German power metallers GRAVE DIGGER have joined forces with two of Germany's leading manufacturers of natural cosmetics, Esthertol and Rutano. The bandmembers want to do their share in protecting the nature and are encouraging their fans to do the same. Both companies produce only articles which are subjected to the strict German animal-protection guidelines and do not engage in animal testing. All product ingredients are produced by organic farming, using mainly natural raw material.

GRAVE DIGGER will release its new album on August 31 in Europe and September 4 in North America via Napalm Records. A six-song mini-CD, "Home At Last", will precede the full-length effort on July 27 in Europe and August 7 in North America.

"Home At Last" track listing:

01. Home At Last
02. Rage Of The Savage Beast (non-album track)
03. Metal Will Never Die (non-album track)
04. Ballad Of A Hangman (live in Wacken 2010)
05. Excalibur (live in Wacken 2010)
06. Heavy Metal Breakdown (live in Wacken 2010)

Check out the cover artwork below.

GRAVE DIGGER's new CD was recorded at Principal Studios in Münster, Germany. The band laid down at least 10 new original compositions as well as "a cover version of a male, 'not-heavy-metal' artist," which the group said "won't be another German 'Schlager' song... it will be 150 percent pure GRAVE DIGGER metal. Again we transferred the spirit of the '80s into the sound of 2012."

GRAVE DIGGER last fall extended its contract with Napalm Records. The band said in a statement, "Napalm is a small and hard-working team that is as effective and productive as a company of 70 people. Always reachable and competent, they work with their artists individually. These are the strengths of Napalm, and that is why we have signed a deal for three more records under the Napalm banner."

"The Clans Are Still Marching", the latest DVD from GRAVE DIGGER, entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 56 (German chart rules allow music DVDs to enter album charts).

GRAVE DIGGER's latest album, "The Clans Will Rise Again", was released in Europe on October 1, 2010 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded between mid-May 2010 and mid-July 2010 at the Meadow Studios, which is owned by GRAVE DIGGER's new guitarist Axel Ritt, and Principal Studios, where all of GRAVE DIGGER albums since 1995's "Heart Of Darkness" have been tracked. It was produced by Chris Boltendahl and mixed by Jörg Umbreit.

Los Angeles glam metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER played an acoustic set at this year's edition of the Download festival, which was held June 8-10 at Donington Park in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. You can now watch video footage of the performance below.

STEEL PANTHER is the '80s metal/hard rock tribute band formerly known as METAL SKOOL. The group's lineup includes guitarist "Satchel" (real name Russ Parrish; ex-FIGHT) and singer "Michael Starr" (real name Ralph Saenz; ex-L.A. GUNS). Onstage, the band both pays tribute to and lampoons the heyday of '80s glam metal. The group's between-song comedy includes jests at conflict between bandmembers, discussions of drugs, sex, and improvised humor with the crowd.

STEEL PANTHER's sophomore album, "Balls Out", sold nearly 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 40 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on November 1, 2011 via Universal Republic Records, the follow-up to 2009's "Feel The Steel" contains 14 soon-to-be classics such as "Just Like Tiger Woods", "Gold Digging Whore" and "Weenie Ride". The album also features cameos by Dane Cook on the album opener "In The Future" and NICKELBACK frontman Chad Kroeger and EXTREME axeman Nuno Bettencourt show up on an instant classic "It Won't Suck Itself". "Balls Out" was produced by Grammy-nominated producer/mixer Jay Ruston who produced the band's "Feel The Steel" debut and is known for his work with ANTHRAX, MEAT LOAF, THE DONNAS and MORRISSEY, to name a few.

STEEL PANTHER is Michael Starr (vocals), Satchel (guitar), Lexxi Foxx (bass) and Stix Zadinia (drums).

SIX HOUR SUNDOWN, the U.K.-based rock band fronted by Lauren Harris — daughter of legendary IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris — played an acoustic set on June 9 at the Download festival at Donington Park in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. You can watch video footage of the performance below.

Formed in late 2009, SIX HOUR SUNDOWN was born from a desire of like-minded friends (and experienced musicians) to get back to the heart of why they wanted to make music in the first place.

According to a press release, SIX HOUR SUNDOWN "blurs the boundaries of musical genres with edgy modern rock riffs, driven by a solid rhythm section and topped off by a contemporary melody lines, delivered by a vocalist who puts her heart on the line with every performance."

