British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH will release their tenth studio album, "The Manticore And Other Horrors", in North America on October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records.

In a new blog entry on the band's web site, CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani "Filth" Davey states about the new CD, "I can truly say that 'The Manticore And Other Horrors' sounds fucking awesome, a real noticeable twist in tone but all the better for it. It's ornate, taut, punk and aggressive, but very much the neo-classical whore of yore, spitting raw bloody fury through the maw of the majestic. But I would say that; I've had a firm hand in its oily whelping!"

Recorded in eight weeks at both Springvale and Grindstone studios (where it was also mixed by Scott Atkins), Suffolk, "The Manticore And Other Horrors" is a testament to the longevity of the 'FILTH, as not only does it reek of CRADLE's (feared or revered) brand of delicious metal vamperotica, but this thoroughly modern album places the band firmly in fresh killing fields anew.

"The Manticore And Other Horrors" itself possesses an altogether new atmosphere for the band, incorporating a heavier, faster NWOBBM punk vibe that is both current and cruel, blended with ornate orchestration and the quirky immediateness of 2000's "Midian" opus.

The album's title can be likened to a bestiary, a collection of stories on monsters - personal demons, Chimeras, literary fiends and world-enslaving entities to blame but a few. "Manticore", the ravening title track, is a song about a beautiful mythological horror that comes to be feared as the disfigurehead of foreign occupation in the Indian provinces.

The songs "Illicitus" and "Pallid Reflection" bear the sweet ingredients of vampirism and lycanthropy; the wicked "For Your Vulgar Delectation" and "Frost On Her Pillow" are woven perversely into grim fairy tales, whilst classic, monumental tracks like "The Abhorrent And Siding With The Titans" both extol tentacular Lovecraftian values.

CRADLE OF FILTH is:

Dani Filth - Vocals
Paul Allender - Guitar
James McIlroy - Guitar
David Pybus - Bass
Martin Skaroupka - Drums

A truck transporting about $6 million worth of equipment for MÖTLEY CRÜE's tour with KISS was involved in a road accident en route to the two bands' concert tonight (Wednesday, September 5) at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the accident happened at about 8:20 a.m. near Lima, Ohio, about three hours away from Clarkston. The driver, Charles Lamb, told state troopers that the truck drifted left as he reached for a water bottle. Lamb overcorrected to the right and the truck veered into a ditch next to the highway, Lt. John Carrico of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.

Lamb, who was cited for failure to control a vehicle, was taken to a local hospital for "non-incapacitating injuries," Carrico said.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx posted three post-accident photos of the truck on his Twitter account and wrote, "Thank god our driver is OK."

The two bands have since issued the following joint statement:

"On its way to Detroit, our pyro truck was involved in an accident and flipped, spilling our gear all along the freeway.

"We owe you the show you expect and deserve, so we've jointly decided to give our crews the 24 hours necessary to piece everything together to make it possible.

"The party is now Thursday night, September 6th. See you there!"

MÖTLEY CRÜE and KISS's tour — dubbed simply "The Tour" — kicked off on July 20 in Bristow, Virginia and is currently scheduled to wrap on September 23 in Hartford, Connecticut. Although the bands are officially co-headlining the tour, MÖTLEY CRÜE is opening for KISS each night.

According to WashingtonExaminer.com, former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has slammed Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan for his supposed love of rock and roll.

Speaking at last week's GOP convention in Tampa, Florida, Ryan said of his running mate Mitt Romney, "There are the songs on his iPod which I've heard on the campaign bus — and on many hotel elevators. He actually urged me to play some of these songs at campaign rallies. I said, 'I hope it's not a deal-breaker, Mitt, but my playlist starts with AC/DC and ends with ZEPPELIN.'"

While performing with CAMP FREDDY last night (Monday, September 3) at the Butter nightclub in Charlotte, North Carolina as part of a kick-off event for the Democratic National Convention, Bach poked fun at Ryan, telling the crowd, "That means [his playlist] stops at the letter L. I guess he doesn't like MÖTLEY CRÜE, I guess he doesn't like Minnie Riperton, he doesn't even have any Melissa Manchester on his [expletive] iPod."

Between songs, Bach blasted Ryan again. "Do you like LED ZEPPELIN more than Paul Ryan?" he said.

Other artists that have blasted the campaign include TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, Somali-Canadian artist K'naan and SILVERSUN PICKUPS, who objected to the campaign's use of their song "Panic Switch".

When Ryan listed RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE as one of his favorites, despite their hardcore leftist leanings, Morello slammed the far-right Congressman in an op-ed piece for Rolling Stone.

"Honor Found In Decay", the tenth studio album from NEUROSIS, will be released in North America on October 30 through the band's own Neurot Recordings.

A short trailer for the CD can be seen below.

NEUROSIS forged the songs on "Honor Found In Decay" with the revered Steve Albini, marking their fifth collaboration with the engineer in their longstanding relationship. Their monolithic sound captured at Electrical Audio studios in Chicago, the seven tracks were then mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering in Ventura, California.

Aesthetics have always been paramount for NEUROSIS and with "Honor Found In Decay", Steve Von Till, Scott Kelly, Noah Landis, Jason Roeder and Dave Edwardson's musical vision is brilliantly evoked by NEUROSIS's visual guru Josh Graham.

