German metal queen Doro Pesch has set "Raise Your Fist" as the title of her new album, due in the fall via Nuclear Blast Records. An EP, "Raise Your Fist In The Air", will precede the full-length effort on August 3.

"Raise Your Fist" was recorded and written in the U.S., Germany, and Scandinavia. Doro says, "Right now we're in the mixing stages and are close to finishing everything. Most important to me are the power hymns 'Raise Your Fist In The Air' and 'Victory', which will also be available on the forthcoming EP! Both songs have been played live on our last tour and also made last year's Wacken Open Air shake! 'Raise Your Fist In The Air' will also be available in French… which is going to be very interesting. For the diehard fans of German songs like 'Für Immer' ['Forever'], there are two songs in the same vein — sensitive and quite dark 'Human Rights' and the very emotional 'Engel' ['Angel']. There are also a lot of fast songs like 'Little Headbanger' and various fist-pumping ones featuring amazing guests like Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND) on 'Last Man Standing' which fans will for sure dig live. We also have a song that honors the late Ronnie James Dio called 'Hero' and another highlight named 'It Still Hurts' featuring MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy Kilmister. The cover artwork has once again been created by British artist Geoffrey Gillespie who is a close friend and companion since he made it into the Guinness Book Of World Records for his 'Triumph And Agony' cover as the biggest album cover in the world. Since then, he's done ten covers for us!"

The "Raise Your Fist In The Air" EP will be made available on CD, vinyl and as a digital download.

"Raise Your Fist In The Air" EP track listing:

01. Raise Your Fist In The Air
02. Victory
03. Engel
04. Lève Ton Poing Vers Le Ciel

In a 2011 interview with Canada's XplosiveMetal.com, Pesch spoke about the song "Raise Your Fist In The Air" which she played for the first time at last year's Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany. ""It got great feedback [from the Wacken audience]. . . . It was originally written by a Wacken fan, a metalhead, and then I did my own thing to it. It was actually a diehard Wacken fan who did a demo and sent it to the promoter. He sent it to me and said, 'Hey, how about we make a Wacken anthem and here's an idea from a diehard Wacken fan.' I listened to it and thought, 'Hey, that's great.' Then we worked on it and continued working on it. Just to tell you how that song came about, it was a collaboration with a diehard fan and it was actually really good. Sometimes the fans have the best ideas. It was so dead-on."

Fan-filmed video footage of Doro performing the song "Raise Your Fist In The Air" on October 1, 2011 at the Milk club in Moscow, Russia and October 22, 2011 at the Metal Female Voices Fest IX, held at the Oktoberhallen in Wieze, Belgium, can be seen below.

During a 2011 interview with Metal Kaoz, Pesch was asked about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for her next studio album. "I think we have completed 80 percent of the new record and there are some great songs coming up," she replied. "Actually, one song is dedicated to Ronnie James Dio and the working title is 'Hero'. That's a very special song. I was a big Dio fan and I know that there are so many fans out there are missing him so much, so definitely this song will be on the new record. Also they will be some speed metal songs, some anthems songs and, of course, some power ballads."

In conjunction with the Stateside release of the mammoth "25 Years In Rock" 2 DVD/CD set, Doro performed two special shows in New York City on September 9, 2011 and Chicago on September 11, 2011. Both nights included clips from the DVD, limited edition merchandise and an autograph session followed by a performance by the metal queen herself.

Released in Europe in 2010 (also via Nuclear Blast), the epic "25 Years In Rock" two-DVD/CD set includes Doro's 25-year anniversary show in its entirety as well as clips from her 2,500th concert and so much more.

"Fear No Evil", the latest album from Pesch, was made available in North America in June 2009 via AFM/Dismanic/Ryko Distribution.

"Raise Your Fist" album cover:

A trailer for the limited-edition bundle for "Harakiri", the new studio album from singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet and political activist Serj Tankian, can be seen below.