SIX HOUR SUNDOWN creates music that takes influences from bands as diverse as FOO FIGHTERS, 30 SECONDS TO MARS and VELVET REVOLVER but at all times keeping its unique vision intact.

SIX HOUR SUNDOWN is:

Lauren Harris - Vocals
Tom Gentry - Guitar
James Bennett - Guitar
Mitch Witham - Bass
Olly Smith - Drums

When asked why she decided to launch a band after touring and releasing an album under her own name, Lauren told PlanetMosh, "It kind of turned into a band when I was out as a solo artist anyway, because all of us became so close and we started writing songs together and stuff, and then we decided to drop the name completely and perform properly as a band. . . I'm not the only one in the band . . . so we just wanted to make it a bit more equal, and yeah, that's it, really."

Regarding the origins of the name SIX HOUR SUNDOWN, Lauren said, "We were talking amongst friends and just laughing and having a drink and stuff, and you know, when somebody says, 'Oh, I fancy a drink,' and it’s like one o'clock in the afternoon or something, and you're like, 'Really, you’re going to start drinking now?' Then someone said, 'It's five o'clock somewhere in the world.' . . . We went for six, because six is a cooler number, and six is my birthday, and it kind of led on from there — six hour sundown.

On the topic of the biggest difference between SIX HOUR SUNDOWN and the LAUREN HARRIS band, the singer said, "[SIX HOUR SUNDOWN is] much more current — the songs are more current. What we were doing before was almost a different genre, really. I think now it's a lot more rocky, more melodic rock, whereas before it was much more pop-orientated rock, so I think that's really the main difference, and of course, now there's a band feel to it, which I think gives it a completely different feel anyway."

SIX HOUR SUNDOWN's debut album will be released later in the year via Transcend Music.

Performance:

A nine-minute video clip featuring footage from WARBRINGER's June 8-10 trip to Central America can be seen below.

WARBRINGER recently completed a seven-week North American tour supporting ICED EARTH and SYMPHONY X.

WARBRINGER's third album, "Worlds Torn Asunder", sold around 2,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 11 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.

WARBRINGER's sophomore CD, "Waking Into Nightmares", also opened with around 2,000 units back in May 2009 to debut at No. 14 on the Heatseekers chart.

"Worlds Torn Asunder" was produced and mixed by Steve Evetts (SUICIDE SILENCE, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SYMPHONY X), and features artwork by Dan Seagrave, who designed WARBRINGER's previous album cover (in addition to art for bands such as ENTOMBED, SUFFOCATION and MORBID ANGEL).

WARBRINGER 2012 is:

Andy Laux - Bass
Andrew Bennett - Guitar
John Kevill - Vocals
John Laux - Guitar
Carlos Cruz – Drums

"From Womb To Waste", the new video from Maryland extreme metallers DYING FETUS, can be seen below. The clip, which features 12 camera angles from last month's live show at Maryland Deathfest at Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland, was filmed and directed by Scott Hansen (ANIMALS AS LEADERS, A DAY TO REMEMBER).

"From Womb To Waste" comes off DYING FETUS's new album, "Reign Supreme", which will be released on June 17 via Relapse Records. The CD, which was recorded at Wrightway Studios in Baltimore with longtime producer Steve Wright (SLIPKNOT, MISERY INDEX), will feature nine tracks and is "a 'return to roots,' with production focused slightly more on slam than in the band's last few works," according to a press release. "Thematically, the album is set to be a good old-fashioned piece of social and political commentary in the style of DYING FETUS as we have come to know."

Commented DYING FETUS guitarist/vocalist John Gallagher: "The last album had some groove in it, but [it] was basically a lot of tech; this one is a return to form of older DYING FETUS albums, so to speak — more modern production, though, of course. Everything's tight, the sound is crushing, the drums are amazing."

DYING FETUS recently completed the Metal Alliance Tour with DEVILDRIVER, THE FACELESS, JOB FOR A COWBOY, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD and IMPENDING DOOM.

DYING FETUS' latest album, "Descend Into Depravity", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 166 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at position No. 4 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.

Yonkers, New York-based technical death metallers MALIGNANCY will embark on a European tour this July in support of their upcoming full-length release, "Eugenics". The band's drummer, Mike Heller, will not be able to join his bandmates on the upcoming trek due to the fact that he is currently sitting behind the kit for FEAR FACTORY and will be temporarily replaced by Alex Cohen (PYRRHON).