"Honor Found In Decay" track listing:

01. We All Rage In Gold
02. At The Well
03. My Heart For Deliverance
04. Bleeding The Pigs
05. Casting Of The Ages
06. All Is Found... In Time
07. Raise The Dawn

In a recent interview with The Quietus, Von Till revealed that with "Honor Found In Decay", NEUROSIS has "Found new ways to be heavy," saying, "The emotions that our music needs to put forth are always going to be heavy, whether it be mellow, subdued or tranquil, in volume or in atmosphere; it's always got to be emotionally heavy."

He added, "I think that's what we gained on this record, we gained an increased sense of flow; new ways to contrast dissonance and melody, harmony and disharmony. I always see our evolution as spiralling inward towards a core; we're constantly getting purer and purer; to the essence of what our music is supposed to be."

Asked about the five-year gap between NEUROSIS's new album and its predecessor, Von Till said, "Maybe we deal with more of a glacial concept of time. For us it doesn't seem like that long. I mean, we've been together for 27 years now and [the album] just happened when it was right for it to happen; the whole 'Given To The Rising' time period doesn't feel that long ago to me."

He continued, "We don't have any kind of schedule hovering over us and it was a couple of years ago when we were finally like, 'Okay, it's time to start getting it together,' and that some of our seeds were starting to grow."

NEUROSIS has been invited to perform at ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas at Camber Sands Holiday Camp, England on November 30 through December 2, which Steve Albini's band SHELLAC has been asked to curate.

NEUROSIS is:

Scott Kelly - Vocals/Guitars
Steve Von Till - Vocals/Guitars
Dave Edwardson - Bass
Jason Roeder - Drums
Noah Landis - Keyboards
Josh Graham - Visual Effects, Art

"Edge Of A Dream", the new video from Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND, can be seen below. According to the band, the song — which features a guest appearances by Finnish cello superstars APOCALYPTICA — "brings the classy feel of metal ballads back into a modern spotlight."

Comments FIREWIND guitarist Gus G.: "We shot the video earlier this year in Greece. You can see the beautiful landscapes we caught on film and I assure you that Petros [Christo, FIREWIND bassist] and Jo [Nunez, drums] didn't hold it against us for not appearing in the clip! Actually, the clip was directed by our band member Bob Katsionis [keyboards, guitar], who is also an acclaimed video director. He directed the clip for 'Head Up High' back in 2008 among others. I think he has done an excellent job once again! Enjoy!"

"Edge Of A Dream" comes off FIREWIND's latest album, "Few Against Many", which sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 28 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.

"Few Against Many" was released in Europe on May 21 via Century Media Records and in North America on May 22 through DisManic, Inc. via eOne Distribution. The CD was mixed by Jason Suecof and Eyal Levi at Audiohammer Studios (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, DEATH ANGEL) in Sanford, Florida.

Produced by Gus, "Few Against Many" was recorded with his longtime bandmates, vocalist Apollo Papathanasio, keyboardist/guitarist Bob Katsionis and bassist Petros Christo, at Valve Studio in Greece as well as the Sweetspot Studios in Sweden and sees the band expanding on its signature melodic sound with some of its most aggressive songs to date. The CD also marks the recording debut of new FIREWIND drummer Johan Nunez (NIGHTRAGE).

Sacramento, California-based alternative rock band DEFTONES has set a November 13 release date for its seventh studio album, entitled "Koi No Yokan". 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.

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."

Asked about DEFTONES bassist Chi Cheng, who has been in a semi-comatose state since a 2008 auto accident, Moreno said, "When I was 17 years old, I moved out of my parents’ house and moved in with him. We've been best friends most of my life. I'll just be doing some random thing in my life and he's always in my thoughts. The whole band feels very strongly about him and he's always been a part of things. The main thing we try to do is keep a positive attitude because it's not like he died — it's more or less he's still alive and fighting and we all have hope — that's the way we handle things."

The second episode of Whitesnake TV, featuring footage from the third annual Vegas Rocks! Magazine Music Awards 2012, which was held on August 26 at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, can be seen below. Vegas Rocks! Magazine celebrated its eighth anniversary in a big way as the rock 'n' roll royal red carpet was rolled out for some of the biggest stars in the music business.

Many national artists were honored at the event, including Sammy Hagar (CHICKENFOOT, VAN HALEN), David Coverdale (WHITESNAKE) and Michael Schenker (UFO, SCORPIONS), Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE), Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, HELLYEAH) and Levi Benton (MISS MAY I). Also in attendance presenting/performing were Michael Anthony (CHICKENFOOT, VAN HALEN), John 5 (MARILYN MANSON, ROB ZOMBIE), Eddie Trunk (VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show"), Kip Winger (WINGER), Mark Kendall ( GREAT WHITE), Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER), Nick Oshiro (STATIC-X), Marq Torien (BULLETBOYS), Ron Jeremy, SIN CITY SINNERS, Ron Keel (KEEL), and many others.