The bundle includes:

* "Harakiri" on CD
* 18" x 24" limited-edition lithograph poster
* Download of two bonus tracks that will be delivered on July 10
* Instant download of the new single "Figure It Out"

"Harakiri" will be released July 10 on Reprise Records/Serjical Strike. The official lyric video for the first single, "Figure It Out", is available below. Also available is the CD cover art.

"Harakiri", a Japanese word meaning ritual suicide, is the follow-up to 2010's critically acclaimed "Imperfect Harmonies", and the third solo release from the SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman. As with 2007's "Elect The Dead" and "Imperfect Harmonies", Serj produced "Harakiri" himself at his home studio in Los Angeles. He tried to approach writing a little differently this time around. "I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record," explains Serj. "We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results." The album will also feature performances by Serj's touring band, THE F.C.C. — Dan Monti on guitar, Mario Pagliarulo on bass, and Troy Zeigler on drums. Dan Monti is also co-mixing and co-engineering the album with Serj. The album was mastered by Vlado Meller (METALLICA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, KANYE WEST, BEASTIE BOYS).

Much of the new record was written in 2011, which was an incredibly busy year for the diversely talented musician and what Serj describes as "the busiest, most productive year of my life so far." In February, the rock musical "Prometheus Bound", which he composed all of the music for, opened at the Oberon Theater at Harvard in Boston to rave reviews. 2011 also saw Serj release his second poetry book, "Glaring Through Oblivion". He toured with SYSTEM OF A DOWN across three continents, performed with the Opera Orchestra in Yerevan, Armenia, where he also had political meetings with heads of state and hosted non-profit events. He then performed his first ever concert in Lebanon, the place of his birth, with the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra. When he returned to the U.S., he finished writing four records: a jazz record, an electronic record he wrote with his friend Jimmy Urine of MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE, a full classical symphony called "Orca", and the new solo rock record that he is currently mastering.

"The year 2011 started with a fire. Some kids in Piha, New Zealand were setting off fireworks that landed on my neighbor's property and lit the whole hill on fire. I knew it was going to be a hell of a year and it certainly was," says Tankian. "Within five days of that, reports came out about birds and fish dying in massive numbers globally. The omen was not lost on me. Varied creatures on earth were committing massive hara-kiri (the Japanese term signifying ritualistic suicide.) Do they know something we don't about the coming times or the sustainability of the environment? That is the day I started writing this record."

The symbolism of entire species eradicating themselves on a large scale struck Serj emotionally, and is an underlying theme on the entire record. He took that idea and went to work writing, incorporating all of the experiences of his chaotic year to make a different kind of record. "The record is different than any I've made as a solo artist," he says. "It is much more driving and punk-oriented, with influences ranging from goth to electronic to '80s vibes, dynamically heavy rock to epic melodic songs. Lyrically, it spans the gauntlet of themes from personal, political and philosophical to spiritual, humor and love."

He also tried to approach writing a little differently this time around. "I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record," he says. "We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results."

Legendary Swedish doom metallers CANDLEMASS will release their 11th and final album, "Psalms For The Dead", on June 8 via Napalm Records. A limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single contaning two album tracks —"Dancing In The Temple Of The Mad Queen Bee" and "The Killing Of The Sun" — preceded the full-length effort on April 13.

CANDLEMASS will celebrate the release of the new album with June 5 performance at Debaser Slussen in Stockholm, Sweden. The band will play a full set that will contain songs from the new CD, a few surprises and some classics.

"Psalms For The Dead" track listing:

01. Prophet
02. The Sound Of Dying Demons
03. Dancing In The Temple (Of The Mad Queen Bee)
04. Waterwitch
05. The Lights Of Thebe
06. Psalms For The Dead
07. The Killing Of The Sun
08. Siren Song
09. Black As Time
10. Sadness Runs Deep (7" bonus single)
11. Beneath The Fire (7" bonus single)

"This record represents everything that is CANDLEMASS," Leif Edling states. "It is big, fat, epic and heavy, and it’s also metal as fuck! We couldn't have done a better album! It's our last one and we put just all we had into it. 'Psalms For The Dead' is an album about the presence and absence of time, false prophets and inner demons....hymns, regret and farewell. Let there be doom!"