"Alex Cohen is well versed in jazz and metal, he is the logical choice to get the job done," said MALIGNANCY vocalist Danny Nelson.

The "Containment Breach Europe" tour will pass through Extremefest, Obscene Extreme and Houten Deathfest with support from CEPHALIC IMPURITY. The tour will also cross paths with the "Condemned" European tour.

"Eugenics" will be released late fall/early winter via Willowtip and promises to be MALIGNANCY's most innovative release to date.

U.K.-based modern hard rock band TAINTED NATION has inked a deal with Massacre Records. The band’s debut album, "F.E.A.R.", will be released on December 7.

Commented TAINTED NATION vocalist Pete Newdeck: "This is a very exciting time for the band. We feel it an honor and a privilege to be signed to Massacre Records and we look forward to forging a strong working relationship together. The band is very hungry and keen to make an impact with what we feel is a strong and powerful debut album and in turn, we aim to hit the live scene with all guns blazing. It excites me to be involved with such a lineup of talented musicians who are highly motivated and focused. This is only the beginning…"

An audio sample of the song "Dare You" from TAINTED NATION can be streamed below. The group, which recently signed a worldwide management deal with Germany's Rock N Growl Management, consists of the following musicians:

* Pete Newdeck (EDEN'S CURSE, GRIM REAPER, KILLERS, STEVE GRIMMETT) - Vocals
* Pontus Egberg (THE POODLES, LION'S SHARE, ZAN CLAN) - Bass
* Ian Nash (STEVE GRIMMETT, LIONSHEART) - Guitar
* Mark Cross (FIREWIND, OUTLOUD, HELLOWEEN, KINGDOM COME) - Drums

"F.E.A.R." was produced by Pete Newdeck and mixed/mastered by Dennis Ward.

Newdeck, who is mostly known for his work with EDEN'S CURSE and bands like GRIM REAPER, KILLERS and Steve Grimmett, started writing songs with bandmate and friend Ian Nash, who also played guitar for Grimmett, in 2009.

While with EDEN'S CURSE and supporting STRATOVARIOUS and FIREWIND in May 2009 on their U.K. tour, Pete and then-FIREWIND drummer Mark Cross became close friends and discussed the idea of forming a new band, only this time with Newdeck as the lead singer.

Newdeck's vocal abilities were truly convincing and in the spring of 2010, Pontus Egberg, bass player for Swedish hard rockers THE POODLES, completed the lineup.

Newdeck, Nash, Cross and Egberg recorded the TAINTED NATION debut album in the U.K. and mixed and mastered it in Germany under the supervision of Dennis Ward, producer of many successful international artists.

TAINTED NATION's music is described in a press release as "a commercial, modern and powerful-sounding rock mix."

Video footage of EXODUS' June 13 performance at KC Mostovna in Nova Gorica, Slovenia can be seen below (filmed and edited by Jaka Curlic of JZA Crew).

EXODUS inaugurated its summer festival season with a performance on June 2 at the Scion Rock Fest in Tampa, Florida. With Gary Holt still handling guitar duties for Jeff Hanneman on SLAYER's North American and European tour, EXODUS invited out none other than former bandmember Rick Hunolt to fill in for Scion and other shows.

Longtime EXODUS fans will recall that Hunolt — the other half of the famed EXODUS "H-Team" who is on every studio recording from 1985 through 2004 and co-wrote some of the band's best-known songs such as "A Lesson In Violence" and "Deliver Us To Evil" — left EXODUS after the band's highly-acclaimed 2004 reunion album, "Tempo Of The Damned". "Murder In The Front Row", the recent photo book documenting the pinnacle of the Bay Area thrash scene, aptly documents Hunolt's tenure in the band.

Following his departure, Hunolt was replaced by HEATHEN guitarist Lee Altus.

Hunolt previously rejoined his former bandmates at a special concert in celebration of Holt and Lisa Perticone's wedding on September 24, 2011 at Avalon in Santa Clara, California. He also performed with them at "Bonded By Baloff: A Decade Of Remembrance", a special concert which marked the 10-year anniversary of former EXODUS singer Paul Baloff's passing. The event took place February 4 at the Oakland Metro Operahouse in Oakland, California.

Holt has confirmed that he will be joining his EXODUS bandmates for their Graspop Metal Meeting performance in Desel, Belgium on June 23 for a special lesson in violence with a three-guitar attack!

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's June 6 performance at Zimní stadion Sareza in Ostrava, Czech Republic can be seen below.