Sammy Hagar was honored with the prestigious "Voice Of Rock" award for the evening; David Coverdale was honored with the "Lifetime Achievement In Rock N' Roll" award; Michael Schenker received the "Rock Guitar Legend" award; Geoff Tate received the "Voice In Progressive Heavy Metal" award. Vinnie Paul received the "Drum Legend Icon" award; and Levi Benton received the "Male Metal Star Of Tomorrow" award. Sammy Hagar also took the stage to perform a tribute for Ronnie Montrose and led the all-star celebrity performance for the grand finale for the evening.

Vegas Rocks! Magazine Awards was hosted by the "publishing queen of rock and roll," Sally Steele.

For more information, go to www.vegasrocks.com.

Century Media has announced the signing of Washington-state based metal quintet INTO THE FLOOD. The band will enter the studio this week with producer Aaron Smith (JEFF LOOMIS, 7 HORNS 7 EYES) to begin recording its debut album for an early 2013 release.

Comments the band, "This is absolutely a dream come true to be involved with a label like Century Media. This is something every musician dreams of and we were blessed enough to have it happen for us."

Formed in the winter of 2010, INTO THE FLOOD came together to combine a vast array of influences to create a punishing blend of brutal metal and post-hardcore.

For the past few years, they were the go-to local band asked to open up for nationally touring artists passing through Pacific Northwest. Sharing the stage with such bands as DEMON HUNTER, HATE ETERNAL and GOATWHORE, they were tipped off to Century Media from a Seattle promoter. Shortly after that, a label representative reached out, negotiations were made and a deal was signed.

The band recently debuted a video for the track, "The Destroyer", which can be seen below. The song will be re-recorded for the upcoming CD.

INTO THE FLOOD is:

Brendan Wilson - Vocals
Jacob Sacquitne - Guitar
Justin Thacker - Guitar
Anthony Taylor - Bass
Kevin Brady - Drums

"Hide In The Fairytale", the new video from Athens, Georgia-based melodic metallers THEOCRACY, can be seen below. The clip was recorded in Orlando, Florida under the watchful eye of producer Dan Drescher.

"Hide In The Fairytale" comes off THEOCRACY's latest album, "As The World Bleeds", which was released in November via Ulterium Records (Europe) and Nightmare Records (North America). The CD sold around 640 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 40 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.

"As The World Bleeds" track listing;

01. I Am
02. The Master Storyteller
03. Nailed
04. Hide In The Fairytale
05. The Gift Of Music
06. 30 Pieces Of Silver
07. Drown
08. Altar To The Unknown God
09. Light Of The World
10. As The World Bleeds

German death metallers OBSCENITY will release their eigth studio album, "Atrophied In Anguish" on September 14 as a digipak and as a digital download via Apostasy Records. 10 relentless tracks will bludgeon you back into the early '90s. The CD was again recorded at Soundlodge Studio in Rhauderfehn with producer Jörg Uken.

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

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

"Atrophied In Anguish" track listing:

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

The album's title track is available for streaming using the SoundCloud player below.

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

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

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

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

OBSCENITY is:

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

A two-minute audio sample of "Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)", the new single from American/German/Swedish symphonic metallers KAMELOT, can be streamed below. The track, which is now available on iTunes, comes off the band's new album, "Silverthorn", due on on October 30 in North America, October 26 in Germany and October 29 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD will mark the band's first release with new singer Tommy Karevik, the 30-year-old Swede who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).

KAMELOT recently filmed a video for "Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)", in Belgrade, Serbia with director Ivan Colic, who has previously worked with MOONSPELL, SOILWORK, HAMMERFALL, TYPE O NEGATIVE and SYMPHONY X, among others. The clip, which features guest appearances by Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE) and Alissa White-Gluz (THE AGONIST), is expected to make its online debut in a few weeks. Alissa's cameo was filmed by Von Wong Photography at Studio Newreel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

In a recent interview with the Kamelot France web site, KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood stated about "Sacrimony", "We have a lot of strong songs on the album, but this one was the first one that we wanted to play [during this summer's European tour]. Ironically, it was one the last song we wrote the music for. I remember sitting with [KAMELOT keyboardist] Oliver [Palotai] in Stuttgart and I had to leave the next day for Florida. I said, 'Let's make one more song, something fast and uptempo.' That was the genesis for 'Sacrimony'. Later, [new KAMELOT singer] Tommy [Karevik] laid down a killer vocal melody and it was pretty much like on the demo. Later, we invited Elize Ryd [KAMELOT touring backing vocalist] to sing on that song."

The "Silverthorn" LP and limited edition will have one version of the cover artwork, while the standard version of "Silverthorn" will have a different but equally exquisite version. The standard version is presented as an Ecolbook. The limited edition contains the Ecolbook, a bonus CD with nearly 60 minutes of music, a 44-page book and an exclusive poster. The double LP version is a gatefold on colored vinyl and includes the CD.

Tommy first appeared as one of the guest singers on KAMELOT's very successful 2011 Pandemonium World Tour.

KAMELOT will support Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH on a North American tour in September and October.

"Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)" audio sample:

"Kingdom Falls", the new video from the Norwegian symphonic metal band OCEANS OF TIME, can be seen below. The clip was produced by Golden Touch Film and directed by Andy Pett.