Despite the fact that "Psalms For The Dead" is being billed as CANDLEMASS' final studio album, Edling told Terrorizer magazine in a recent interview that the group is not planning on hanging it up anytime soon.

"We're not splitting up," he said. "Yes, this is to be our last album, but we don't plan to disappear from the scene for quite awhile. We will tour this year, hopefully the next one as well, and then there's our upcoming 30th anniversary. So plenty more doom to come! It's just that we want to stop before we get too old and start putting out half-lame albums. Instead, we'll slowly fade away into the sunset with our dignity intact. We're not young anymore. Actually, some of the stuff I've been writing for this album ism in fact, about saying goodbye. It's a bit psalm-like in parts and has got a big epic vibe."

He added, "I have got a very good feeling about this album. It's so metal, so heavy, so doomy, so epic.. It's fucking colossal! I think this will turn out as good as [2009's] 'Death Magic Doom', something I thought would be impossible."

On May 16, Natalie of Natalie's World conducted an interview with Leif Edling. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, STEVE VAI, LAMB OF GOD, DARKEST HOUR, GWAR) played four shows in London in November 2011 dedicated to his tetralogy album concept — a great journey through Devin's different states of musical moods — which he started in 2009 with the albums "Addicted" (2009) and "Ki" (2009) and finished with last year's "Deconstruction" and "Ghost". The concerts were professionally recorded and filmed for a unique box-set release, which he has decided to call "By A Thread - Live in London 2011".

Due on June 18 in Europe and June 19 in North America through HevyDevy Records/InsideOut Music, "By A Thread - Live in London 2011" will contain all four shows on four DVDs, plus a five-CD set (the four albums and one disc with all of the encores).

A one-minute trailer for "By A Thread - Live in London 2011" can be seen below.

An official pre-release screening event will held on June 5 at the Prince Charles Cinema in London where, over the course of three to four hours, Devin himself will talk all attendees through a summary of all that the DVDs have to offer. Only a limited number of first-come-first-served tickets will be available to a lucky crowd of 250 people. Lucky, because besides being the first to see the DVD they will also have the exclusive opportunity to be the first to purchase the DVD box set two weeks before anyone else can have it. And it'll be signed, no less!

Commented Devin: "The amount of work and memory that went into that event has been captured by an even more herculean event by the folks making the DVDs, and finally I get to see what we did those nights! It's another situation of releasing a product that we think is really cool, and have gone the extra distance to make it worth your while if you're the type that supports by buying physical product... it's great! So if you weren't there, this is as close as you can get... please enjoy and maybe I'll meet you at the screening!"

The screening will be held on Tuesday, June 5 from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and tickets are £15 each. Tickets can be purchased at the Prince Charles Cinema via this link. The screening event will be followed up with two acoustic solo shows on June 6 and June 7, both held at London's The Borderline. And then Devin is off to headline the third stage at the Download festival on Friday, June 8.

Die Folk Metal Band WAYLANDER aus Irland, wird ihr neues Album mit dem Titel "Kindred Spirits" am 16. Juli 2012 in Europa und am 14. August in den USA Listenable Records veröffentlichen. Aufgenommen und Produziert wurde das Album in den Finnvox Studios in Finnland.

"Kindred Spirits" Track List:

01. Echoes Of The Sidhe
02. Lámh Dearg
03. Twin Fires Of Beltíne
04. Of Fear And Fury
05. Grave Of Giants
06. A Path Well Trodden
07. Quest For Immortality
08. Erdath
09. Kindred Spirits

Canadian female-fronted metal band KOBRA AND THE LOTUS will release its new album in the U.K. on August 6. The CD's first single, "Forever One", will precede the full-length effort on May 28. A video for the song will make its online debut on Monday, May 21.

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS last year inked a deal with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons' revived Simmons Records label via a partnership with Universal Music Canada. Simmons confirmed the signing on his Twitter profile, calling KOBRA AND THE LOTUS "real metal."