In a recent interview with MTV's "Alternative Nation", SLAYER guitarist Kerry King stated aboutfellow SLAYER axeman Jeff Hanneman's current state of health (Jeff in January 2011 contracted necrotizing fasciitis, likely caused by a spider bite, and has been undergoing surgeries, skin grafts and intense rehab since), King said, "Jeff is… If you look at him, he looks fine. But playing the intricate things that we do, he's not ready to do that. He doesn't know if he has the stamina for an hour-and-fifteen-minute set. He can play any of the slower stuff and do it just like the record. But we made a name for ourselves, historically, for being good live, so we had to make the decision and say, 'You've gotta get better before you try to come back. If you come back, make it a special thing, not just an adequate thing.'"

King also spoke about SLAYER's rumored plans to release a two-song EP this summer, possibly to coincide with the band's appearance at the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. "[The two new SLAYER tracks] are done, but they're just not mixed," he said. "It's [like], do you put them out now or do you just wait for the [full-length] record to be done [and include them as part of the final package]? We're gona finish the record September-October. So I, myself, would rather wait, because I don't like to put those two songs out and then include them on the record. In my thinking, if you put those two songs out, then make ten more songs and put those two on that album just as an afterthought. But I feel like I've gotta give people ten new songs. That's why on the last one [2009's 'World Painted Blood'] we did 11, 'cause 'Psychopathy Red' was already out. So [the two new songs are] done. We'll see what the record company proposes. I think they've been talking about an EP, which is kind of a throwback to the '80s, which is really cool, I think. But we'll just have to see."

SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo previously stated about the band's new material, "[It sounds like] SLAYER. . . Traditional fans will be pacified and non-traditional fans will be like, 'Again?'"

Speaking to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Kerry described the new SLAYER songs as "really refreshing and energetic." He added, "One thing I can tell you is that the songs are shaping up in the classic SLAYER style. You won't be hearing us doing acoustic stuff. [laughs]"

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt is filling in for Hanneman on SLAYER's summer tour, which kicked off last month at All Tomorrow's Parties in England.

SLAYER's latest album, "World Painted Blood", sold 41,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of CANNIBAL CORPSE's June 13 performance at LVC in Leiden, Holland can be seen below (courtesy of "letthedeathmetalflow").

CANNIBAL CORPSE's twelfth studio album, "Torture", sold 9,600 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, "Evisceration Plague", also opened with 9,600 units to land at No. 66. That was more than 50 percent higher than the opening tally of CANNIBAL CORPSE's 2006 CD, "Kill", which entered the chart at No. 170 after shifting more than 6,000 copies.

"Torture" was again produced by HATE ETERNAL's Erik Rutan at his own Mana Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, Florida as well as Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, and features the maniacal cover art by longtime CANNIBAL CORPSE artist Vincent Locke.

While "Torture" marks the latest progression in the band's sound, it also witnesses a return to what drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz accurately terms "the frenzied attack of 'Butchered At Birth' (1991) or 'Tomb Of The Mutilated' (1992)," infusing the band's advanced musicianship with the raw savagery that haunted their earlier releases, and in the process conceiving the definitive CANNIBAL CORPSE record.

Quality video footage of MASTODON's June 15 performance at the Copenhell festival in Copenhagen, Denmark can be seen below.

MASTODON is touring in support of its latest album "The Hunter", which was released by Reprise Records in September. The band's latest trek kicked off on April 4 in Portland, Maine, and visited more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up with a hometown show at Atlanta's Masquerade Music Park on May 12. These shows featured Swedish metal band OPETH as co-headliners, with special guest GHOST providing support on all dates.

MASTODON in April released a split seven-inch single with Canadian singer-songwriter Feist to celebrate Record Store Day. This very exclusive pressing features MASTODON covering the Feist song "A Commotion", while Feist covers MASTODON's "Black Tongue".

MASTODON was among the nominees for the 54th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on February 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The band's Grammy nomination was for "Curl Of The Burl", the first single from MASTODON's new album, "The Hunter".

MASTODON received its first Grammy nomination in 2006 for the single "Colony Of Birchmen", from the band's Reprise Records debut album, "Blood Mountain".

Fan-filmed video footage of Sebastian Bach's June 12 performance at The Limelight in Belfast, United Kingdom can be seen below.

