the gear to hiring a kick-ass crew and sending it through post-production to be completed.

"We can only do this with your help, so if you like what you see, go ahead and throw down what you can. We’re very excited to make this video... Let's do this!"

Among the items offered through Kickstarter is to get a chance to meet UGLY KID JOE on tour in October. Other items include an opportunity to attend an UGLY KID JOE rehearsal with a friend in the U.S. and go out for dinner with the band afterwards.

This project will only be funded if at least $12,000 is pledged by Friday, October 12.

For more information, visit Kickstarter.

"Stairway To Hell" was released digitally on June 5 and physically on July 9. The CD heralds UGLY KID JOE's return, containing songs spanning the full repertoire of influences which made UGLY KID JOE one of the prime soundtracks for young snowboarders, surfers, keggers and characters worldwide. Whether it's "Devil’s Paradise", with it's hypnotic riffery and hook line, grooving and grinding its hips seductively, the melodic power-fueled darkness of "No One Survives" or the irrepressibly memorable chug-and-chorus of "I'm Alright" it's clear that UGLY KID JOE have everything they started with plus fatter chops and a (frankly) superior curve on songwriting.

"Stairway To Hell" track listing:

01. Devil's Paradise
02. You Make Me Sick
03. No One Survives
04. I'm Alright
05. Love Ain't True! (feat. Angelo Moore and Dirty Walt of FISHBONE)
06. Another Beer

UGLY KID JOE released three full-length albums and toured extensively throughout the 1990s before disbanding in 1997.

UGLY KID JOE 2012 is:

Whitfield Crane - Vocals
Klaus Eichstadt - Guitar
Dave Fortman - Guitar
Cordell Crockett - Bass
Shannon Larkin - Drums

Swedish death metal overlords AEON eill release their fourth studio offering, "Aeons Black", on November 20 via Metal Blade Records. The mammoth 15-track effort was recorded at Empire Studio in Östersund, Sweden, engineered, mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström (Garageland Studios) and featuring cover art by Kristian "Necrolord" Wåhlin (BATHORY, AT THE GATES, DISSECTION, EMPEROR).

Commented AEON founding guitarist Zeb Nilsson: "This is definitely our most varied album to date; it has heavier songs, yet it also has lots of fast blastbeats and double bass drumming. It's groovier this time, which I think we lacked on our last album, 'Path Of Fire', which was fast-paced almost all the way through. That, and the amazing mix by Ronnie Björnström, makes me feel pretty confident that this album will appeal to more people than our previous albums. And no, we have not gone softer in any aspect; it's just easier to catch with all this grooviness. It's metal right up your ass!"

The official lyric video for the first single from "Aeons Black", the album's title track, can be seen below. Guitarist Daniel Dlimi says of the tune: "'Aeons Black' is the first song that I started to work on as we begun writing for this album, and it's also one of the very last to get finished. My goal was to create a somewhat heavier, odder, not-so-typical 'AEON' song. Once happy with the musical arrangement, I handed it over to [vocalist] Tommy [Dahlstöm] to let him write some lyrics and vocal patterns for it. He managed to get it even darker and more eerie. The lyrics are all about how everything living eventually must face the inevitable, which is death. There will be no savior, no heaven nor hell... just a pitch black, silent empty void."

"Aeons Black" track listing:

01. Still They Pray
02. The Glowing Hate
03. The Voice Of The Accuser
04. I Wish You Death
05. Garden Of Sin
06. Neptune The Mystic
07. Nothing Left To Destroy
08. Passage To Hell
09. Aeons Black
10. Dead Means Dead
11. Sacrificed
12. Aftermath
13. Blessed By The Priest
14. Maze Of The Damned
15. Die By My Hands

AEON is:

Tommy Dahlstöm - Vocals
Zeb Nilsson - Guitar
Daniel Dlimi - Guitar
Arttu Mallki - Drums
Marcus Edvardsson - Bass

Drummer Matt Halpern of Maryland-based experimental, progressive metallers PERIPHERY will sit out the band's October 2012 European tour with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and THE SAFETY FIRE after getting into an "unfortunate accident" on Saturday (September 29) and suffering a dislocated shoulder. The rest of the band states, "[Matt will] be OK, but he won't be able to play for part of our current European tour. Luckily, our good drummer friends, Mike Malyan of MONUMENTS and Boris Le Gal of CHIMP SPANNER will be stepping up to fill Matt's shoes for this run."