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS' debut album, "Out Of The Pit", produced by Kevin Shirley, was launched in March 2010. In the following 16 months, the band performed 168 gigs, across five countries, including seven festival stages. The second album was produced by Kevin Churko (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, OZZY OSBOURNE), along with Julius "Juice" Butty. A video for the song "Welcome To My Funeral" points to an undisputed evolution in the band; the music is stronger, meaner and heavier.

"Touring for 'Out Of The Pit' had a huge influence on us in terms of realizing which direction we wanted the new music to take," says singer Brittany Paige. "We really wanted to create new music that would portray the large amount of energy we put forward in a live performance."

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS is:

Brittany Paige - Vocals
Jasio Kulakowski - Guitar
Griffin Kissack - Drums
Peter Dimov - Bass
Timothy Vega - Guitar

Innovative, compelling and unique! Van Canto's fourth album once again confirms that guitars are not necessary to deliver first-class metal.
"Break the Silence" reflects the German sextet's newfound confidence and experience gained by their previous albums' chart entry and the many live performances that followed. The band's main focus centers around sweeping original compositions, in which the vocal acrobats only enlist the help of the drums. "If I Die in Battle", "The Higher Flight", and "Neuer Wind" show off the mature and extraordinary qualities of the band: appeal and power.
Staying true to tradition, Van Canto also delivers several cover songs ("Primo Victoria", "Bed of Nails", and "Master of the Wind"), as well as illustrious guests appearances. Marcus Siepen (Blind Guardian) can be heard playing the acoustic guitar on the ballad "Spelled in Waters", while Sabaton frontman Joakim Broden steps up to the mic on "Primo Victoria" to give his
band's hit authenticity. The limited edition digipack also includes a
bonus cover song ("Bad to the Bone" by Running Wild). In addition, the
track "Betrayed" features a symphonic "metal-a-cappella" piece with orchestral support, while "A Storm to Come" unveils an exclusive bonus: the first song from "Peer Returns", the Van Canto Crossmedia-Projekt to premiere at the end of this year. "Break the Silence" captivates with strong songwriting and a novel implementation. A cappella metal! Metal like no other!

Multi-camera video footage of British hard rock legends UFO performing the new track "Wonderland" on May 15 at Le Forum in Vauréal (near Paris), France can be seen below.

UFO released its new album, "Seven Deadly", on February 28 (one day earlier internationally) via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort, which was recorded with producer Tommy Newton at his Area 51 studio in Celle, Germany, was made available as a limited-edition digipack (including two bonus tracks), a double gatefold LP with printed innersleeves and colored vinyl, standard-edition CD and as a digital download.

"Seven Deadly" track listing:

01. Fight Night
02. Wonderland
03. Mojo Town
04. Angel Station
05. Year Of The Gun
06. The Last Stone Rider
07. Steal Yourself
08. Burn Your House Down
09. The Fear
10. Waving Good Bye
11. Other Men's Wives (bonus track)
12. Bag O' Blues (bonus track)

According to a press release, "Seven Deadly" is "an atmospherically dense fabric consisting of classy guitars, tight rock grooves and vocals which are unique to UFO. The classic rock of 'Burn Your House Down' features all the important UFO strengths, 'Going Down To Mojotown' sees the musicians sound tougher than ever, and last but not least, 'Wonderland' features a pointed reference to UFO's early days. 'Angel Station' sees the band prove how classic rock music is complemented perfectly with epic elements, while 'Fight Night' is an excellent track to be performed in a live context."

The current UFO lineup continues to consist of the three original members, Phil Mogg (vocals), Paul Raymond (guitar, keyboards), and Andy Parker (drums), as well as American world-class guitarist Vinnie Moore.

Video footage of SIX HOUR SUNDOWN, the U.K.-based rock band fronted by Lauren Harris — daughter of legendary IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris — performing at a Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society charity concert on April 22 at The Green Star in Smallthorne, Stoke-on-Trent, U.K. can be seen 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.