Bach earlier in the month released a video for the song "I'm Alive". The clip is one of three videos (alongside "Kicking & Screaming" and "TunnelVision") that the singer filmed on June 28, 2011 in Hollywood, California with director Devin DeHaven of Fortress Entertainment (PAPA ROACH, WHITESNAKE, METHOD MAN, TALIB KWELI).

"I'm Alive" comes off Bach's new album, "Kicking & Screaming", which sold 6,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 73 on The Billboard 200 chart. The singer's previous CD, "Angel Down", opened with 6,400 units back in November 2007 to debut at No. 190.

CEREMONIAL OATH, the late '80s/early '90s Swedish extreme metal band whose members went on to create or join such acclaimed acts as IN FLAMES, HAMMERFALL and TIAMAT, will reunite for an appearance at the inaugural edition of The Gothenburg Sound festival, set to take place January 5-6, 2013 at Trädgår'n in Gothenburg, Sweden.

"We want to celebrate Gothenburg's history and status as hard rock city," organizer Per "PK" Carlsson of PK Musik tells Göteborgs Posten.

According to Carlsson, the idea is to make The Gothenburg Sound — which got its name from the type of metal that first developed in Gothenburg and then spread across the world — an annual event and make it grow each year.

"There are plenty of ideas about how to handle this whole thing, and many people have already shown great interest and dedication to making it happen," he says. "But the festival itself will take place at Trädgår'n for the time being. We like it there and the festival is being held during a weekend when we're hoping many of the members of this metal family will be home from their tours."

Formed in 1988 under the name DESECRATOR, CEREMONIAL OATH released three demos, one EP and two full-length albums before calling it quits in 1995. The band's former members include such internationally recognized names as Anders Fridén (IN FLAMES), Oscar Dronjak (HAMMERFALL), Jesper Strömblad (IN FLAMES) and Anders Iwers (TIAMAT).

More acts for The Gothenburg Sound will be announced during the coming months. The event will feature two stages, and members of different bands will act as disc jockeys during the festival.

Video footage of ANTHRAX performing a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Neon Knights" earlier today (Friday, June 15) at the Copenhell festival in Copenhagen, Denmark can be seen below.

When ANTHRAX was given the choice of playing this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival main stage or the festival's Jägermeister Stage, the band opted to headline the latter, and to do something special for the crowd.

Since vocalist Joey Belladonna rejoined the ANTHRAX lineup two years ago, ANTHRAX has made one of the most impressive comebacks in rock 'n' roll. As one of the "Big Four," the original architects of speed and thrash-metal, ANTHRAX joined METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH during the summer of 2010 on a series of "Big Four" shows in ten European cities, followed by a "Big Four" show outside of Los Angeles at the Coachella site (April 2011), and the big "homecoming" event for the New York-born-and-bred band members at Yankee Stadium last September.

The band released "Worship Music" on September 13, 2011, its first new album in eight years and the first with Belladonna on vocals in twenty years. "Worship Music" debuted at No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart, received stellar reviews that included being named one of the best albums of the year in countless media outlets.

Willowtip has announced the signing of German death metallers INGURGITATING OBLIVION. The band's new album, "Enigmatic Symmetries", will be released before the end of the year. INGURGITATING OBLIVION describes the CD as "a churning maelstrom of technical drums, subsonic atrocities, frantic vocal obscurities, and multi-dimensional guitar atonalities."

INGURGITATING OBLIVION's previous full-album, "Voyage Towards Abhorrence", was released in 2005 via Unmatched Brutality Records.

Ingo Neugebauer - Drums
Christian Pfeil - Bass
Sascha Hermesdorf - Guitar
Ulrich Kreienbrink - Vocals
Florian Engelke - Lead Guitar

"Desolation", the new video from Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "Resolution", which has sold 117,000 copies in the United States since its January release.

"Resolution" sold around 52,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Wrath", opened with around 68,000 units back in March 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. This figure was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by 2006's "Sacrament", which shifted around 63,000 units to debut at No. 8. It also represented almost double the amount of records sold by its predecessor, "Ashes Of The Wake", which premiered with 35,000 copies in September 2004.

"Resolution" was released in the U.S. via Epic and internationally through Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at various studios in Virginia and New York with producer Josh Wilbur, who worked on the band's last effort, 2009's "Wrath".

"Resolution" features 14 songs and comes in a digipack with artwork by longtime art director Ken Adams.