"Kingdom Falls" is the first single from OCEANS OF TIME's debut album, "Faces", which was released in February via Melodic Revolution Records. Two years in the making, the CD contains 10 original songs with a running time of 55 minutes. It was recorded at Oceans Studios and was mixed and mastered by Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, PRETTY MAIDS, IRON FIRE, JORN) at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark.

Formed in 2005 by guitarist Lazz Jensen, OCEANS OF TIME played a lot of gigs between 2005 and 2008 which helped them establish themselves as one of the premier local bands. In 2009 OCEANS OF TIME took a break from touring to concentrate on writing and recording its debut CD.

"Faces" track listing:

01. Quest For Mystery
02. Walls Of Silence
03. The Beast
04. Faces
05. Kingdom Falls
06. A Touch Of Insanity
07. Roar Of Organs
08. Uncertainty
09. Panic
10. You're So Cold

OCEANS OF TIME is:

Ken Lyngfoss - Vocals
Lasse "Lazz" Jensen - Guitar
Nickolas Main Henriksen - Synth
Geir Nilsen - Bass
Baard Kolstad - Drums

The third trailer for "X", the tenth album from Helsinki, Finland-based gothic metallers THE 69 EYES, can be seen below. Due in Europe on September 28 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was mixed by Stefan Boman (THE HELLACOPTERS, BULLET).

THE 69 EYES filmed a video for "Red" last month with Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others. The band also revealed the cover art for the "Red" single, which was released on August 10 via iTunes.

Commented THE 69 EYES lead singer Jyrki69: "This is THE 69 EYES at the most melodic but even more than that, the most intense. The song has a very intense feeling, you know, like when your heart beats wild (red), when the world circles around you and when you find out the painful truth. Think of those scenes in the movies like 'Vertigo' or 'Vanilla Sky'. Something's broken and there's nothing you can do about it. It's a very epic and emotional song."

"X" track listing:

01. Love Runs Away
02. Tonight
03. Black
04. If You Love Me The Morning After
05. Red
06. I Love The Darkness In You
07. Borderline
08. I'm Ready
09. I know What You Did Last Summer
10. When A Love Comes To An End

Bonus DVD

* Red (video)
* Made In Sweden – Stockholm & THE 69 EYES (documentary)

Regarding the album title, Jyrki69 said, "We've never really celebrated anything, not that we've been playing 20 years or so (vampires don't count decades). Thus this time we thought to celebrate a bit: the new album is entitled as tenth in Roman numbers, it'll be called 'X'."

On the topic of the "X" cover artwork, Jyrki69 said, "The cover is pure goth 'n' roll: a psychedelic mirror image of old wild animal bones with our X-tagram projected over all. It's good, evil, magic and voodoo all together! Something to stare at when tripping on the album."

To coincide with the new album release, THE 69 EYES will also launch its own vampire-style red wine, simply called as "Red," which will mainly be distributed in Sweden and Finland.

ADLER, the new band led by former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, has finished mixing its debut album for an early 2013 release. The CD will be mastered later this week.

ADLER is comprised of Steven Adler, frontman Jacob Bunton (LYNAM, MARS ELECTRIC), guitarist Lonny Paul (ADLER'S APPETITE), and bassist Johnny Martin (CHELSEA SMILES).

ADLER's full-length CD was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, DOKKEN) and was mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR). The effort features guest appearances by Adler's former GUNS N ROSES bandmate Slash and ROB ZOMBIE/ex-MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5. The first single, "The One That You Hated", is out now on iTunes.

In a recent interview with Bloody-Disgusting.com, Bunton stated about "The One That You Hated", "That was actually the first song that me and Lonny wrote together, and the last song that we recorded. How it came about was we were just sitting in Lonny's living room with a couple of acoustic guitars, and I had the music and the verses, I just didn't have the chorus, and once it got to the chorus, Lonny just started singing 'I'm the one that you hated,' and I was like, 'That's it, that's awesome!' So it came together really naturally and really quick. And the funny thing is, it's the first single, but it's not like it's the best song on the record or anything like that. Literally, Steven was about to go into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and he said, 'You know, Slash has got his thing and Duff [McKagan] has got his thing, but nobody's heard anything from me for a long time. I would like my fans to know what I'm up to.' So, literally, we just pointed at a piece of paper with all of the songs that we had recorded on it, and went, 'Eeny meeny miny moe,' and that's the one that we picked. And we shot the video, and the cool thing about it is VH1 just added the video two weeks ago. So they've been playing it, which is very cool."

ADLER was recently added to the lineup of the Kiss Kruise. The second Kiss Kruise is setting sail October 31 - November 4, 2012 from Miami, Florida to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas onboard the Norwegian Pearl.

The Kiss Kruise will mark the first-ever live performance of ADLER.

"I'm really excited to debut my new band by playing with KISS," stated Adler. "KISS has always been one of my favorite bands and they are all great guys. The cruise is sure to be an amazing time!"

A one-and-a-half-minute trailer for MANOWAR's new studio album, "The Lord Of Steel", and upcoming tour can be seen below.

"The Lord Of Steel" will be released into worldwide retail on September 28 (dates may vary from territory to territory), following a limited-edition pre-release as the "Hammer Edition" in collaboration with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine.