Danish melodic death metallers MERCENARY are currently in pre-production for their seventh album, which they hope to begin recording later in the year.

A six-minute video clip documenting MERCENARY's March 2012 visit to Russia alongside fellow Danish thrashers HATEPSHERE can be seen below.

MERCENARY's sixth album "Metamorphosis", entered the official chart in Denmark at position No. 42. The CD was released in the U.S. in March 2011 via Prosthetic Records.

"Metamorphosis" was produced by Jacob Hansen (RAUNCHY, VOLBEAT, NIGHTRAGE, HATESPHERE, PYRAMAZE).

A track-by-track breakdown of the album by René Pedersen and guitarist Jakob Mølbjerg can be found at this location.

A review of "Metamorphosis" by TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy can be found at this location.

MERCENARY is:

Jakob Mølbjerg - Guitar
René Pedersen - Bass, Vocals
Martin Buus - Lead Guitar
Morten Løwe Sørensen - Drums

The details on the anticipated new album from Milwaukee-based extreme hardcore/metal crossover killers ENABLER are in. The band's first release for Southern Lord Recordings, "All Hail The Void" is at the pressing plant being prepared for a July 17 North American street date.

Coalescing energetic and dynamic elements of hardcore, punk, crust and death metal into their own brutal brew, ENABLER have amassed a fanatical fanbase through last year's "Year One" CD, multiple EPs and split releases with DRAINLAND, AMBASSADOR GUN and YAUTJA and more over the last few years, not to mention the countless regional live shows, tours and festival appearances.

Recorded and engineered by guitarist Greg Thomas, "All Hail The Void" surges with the most enraged talent from this destructive outfit to date, unwavering in its 35-minute rampage. The album's original artwork and layout was commissioned to be handled by Jimpaler, who has handled similar duties for several previous ENABLER releases.

"All Hail The Void" track listing:

01. F.A.T.H.
02. The Heathens
03. Speechless
04. Fuck Today
05. False Profit
06. All Hail The Void
07. True Love
08. They Live, We Sleep
09. No Deliverance
10. Save Yourself
11. Trust
12. Funeral Dirge

Always on the go, ENABLER are currently on tour in the Midwest U.S., including shows with NORTHLESS, RINGWORM and more scheduled through the rest of the month. Following that, ENABLER have been announced as one of the core acts confirmed for this summer's Southern Lord package tour. The trek runs through the country for nearly a month, with ENABLER hitting the stage every night alongside labelmates BURNING LOVE, MARTYRDÖD and headliners BLACK BREATH, with POISON IDEA, NOOTHGRUSH, PELICAN, POWER TRIP, WILD//TRIBE, DEAD IN THE DIRT, THE SECRET and more performing regionally throughout the tour.

Founded by guitarist/vocalist Jeff Lohrber (HARLOTS, EYES UPON SEPARATION, TRAP THEM, TODAY IS THE DAY, SHAI HULUD), the ENABLER lineup is rounded out by guitarist Greg Thomas (MISERY SIGNALS, SHAI HULUD, THE RISK TAKEN), bassist Amanda Daniels and drummer Andy Hurley (RACETRAITOR, KILL THE SLAVEMASTER, FALLOUT BOY, THE DAMNED THINGS, EARTH CRISIS).

Former SAIGON KICK guitarist and vocalist Jason Bieler has just released two songs from his new project entitled OWL STRETCHING. The first songs released include the iconoclastic "All At Once" and the cinematic "Satellite", both of which can be streamed and downloaded below.

After a brilliant ten-plus-year run with SAIGON KICK, Jason changed his focus and spent the last few years producing bands like SKINDRED, SIKTH and NONPOINT at Bieler Bros. Studios alongside head engineer Matt LaPlant. Jason has also co-founded the indie label powerhouse Bieler Bros. Records (KARNIVOOL, FICTION PLANE, DEATHSTARS, A SILENT FILM, WILL HAVEN and many more). Jason has written, produced and performed on releases that have sold into the millions. He has also composed for major film soundtracks like "American Pie", "Miami Vice", "Sky High" and more.