"Resolution" track listing:

01. Straight For The Sun
02. Desolation
03. Ghost Walking
04. Guilty
05. The Undertow
06. The Number Six
07. Barbarosa
08. Invictus
09. Cheated
10. Insurrection
11. Terminally Unique
12. To The End
13. Visitation
14. King Me

Hal Leonard has released the official, note-for-note matching guitar tab book for "Resolution". It is now available for purchase from MusicDispatch.com.

Audio snippets of four songs that will appear on "Band Of Brothers", the third album from the metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN), Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE), Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. Due on July 17 via the band's new label home, Eleven Seven Music, the CD was recorded in Dallas, Texas at Vinnie Paul's home studio, VP's Upstairs Studio, and was produced by the band and Jeremy Parker (GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE), who also served as engineer.

"Band Of Brothers" track listing:

01. War In Me
02. Band Of Brothers
03. Rage/Burn
04. Drink Drank Drunk
05. Bigger God
06. Between You And Nowhere
07. Call It
08. Why Does It Always
09. WM Free
10. Dig Myself A Hole
11. What It Takes To Be Me

The "Band Of Brothers" video was filmed on March 26 at Loyal Studios in Burbank, California with director David Brodsky of MyGoodEye, who has previously worked with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, GOATWHORE, MUNICIPAL WASTE and SUFFOCATION, among many others.

Having produced track after track of heavy-hitting, in-your-face, feel-good rock and roll on their previous two albums (2010's "Stampede" and 2007's self-titled debut), HELLYEAH takes a slightly different musical direction on "Band Of Brothers". Drawing on their former bands' collective metal roots for inspiration, the influences and style of MUDVAYNE, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN and NOTHINGFACE are immediately recognizable in tracks such as "Band Of Brothers", "War In Me" and "Rage Burn", while the party anthem "Drink, Drank, Drunk" retains the essence of earlier HELLYEAH.

Commented HELLYEAH singer Chad Gray, "I'm really excited about what we've done on this new album. I've always separated MUDVAYNE and HELLYEAH as much as I could, even though it was my voice. Melodies, lyrics and just the overall style of writing were different. With 'Band Of Brothers', I just quit being afraid of who I am in relation to this band. I think we've all really gotten back to the original roots of what we've done individually and brought it together on this album. As an artist, as long as you're painting with your own brush, no one can compare or challenge you. I just painted with a bigger, heavier brush than I had with HELLYEAH in the past. I think this is what fans have always expected to hear from us, and now were giving it to them."

In a recent interview with Loudwire, Vinnie stated about "Band Of Brothers", "On our first two records, we were a new band. We really wanted to branch out and expand and experiment with all different styles. We all come from traditional metal bands and backgrounds, so it was a great breath of fresh air to play in a band that was rock 'n' roll, blues and Southern rock. We got that out of our system and got really focused on going back to our metal roots. It's heavy, focused, groove-oriented and I'm excited about it."

"Band Of Brothers" audio snippets:

"Scarlet", a brand new song from Maryland-based experimental, progressive metallers PERIPHERY, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the band's highly anticipated sophomore album, "Periphery II: This Time It's Personal", which is scheduled for release in North America on July 3 via Sumerian Records and in Europe on July 16 through Century Media Records. The CD will feature guest appearances by John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER), Guthrie Govan (THE ARISTOCRATS) and Wes Hauch (THE FACELESS).

Commented PERIPHERY guitarist Misha Mansoor: "We put so much hard work and time into this album and we thank all of you for your continued support and patience. The album clocks in at sixty-nine minutes exactly and has tons of brand new material, so I assure you it is well worth the wait."

"Periphery II: This Time It's Personal" track listing:

01. Muramasa
02. Have A Blast (feat. Guthrie Govan)
03. Facepalm Mute
04. Ji
05. Scarlet
06. Luck As A Constant
07. Ragnarok
08. The Gods Must Be Crazy!
09. Make Total Destroy
10. Erised (feat. John Petrucci)
11. Epoch
12. Froggin' Bullfish
13. Mile Zero (feat. Wes Hauch)
14. Masamune

PERIPHERY supported DREAM THEATER for two U.S. shows last October and a full-length European tour in January and February.

Bassist Tom Murphy last year announced his departure from PERIPHERY "to pursue something new." Adam "Nolly" Getgood of RED SEAS FIRE has been filling in on bass while Mark Holcomb took up his position as the full-time guitarist on the band's most recent tour.

"Scarlet" audio stream:

Quality fan-filmed video footage of FEAR FACTORY's June 14 performance at Atak in Enschede, Holland can be seen 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.