The retail edition of "The Lord Of Steel" will feature different mixes and mastering, an additional song, spectacular new art by fantasy artist Ken Kelly, and other surprises. The album will be available as CD, limited-edition vinyl and digital album.

"MANOWAR have always dared to do things differently. You have to look at these two versions like a movie that comes out in alternate versions; a director's cut or alternate endings or stories even told from different perspectives," explained bassist Joey DeMaio. "For those of you who enjoyed the first taste of 'The Lord Of Steel', meaning the Metal Hammer version, I can tell you that the forthcoming 'The Lord Of Steel' release on Magic Circle Entertainment will be even more unique and yes, more brutal," he continued.

Described by the press as "a brutal and unstoppable force of molten metal" and "flawlessly heavy," "The Lord Of Steel" is a raw-to-the-bone production, merging vintage elements with the trademark sound MANOWAR have developed over the years.
"When you have to make room for literally hundreds of other instruments such as orchestras, choirs, marching armies on 'Gods Of War', for example, you have to create sonic space for that. The fewer instruments you have the louder they can be individually. As an artist you want to give your audience new experiences. This is not 'elevator music.' This is an album that hits you hard right between the eyes and does not let up," said Joey DeMaio.

For their twelfth studio album, MANOWAR have tapped into the world of action heroes and their stories, writing their first song specifically for a Hollywood movie, "El Gringo", and another one, "Expendable", inspired by Sylvester Stallone's action movie franchise "The Expendables". The band has meanwhile confirmed their next movie project, "Soldiers", for "The Expendables 2" star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

From the furious title track and the pumping "Black List", to the power ballad "Righteous Glory" and the Ennio Morricone homage "El Gringo" — "The Lord Of Steel" is full of surprises.

"The Lord Of Steel" (retail edition) will be mixed and mastered by longtime collaborators, mixing engineer Ronald Prent and two-time Grammy-award-winning mastering engineer Darcy Proper.

Coinciding with the release of the album, MANOWAR will kick off "The Lord Of Steel" world tour, with first shows in October and November, in Europe and the United States.

Paragon Music Magazine and DIGImmortal Photo conducted an interview with vocalist Burton C. Bell of Los Angeles cyber metallers FEAR FACTORY on August 15 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. You can now watch the chat below.

FEAR FACTORY's new album, "The Industrialist", sold 9,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Mechanize", opened with 10,000 units back in February 2010 to land at No. 72.

Released in North America on June 5 via Candlelight Records, "The Industrialist" is a conceptual record based around a story written by Burton C. Bell. Lyrics to the album's ten songs divulge the narrative as discussed recently by Bell with Decibel magazine. The album's artwork was created by American designer Anthony Clarkson with additional direction from the band. The album was made available on three formats — standard CD, a limited edition deluxe digi-book (featuring two additional songs), and 180-gram double vinyl.

FEAR FACTORY recently enlisted Matt DeVries as the band's new bass player. DeVries, previously of CHIMAIRA (where he played guitar) and most recently SIX FEET UNDER, joined FEAR FACTORY as the replacement for Byron Stroud (now with 3 INCHES OF BLOOD). FEAR FACTORY also tapped Mike Heller (MALIGNANCY, SYSTEM DIVIDE) as its new touring drummer.

Victory Records has announced the signing of the progressive metalcore outfit AS THEY BURN. The band's new album is tentatetively due in early 2013.

Emerging from the streets of Paris, France, AS THEY BURN was formed in 2007 by bassist Ronald Pastor, guitarist Fabio Meschini and drummer Milton Bakech. Vocalist Kévin Traore, known for his chillingly aggressive vocals, was enlisted shortly thereafter, along with guitarist Hoby Arinosy.

Comments Bakech: "Being part of the Victory Records family is such a great pleasure and honor. We've been giving it our best for a long time trying to make our dreams come true. We want to thank everyone who has supported us over the years. This means the people behind, on and in front of the stage, you are a part of this and it is just the beginning! Love is the law."

AS THEY BURN's debut album, "Aeon's War", was digitally released on June 20, 2011.

The band recently toured France, Belgium and Switzerland with their good friends BETRAYING THE MARTYRS, shared the stage with EMMURE at Hellfest and successfully completed its first European headlining tour. They will head back out on "The Age Of Horus" tour in October/November that will take them throughout Europe before making their way to the U.S. in 2013.

Dutch modern metallers SELFMACHINE are recording their debut album, "Broadcast Your Identity", with producer Stef Hartog for a spring 2013 release.

According to SELFMACHINE's official bio, "the first seeds for this band were planted by bassist Mark Brekelmans after his previous exploits XYSTUS and EQUILIBRIO came to an end in late 2010. He wanted to start something fresh, something groovy, something heavy yet melodic and without any musical restrictions or boundaries. Most of all, though, he wanted something he could share with a group of likeminded individuals. To find the first addition to this band, Mark did not have to look far. Longtime friend Michael had worked with Mark on several projects in the past and once again proved to be the right man for the task. Together they laid out the basis for what is to become the first SELFMACHINE album."

SELFMACHINE's music is described as "a wide array of musical influences rolled into a tight and concise package."

SELFMACHINE is:

Steven Leijen: Vocals
Mark Brekelmans: Bass, Backing Vocals
John Brok: Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Michael Hansen: Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ben Schepers: Drums

The 35th-anniversary "Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols" super-deluxe box set will be made available in the U.K. on September 24.