The group adds, "Please send Matt your love, and expect him back behind the kit maybe even as soon as the end of this current tour!

"Thanks for understanding, and see you at the shows!"

PERIPHERY recently canceled its participation in the West Coast leg of the "Summer Slaughter Tour" "due to a family emergency."

The band's sophomore album, "Periphery II: This Time It's Personal", sold nearly 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 44 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Periphery II: This Time It's Personal" was released in North America on July 3 via Sumerian Records and will be made available in Europe on July 16 through Century Media Records. The CD features guest appearances by John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER), Guthrie Govan (THE ARISTOCRATS) and Wes Hauch (THE FACELESS).

NONPOINT's video for the song "Left For You" can be seen below. The track comes off the band's self-titled album, which will be released on October 9 via Razor & Tie. The CD was produced/mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, STAIND, MEGADETH) and features additional production and mixing from Brian Virtue (30 SECONDS TO MARS, CHEVELLE).

A 30-second preview of the "Left For You" video is available below.

"Nonpoint" features 12 of the most raw and real songs of their 15-year career with unique, uncompromising, and undeniable hard rock on their self-titled ninth studio album and first for Razor & Tie. Weathering lineup changes, label shifts, and other trials and tribulations, founding members Elias Soriano (vocals) and Robb Rivera (drums) regrouped with fresh blood — Dave Lizzio (guitar), Adam Wolosyzn (bass), and Rasheed Thomas (guitar) — and captured pure fire this time around.

"Nonpoint" pre-order bundles are also available now at Nonpoint.com. The bundles include a variety of t-shirts and jersey designs as well as the full album and digital download.

NONPOINT is currently on the road for a headline tour that will run through November. The band recently wrapped a summer run with CALL ME NO ONE.

Soriano explains the new album, "We wanted this record to be a punch in the face. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to artistically vent about. It's a fresh start for us. We felt like having a self-titled record says it all. We hit the reset button, and there's life again. You can hear it musically. We're not going anywhere."

"This album is the beginning of a brand new chapter in the world of NONPOINT... rejuvenated and full of positivity," adds Rivera. "Elias has written his most personal lyrics yet that shows the signs of endurance this band has had in our 15-year career."

The band opened up the floodgates to the new album by unleashing one of its heaviest tracks, "I Said It", as a free download on their web site this summer and the fans responded with overwhelming enthusiasm, welcoming the onslaught. The first official single, "Left For You", is for sale now on iTunes.

"Nonpoint" track listing:

01. Lights, Camera, Action
02. The Way I See Things
03. I Said It
04. Left For You
05. International Crisis
06. Another Mistake
07. That Day
08. Pandora's Box
09. Go Time
10. Independence Day
11. Temper
12. Ashes

SEPULTURA guitarist performed with the Brazilian THE BEATLES tribute act CLUBE BIG BEATLES on September 27 at Teatro do Sesi de Jardim da Penha in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Kisser was honored with a commemorative brick with his name on it, placed in the wall in front of Liverpool, England's legendary Cavern Pub, in a ceremony which took place on his 44th birthday, August 24. He is the first Brazilian artist to have his name eternalized in the Cavern wall that became famous when THE BEATLES made their first lunchtime appearance on Tuesday, February 9, 1961.

Cavern club owner Bill Heckle said: "Andreas has played here before, including at last year's festival, with the CLUBE BIG BEATLES tribute band. But I just didn't realize who he was and how big a name he is, until I found out he's bringing two Brazilian TV documetary crews with him this time.

"I mentioned it to some other people and they were gobsmacked that I had never heard of SEPULTURA, but that area of music has never been something I've followed properly.

"We thought we'd better give Andreas his own brick, as he is actually so famous. He is like a God among metal fans, but he is a very nice, unassuming guy."

Kisser said: "It's beyond a dream for me to be here. There isn't a bigger possible honor than being here and jamming at the Cavern Club, the most historic place in Liverpool."