FEAR FACTORY's 2005 CD, "Transgression", registered a first-week tally of 19,000 back in August 2005 to enter the chart at No. 45. This was substantially less than the first-week number registered by its predecessor, "Archetype", which sold 32,000 copies back in April 2004 to debut on the Billboard chart at No. 30.

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 will be available on three formats — standard CD, a limited edition deluxe digi-book (featuring two additional songs), and 180-gram double vinyl.

"The Industrialist" again pairs FEAR FACTORY with producer Rhys Fulber. Mixed by Greg Reely (PARADISE LOST, SKINNY PUPPY, MACHINE HEAD), with additional tracking by Logan Mader (GOJIRA, DIVINE HERESY), the album is the second written by Bell and guitarist Dino Cazares since reuniting in 2009 after a seven-year split.

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.

DIAMOND BABY — the new project featuring former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum (a.k.a. Baron Von Storm), Matt's longtime girlfriend Ace Harper (a.k.a. Ace Of Diamonds) on lead vocals, Lisa The Lover on keyboards, Mr. Fitz on bass and Duke Oz on guitar — made its live debut on May 24 at The Viper Room in West Hollywood, California. Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

DIAMOND BABY is streaming seven songs on its official web site:

* Explode
* The Last Rockstar
* Only The Lonely
* Casual Hearts
* Temptation
* Friction
* Devil's Lil Rebel

The bands we remember are always sexy, dangerous, unpredictable, and wildly over the top. Electro-rock group DIAMOND BABY is all that and more. With their debut single, "The Last Rockstar", DIAMOND BABY are throwing the ultimate 21st century sonic soiree, and everyone is invited.

"The Last Rockstar" is quite the event. Sliding from a swaggering beat into seductive crooning, the tune resounds with an anthemic and propulsive prowess. The track officially hits iTunes in late August. However, DIAMOND BABY released the music video for the danceable "The Last Rockstar" online, and it immediately went viral racking up over 100,000 views in a few days.

With "Glee" star Jane Lynch, iconic actress Juliette Lewis, Verne Troyer, and MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy Kilmister showing up to the party, the video showcases DIAMOND BABY rocking in front of a packed crowd of gorgeous faces, while introducing each of the characters that make up the quintet.

"The whole concept of DIAMOND BABY is Studio 54 meets '80s decadence and New Wave," reveals Ace Of Diamonds. "We wanted to bring that glitz and glamour back. It's an experience."

That experience has been lauded and shared online by the likes of Perez Hilton and Rolling Stone. However, it really comes to life on the group's forthcoming full-length album (exact release date to be announced).

Ace Of Diamonds goes on, "The undertone of everything is very sexy and celebratory. It's okay to escape into music. This is about accepting who you are and going for what you really want in life. You've got one shot, so take it, go for it."

DIAMOND BABY have certainly gone big on their debut tune, but with their larger-than-life alter egos and even larger theatrical panache, they're going to shine. "The visual aspect of the band is crucial," she adds. "Everyone has an alter ego, and it's all part of the show."

Von Storm echoes that sentiment, "It's time to experiment and have a good time again."

Norwegian metallers KRÅKE will release their new album, "Conquering Death", on June 29 via Indie Recordings. The cover artwork for the CD can be seen below.

"Conquering Death" track listing:

01. A Murder Of Crows
02. And A Colder Breed
03. Hearts Blood
04. Ed
05. The Great Leviathan
06. Beneath Black Waters
07. Victorious, I
08. The Gatekeeper
09. Snowfall
10. I Ly As Lyset

The song "Victorious, I" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

Original founders and brothers, Dreugh and Beist, conceived KRÅKE in 2007. From the brothers hailing from Kopervik on the west coast of Norway, the idea was to create the best possible symphonic and atmospheric black metal they could possibly achieve. It took five years to turn their vision into reality, but the result is nothing short of impressive.

KRÅKE is Norwegian for "crow," an animal known as a mythical creature throughout history and cultures especially as a herald of woe, a sign of death, but also wisdom. Inspired by this, the band strives to compose music that covers a wide variety of emotions, from anger and pride to anguish and despair. Inspiration is also sought from any source better enabling them to produce the music they want to create, be it classical and soundtrack music, literature and nature imagery. The lyrical themes are based around the darker aspects of life and the certainty of death. As for the actual music, you will find links to bands like DIMMU BORGIR, OLD MAN'S CHILD, BAL-SAGOTH and even bands like TYPE O NEGATIVE.