A sneak peek video of the 100-page 12-inch-by-12-inch hardcover book that's included in the release can be seen below. The book, a diary of 1977, is packed with exclusive images, recording details, memorabilia and rare photos chronicling every significant band event that year with quotes from key figures.

As one of the most iconic and influential albums in music history, "Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols" still sounds as powerful and unique as ever, 35 years since the original release. As such an important musical and cultural force the album changed the landscape for records and the music industry. The SEX PISTOLS defined a generation and captured a feeling within the nation that simply no one else could of. The band created a truly distinctive sound and "Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols" impact and influence still strongly resonates with musicians, artists and people to this day. To celebrate its 35th anniversary, Universal Music U.K. has assembled a super-deluxe box-set release that really does this legendary album justice.

While many fans will undoubtedly be of the opinion that there can be very little left in the SEX PISTOLS vaults that hasn't already been seen and heard, followers of the band will be thrilled by the treasure trove of music, footage, interviews, pictures and artifacts confirmed to be included.

The original master tapes from the "Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols" recording sessions in 1977 were thought to be lost for many years. Now thankfully rediscovered during the recent move from Virgin Records to Universal Music catalogue in January 2012, the tapes have been remastered, for the very first time, by Tim Young under direction from original producer Chris Thomas. Some real treats have also been found along the way. The find that will perhaps excite fans the most is the lost 1977 demo studio recording of "Belsen Was A Gas", the only original SEX PISTOLS composition of the era thought not to be recorded.

Other treats include the inclusion of six demos first included on the infamous "Spunk" bootleg album, released for the very first time in their original, untouched form following the very recent discovery of their original master tapes. These, combined with a selection of unreleased Chris Thomas demos and outtakes from the recording of the album — including tracks with Sid Vicious on bass — plus a wealth of live audio and visual material all from 1977 make up a box set that will truly satisfy fans of the band.

Below is a breakdown of the contents:

According to WTOP, D.C. punk rocker Vance Bockis, member of local punk and metal bands THE OBSESSED, THE FACTORY, 9353, and PENTAGRAM, died Saturday at age 50.

Bockis, a popular fixture in the scene, had rotator cuff surgery Thursday and died at the Fairfax County home he shared with his wife Linda Leisz Bockis, apparently of a blood clot.

"Vance was clean and sober for almost six and a half years," Leisz Bockis told WTOP. "He was so thrilled with his life being sober," she added.

Bockis's musical career and recovery was the subject of a 2010 documentary, "Shift".

"I should be dead or I should be in prison," Bockis said in the film.

A service for Bockis will be held Thursday, September 13 at 6 p.m. at Fairfax County Memorial Funeral Home (9902 Braddock Road, Fairfax).

"Eye Of Existence", a brand new song from U.K. black metallers PRIMITIVE GRAVEN IMAGE, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the band's third album, "Psychededlic Episodes - Observations On Death And Deathlessness", which was once again produced by Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR, EVILE). The follow-up to 2010's "Celebrating Impending Chaos" features cover artwork from Darkwave Art.

Commented PRIMITIVE GRAVEN IMAGE: "The song is the first track from the album, is entitled 'Eye Of Existence' and deals with the search for God, gods, solitude, peace, truth, death and deathlessness (to name but a few!). What are the consequences of such a search? The whole album, and this song in particular, is an epic journey into these kinds of questions."

"Psychededlic Episodes - Observations on Death and Deathlessness" track listing:

01. Eye Of Existence
02. Ten Thousand Armageddons
03. Mock The Lifeline
04. Slave To The Mannequin
05. Attack The Attacker
06. Breathe
07. The Maniacal Laughter Of A Dying Man
08. The Killer, The Philosopher And The Holy Man
09. Of Death And Deathlessness

The band previously stated about the new CD: "We took war as a big theme for 'Celebrating Impending Chaos' (2010), but there was also a more cosmic theme running throughout the album as well, on tracks like 'Kings Of Infinite Space', for example — and that's what we've decided to run with this time round. We've decided to look into the mirror instead and into our own psyches. After all, the outside world is surely only a reflection of what is inside?

"This album is about getting closer to the source of all this stuff, which is where the real horrors lie. It's an interesting and fresh concept to play with but still lends itself very well to twisting into a black metal framework. The concept has lead to our most structured and focused lyrics to date and the album has become a weird journey through man's struggle with his gods, his mortality and his brief but often chaotic life here on this mysterious rock. Musically, we have stuck to the black metal feel that we know and love and in some cases this shines through even more than on our last album. We've also brought in a very healthy dose of death and thrash metal-influenced sections and the psychedelic and progressive elements we started to play with on 'Chaos' have made a big return. We have included some truly experimental moments with some elongated prog-out sections and wonderful analog keyboard sounds."

Chris Warunki, former drummer of the Canadian death metal band SOULSCAR, has started his own independent record company, Warunki Media. The label's first release is "Path", the debut album from his own progressive-metal band OMNISIGHT.