The official lyric video for "Dark Passenger", a brand new song from the Los Angeles metal quintet HOLY GRAIL, can be seen below. The track comes off the group's sophomore album, "Ride The Void", which will be released in early 2013 via Prosthetic Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Crisis In Utopia" was recorded with producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, HATEBREED, CHILDREN OF BODOM) throughout the year, working around national tours with DRAGONFORCE and VALIENT THORR. The artwork for the single was designed by Sam Turner (3 INCHES OF BLOOD), who also did the art for the band's 2011 holiday EP "Seasons Bleedings". The seven-inch edition also includes an unreleased B-side, "Go Down Swinging", which will not appear on "Ride The Void".

HOLY GRAIL spent much of the past two years on the road, performing alongside AMON AMARTH, BLIND GUARDIAN, EXODUS, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD and more, supporting "Crisis In Utopia", which Revolver named one of the Top 20 metal releases of 2010.

THE RESISTANCE, the Sweden-based metal band featuring former members of IN FLAMES, THE HAUNTED and GRAVE, has recruited Claudio Oyarzo, the guitarist in the progressive metal band MINORA, as its new session bassist.

THE RESISTANCE recently parted ways with bassist Alex Losbäck Holstad (ex-DESPITE, DECAMERON, CARDINAL SIN).

The band's song "Eye For An Eye" is available for free download at PledgeMusic.com (e-mail sign-up required).

"Eye For An Eye" was originally made available on the sampler CD that was distributed to the subscribers of Sweden's Close-Up Magazine in the August 2011 issue.

THE RESISTANCE made its live debut on October 8, 2011 at Club Distortion in Stockholm, Sweden.

THE RESISTANCE's lineup is as follows:

* Marco Aro (FACE DOWN, ex-THE HAUNTED) - Vocals
* Jesper Strömblad (ex-IN FLAMES, DIMENSION ZERO) - Guitar
* Glenn Ljungström (ex-IN FLAMES, DIMENSION ZERO) - Guitar
* Claudio Oyarzo (MINORA) - Bass
* Chris Barkensjö (CARNAL FORGE, GODSIC, ex-GRAVE) - Drums

Strömblad quit IN FLAMES in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

Jesper signed an exclusive songwriter agreement with BMG Germany earlier this year.

Strömblad is also a talented film composer. Together with Daniel Flores, he wrote the score for the film "Isdraken" ("The Ice Dragon"), which was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.

"Eye For An Eye" audio stream:

"Karma Accomplished", the new video from Charlotte, North Carolina-based metallers WRETCHED, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's third full-length album, "Son Of Perdition", which was released on March 27 via Victory Records. The CD was produced by Jamie King (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, HE IS LEGEND, FOR TODAY) at The Basement Studio in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

"Son Of Perdition" track listing:

01. Oblivion
02. Imminent Growth
03. At The First Sign Of Rust
04. Dilated Disappointment
05. Repeat? The End Is Near
06. Dreams Of Chaos
07. The Stellar Sunset Of Evolution Pt. 1 (The Silence)
08. The Stellar Sunset Of Evolution Pt. 2 (The Rise)
09. The Stellar Sunset Of Evolution Pt. 3 (The Son Of Perdition)
10. Karma Accomplished
11. Decimation

Last year, WRETCHED solidified its lineup with the addition of industry veterans Adam Cody (GLASS CASKET) and Andrew Grevey (LOCULUS) taking the positions of vocalist and bassist, respectively. "Son Of Perdition" marks the first official appearances by Cody and Grevey since their inception into WRETCHED.

The band took "a huge step forward, musically," on the new record, confirmed guitarist, and one of the two founding members, Steven Funderbunk. He added, "Lyrically, the fans can expect an apocalyptic-type theme that portrays a very personal experience. This record will include some of our darkest and most mature material written to date." "Son Of Perdition" also exposes a "more melodic approach to the WRETCHED sound," says Funderbunk. "A lot of the drums are harmonically matched with a lot of the guitar riffs. We also used a lot of cool chords we haven't used in the past. It's far more rhythmic and grooves more than our previous records."