Norwegian thrashers TANTARA will release their debut album, "Based On Evil", on August 24. The CD was recorded in July 2011 with producer Flemming Rasmussen (METALLICA, MORBID ANGEL) at ARK Recording Studios and Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"Based On Evil" track listing:

01. Based On Evil
02. Mass Murder
03. Negligible Souls
04. The Debate
05. Human Mutation
06. Trapped In Bodies
07. Prejudice Of Violence
08. Killing Of Mother Earth

TANTARA will release a seven-inch vinyl single, "Based On Evil", on June 29 contaning the title track and the previously unreleased song "Court Justice". It will be strictly limited to 300 copies and only available in certain online stores.

TANTARA will embark on the Norwegian "Thrash 'Till Death Tour 2012" in October with FORGERY and HARM. The kick-off party will take place on May 19 at Gamla in Oslo.

TANTARA is a young Norwegian thrash metal band, mainly from Vestfold. The band saw the light in September 2009 when drummer Stian Sannerud and rhythm guitarist Fredrik Bjerkø decided to take their "talent show" project to a new level. The two musicians recruited Per Semb as their lead guitarist. In April 2011, the Swedish bass virtuoso Max Warnby joined TANTARA after an impressing performance at one of the band's concerts, where he played as a stand-in.

TANTARA's influences consist mostly of old-school thrash metal bands like HEATHEN, ANTHRAX, EXODUS, MEGADETH, SLAYER, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, VIO-LENCE and METALLICA.

In August 2010, TANTARA recorded its first EP, which came out later that same year.

DEF LEPPARD performed live on the morning television show "Fox & Friends" (Fox News channel) Summer Concert Series earlier today (Friday, June 15).

* Hysteria
* All About Believin'
* Animal
* Rock Of Ages
* Pour Some Sugar On Me
* Foolin'

Video footage of the "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "All About Believin'" performances can be seen below.

To celebrate the summer of "Rock Of Ages", DEF LEPPARD has recorded new versions of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Rock Of Ages". The songs are available worldwide on iTunes, Amazon, and all other digital music retailers.

DEF LEPPARD will make a return to the United States this June with a massive summer tour which will include fellow rockers POISON and LITA FORD.

earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based rock branch of Edel Group, has set an August 24 release date for "Act I", the new concert CD, DVD and Blu-ray from former NIGHTWISH vocalist Tarja Turunen. The effort was recorded on March 30 and March 31 at Teatro El Círculo in Rosario, Argentina. Each of the two shows featured a different setlist with the exception of five songs, including three tracks from Tarja's time with her previous band ("Nemo", "The Phantom Of The Opera" and "Over The Hills And Far Away").

With the elaborate track listing and its extras, "Act I" provides the full-fledged bill of fare to either Tarja fan. The track listing consists of Tarja's greatest solo tracks, NIGHTWISH classics as well as some cover versions. In addition, "Act I" features two brand new tracks by the Finnish soprano: "Into The Sun" and "Never Enough". "Into The Sun" will be released as a single on August 24.

Says Turunen: "Those two nights in Rosario were a huge emotional drive to me personally." The artist herself admits, she "was many times ready to burst into tears."

In other news, Tarja is in pre-production for her third solo album, which is expected to be released sometime next year. She says, "I have 25 songs where to choose the best ones for the album. Some of the musicians are already working on them with me."

Tarja's sophomore solo album, "What Lies Beneath", sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 24 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.

"What Lies Beneath" was released in North America on September 14, 2010 via The End Records.

During a live chat with fans today, PAPA ROACH officially announced they will release their sixth full length studio album on October 2nd. The chat was hosted on the band's website and saw frontman Jacoby Shaddix, guitarist Jerry Horton, bassist Tobin Esperance and drummer Tony Palermo interact with fans from around the world while sitting in MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee's Atrium Studio.

The new album was recorded at the band's hometown studio, The Red House in Sacramento, CA and was produced by rock veteran James Michael (SIXX:A.M., HALESTORM). The album title and track listing have yet to be announced.

"We wanted to make a dynamic and explosive record that captures the raw emotions of life. We also wanted to incorporate the biological sounds of rock with a digital edge to have a fresh sound. This is our own version of what we think the radio should sound like. This is the soundtrack to my life and once again I went through some dark shit and came through thanks to the music," says Jacoby Shaddix.