According to a press release, "Path" "is already garnering DREAM THEATER comparisons in the media, despite not even having a keyboard player or keys on the album at all!" [The CD] is an 80-minute 'tour de force' of a debut album with elements of progressive hard rock, shred guitar and groove metal, with strong emphasis on heavy riffs, melodic vocal hooks and world-class musicianship. The album also features a guest appearance by world-renowned guitarist Dave Martone (Magna Carta Records)."

ICED EARTH's August 19 concert at the ancient Kourion Amphitheater, outside Limassol in Cyprus, was professionally filmed and recorded for an upcoming CD/DVD release. 1,500 fans witnessed the show, which ran for three hours and featured on-stage scenery and artwork that was uniquely created for this special event. Veteran producer Jim Morris of Morrisound Studios (ICED EARTH, SEPULTURA, MORBID ANGEL, DEATH, SAVATAGE) flew in from Tampa, Florida to supervise the entire audio section with the help of the ToneDeaf Recording Studio.

In a brand new posting on the band's Facebook page, ICED EARTH mainman/guitarist Jon Schaffer wrote, "I just wanted to write and say thanks for all the support on the last three-month stretch of the 'Dystopia' world tour! Finishing that leg of the tour in Cyprus was the perfect ending to a very successful run. Now we are enjoying some much-earned down time with friends and families.

"In a few weeks, we will begin editing/mixing/mastering ICED EARTH 'Live In Ancient Kourion'. Yes, it will be on Blu-ray, DVD, CD, and maybe even a special vinyl release of the audio version… We will see what kind of special packaging emerges, but it will be killer, you can count on that! I’m super proud of the guys in the band and our crew for giving their best efforts and making this very challenging gig a reality and a huge success.

"2013 will see another round of important touring, the first official headline show DVD release, and a new studio album later in the fall.

"Exciting times are upon us. The band is on fire, and on the attack!

"Europe, see you in December!"

The setlist for ICED EARTH's August 19 concert was as follows:

01. Dystopia
02. Burning Times
03. Angel Holocaust
04. Slave To The Dark
05. V
06. When The Night Falls
07. I Died For You
08. Invasion
09. Motivation Of Man
10. Setian Massacre
11. Stormrider
12. Pure Evil
13. Wolf
14. Dark City
15. End Of Innocence
16. Dracula
17. Ten Thousand Strong
18. End Of Innocence
19. Anthem
20. Decleration Day
21. Days Of Rage
22. Melancholy (Holy Martyr)

Encore 1:

23. In Sacred Flames
24. Boiling Point
25. Damien
26. Watching Over Me
27. Dantes Inferno
28. Iced Earth

Encore 2:

29. The Hunter

Norwegian satanic black metal band NETTLECARRIER will release its self-titled debut album on September 21 in Europe and September 25 in North America via Indie Recordings. The cover artwork was created by artist Truls Espedal (ENSLAVED, THEATER OF TRAGEDY, DJEVEL), who has painted all of ENSLAVED's album covers since 2001.

"Nettlecarrier" track listing:

01. The Boiling Blood
02. Paa Vaare Paaler Deres Hoder
03. I Helvete Kristus Skal Forgaa
04. Naar Han Vaakner
05. Demoriel
06. Cup Of Lethe
07. Bundet Til Masten

The song "Paa Vaare Paaler Deres Hoder" can now be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

NETTLECARRIER features in its ranks T. Ciekals (DJEVEL, LJÅ), Mannevond (KOLDBRANN, URGEHAL) and Dirge Rep (ORCUSTUS, GEHENNA, GORGOROTH, ENSLAVED).

NETTLECARRIER was formed in 2004 when T. Ciekals, who was a member of the band LJÅ at the time, moved to Oslo and teamed up with Mannevond from the infamous KOLDBRANN. "I had been in contact with Mannevond a few years back and we were both fans of each others bands," said Ciekals. They had a burning desire to create a black metal band that did not sound like anyone else, but with an older and more sinister sound. In late 2006, Vold joined in on drums for a short while and as a three-piece the pace increased. This resulted in the release of the seven-inch vinyl single, "To Strangle The Hero Of Heaven".

When Mannevond started Urgehal and T. Ciekals formed DJEVEL, NETTLECARRIER was put on ice for almost three years. "I left LJÅ in 2007 to focus on DJEVEL and Mannevond was busy with URGEHAL, but NETTLECARRIER wasn't dead, just buried for a while," explained Ciekals. After the DJEVEL album was released, Ciekals was finally able to focus on NETTLECARRIER again. The very talented Dirge Rep joined the band on drums in 2010 and the decision to record an album was made.

"In Wolves", the new lyric video from the Lancaster, Pennsylvania quintet THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's third album, "Dead Years", which will be released in Europe on September 24 via Lifeforce Records. The CD will be made available in North America one day later through eOne Music.

According to a press release, "troubled, heavy and emotive songs in between metal and melodic hardcore . . . is exactly what you can expect from 'Dead Years', but this time singer Ricky is truly pissed and you can hear that! [THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE] combines agile catchiness, striking technical ability and a good amount of metalcore ingredients along with dense rock grooves." Produced by Andreas Magnusson (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, HASTE THE DAY), "Dead Years" "consists of ten hymns exploring the fields of metal, hardcore and rock in their own way. The quintet does not think too much. The guys just play what feels right and follow their gut instinct. This is the way THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE succeeds."

"Dead Years" track listing:

01. Hell Praiser
02. Power Hawk
03. In Wolves
04. Americans
05. Hate The Ones You Love
06. You Own No One But You
07. A Damn Moment
08. Gaunt And Fierce
09. Kill'em With Guidance
10. Hard Branch To Snap

THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE's forthcoming CD will be the band's first release since "Haunt What's Left", produced by Josh Wilbur and LAMB OF GOD's own Chris Adler in 2010.

Having originally released its debut record, "Monuments", in 2007 the band has not slowed down since. With a few dozen tours under their belt with bands like WE CAME AS ROMANS, PERIPHERY and BORN OF OSIRIS, the band is hardly new to the hands-on approach. Things like giving lessons while on tour and actively taking a role in their day to day is what sets THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE apart.

THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE is: Rick Armellino (vocals), Jack Esbenshade (guitar), Matthew Marcellus (bass, vocals) and Rodney Phillips (guitar, vocals).

According to The Pulse Of Radio, it was back in 2010 when AEROSMITH seriously considered replacing singer Steven Tyler, whose relapse into drug use and onstage injury led the band to cancel a U.S. tour and push back work on a new album. Although a number of candidates for the job were rumored at the time, AEROSMITH guitarist Brad Whitford finally confirmed one over the weekend on VH1's "That Metal Show": ex-VAN HALEN and current CHICKENFOOT vocalist Sammy Hagar.

Whitford explained, "We had to talk about it — maybe we could put a different name on it and bring somebody else in? We spoke to Sammy and he was really excited about it. I love Sammy. It was like, 'Oh, man, this would be so cool!' But it all started to come back together on its own."

Tyler and the rest of AEROSMITH did in fact settle their differences, and the band's new album, "Music From Another Dimension", comes out November 6.

Meanwhile, Hagar has continued to record and tour with CHICKENFOOT, which also features ex-VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith.

That group recently announced plans to reissue its gold-selling 2009 self-titled debut as a double-disc set on October 16. The new version will feature bonus live tracks recorded on the group's recent tour behind its sophomore studio effort, "III".

Century Media Records has announced the signing of Canadian metal innovators VOIVOD.

To coincide with the band's 30th anniversary — the band was founded in late January 1983 — VOIVOD's own company, Iron Gang Factory, has joined forces with global powerhouse Century Media to release the group's new album, "Target Earth", on January 22, 2013 (one day earlier internationally).

Commented VOIVOD: "Our goal has been to find a partner for Iron Gang Factory to help get new VOIVOD music to the world and Century Media, we are proud to say, is the right company to do so globally. We can't wait to release tour and promote 'Target Earth'."

"Target Earth" was recorded in January at Pierre Rémillard's (OBLIVEON, CRYPTOPSY, KRISIUN, MISERY INDEX) Wild Studio in a small town called St-Zénon in Quebec, Canada. The follow-up to 2009's "Infini" will contain the band's first music to be written with new guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain (MARTYR) following the passing of original axeman Denis "Piggy" D'Amour in 2005.

VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin recently unveiled the band's new logo which will be used on the upcoming CD. Check it out below.

Several photos from the recording sessions can be found on the band's Facebook page.

According to a posting on the page, fans can "expect something in the vein of 'Nothingface' with some elements from the other albums. It will be a classic VOIVOD album."

Regarding what the new VOIVOD songs sound like, Mongrain said in a recent interview, "As a VOIVOD fan since I am 12 years old and early rise of VOIVOD in late '80s and everything, I think… I'm in conflict of interest right now. [Laughs] I like the old stuff as much as the new stuff, so I think it's a blend of everything. It's really a team work and Blacky [Jean-Yves Thériault] is back on the 'blower bass' — he's got the original sound — and we're having a blast jamming, improvising and writing. I think it's working pretty good."

On the topic of the lyrical themes covered in the new VOIVOD tracks, singer Denis "Snake" Bélanger said, "The song we played [on the recent European tour] ['Kaleidos'] is about conspiracy involving drugs and the FBI… [Laughs] It's hard to describe because we're kind of early in the process. There's another song called 'Target Earth', which is more like a spacy, conspiracy, controlling the information around the world. The main thing is the 'war' of information. You know, somebody Osama Bin Laden is dead, someone [else] says he's not… It gets to a point where everybody has his own story and nobody is sure what the truth is. There's people above everything controlling the information."

In an interview with Exclaim.ca, Away stated about VOIVOD's forthcoming studio album, "It's more in the progressive metal vein, so it's reminiscent of the 'Dimension Hatröss' era."

VOIVOD debuted the "Target Earth" title track during their April 12 concert at the Roadburn festival at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

VOIVOD will embark on a European headlining tour in October. They will also play several shows in Spain as the support act for ARCH ENEMY.

Fan-filmed video footage of VOIVOD performing the title track of their forthcoming album, "Target Earth", on June 29 at Zone Portuaire de Chicoutimi in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada can be seen below.

VOIVOD 2012 is:

Denis "Snake" Bélanger - Vocals
Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain - Guitar
Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault - Bass
Michel "Away" Langevin - Drums