OWL STRETCHING finds Jason truly in a "lunatics running the asylum" scenario.

"SAIGON was always penalized for being way too diverse," says Jason. "At the time, the industry couldn't fit us in any of their nice little marketing compartments. So learning life lessons from that I have created an even more musically diverse endeavor."

OWL STRETCHING has created its own perfect world — no rules or structure and certainly no plans beyond today.

BATTLELORE Timo Honkanen recently contacted BW&BK to announce the launch of his new band project dubbed, DARK ELITE. They have released their first promotional EP, available for free download. Full length tracks can be heard using the audio player below.

The tracks can be downloaded for free at www.dark-elite.net.

Dark Elite is:
T. Honkanen - guitars
H. Hyytiäinen - bass
E. Keränen - vocals
E. A. - drums

Songs are composed produced by Honkanen, recorded by Honkanen and Hyytiäinen, mixed and mastered by Hyytiäinen.

"Stones Grow Her Name", the new album from Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA, is available for streaming in its entirety at this location. Released in Europe on May 18 and due in North America on May 22 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was recorded in several studios all over Finland, mixed at Sonic Pump Studios by Mikko Karmila and mastered at Chartmakers by Svante Forsbäck. The effort will be released as a limited-edition digipak, standard jewel case, vinyl and download.

"Stones Grow Her Name" track listing:

01. Only The Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)
02. Shitload of Money
03. Losing My Insanity
04. Somewhere Close To You
05. I Have A Right
06. Alone In Heaven
07. The Day
08. Cinderblox
09. Don't Be Mean
10. Wildfire II
11. Wildfire III

The "I Have A Right" video can be seen below.

Commented SONATA ARCTICA frontman Tony Kakko: "'I Have A Right' was the very last song I wrote for this album. At that point Tommy had already played his last track for 'Stones Grow Her Name', gotten ready to go to sauna AND opened his first beer for that night, when I SMS'd him to check his e-mail and record yet one more 'easy track.' He was mildly pissed. And perhaps fueled by that he nailed the song on the first take. It was a very emotional moment for him, I was told. The song hits home, if you know the subject and can relate to the subject. To put it short, it's a song about how we should not pass the burden we get from the past generation on the shoulders of our future offspring. Children's rights subject. Not the most metal subject ever, I suppose, but then again I think it fits our band well and is pretty universal. Funny to actually have fans from each age group this songs speaks about. Let's see what comes of it.

"Choosing the first single and video from this album was not very easy this time around as we had so many candidates. The best possible problem to have! 'I Have A Right' won the vote.

"The playing parts for this video were shot in our home town Kemi, here in Finland. The location was an old, abandoned school building. Somehow spooky and COLD. It was mid-March. Could say we were lucky the weather was unseasonably warm, yet way below zero.

"Director Tuukka Temonen and his crew did a great job with editing and all the additional footage. All in all, from my point of view, this was the easiest ever SONATA ARCTICA video to make. No 12 hours standing in a room filled with bird shit, no freezing my ass off on the ice in the middle of the sea from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., or running in the woods in the middle of the night and not sleeping for 48 hours... had all that with the past videos."

Making of "Stones Grow Her Name" - part 3:

German power metallers GRAVE DIGGER will release their new album on August 24 in Europe and September 4 in North America via Napalm Records. A six-song mini-CD will precede the full-length effort on July 27 in Europe and August 7 in North America.

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.

Jake Serd of the band DEGRADE THE SIGNAL and the Danville, Illinois radio station 94.9 K-Rock recently conducted an interview with former SOIL and current DIRGE WITHIN guitarist Shaun Glass. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

When asked why he, as a founding member of SOIL, isn't involved in the current reunion of the band's original lineup, Glass said, "There's a lot of reasons. Mainly, yes, [it's] because I am focused on DIRGE WITHIN. And I'm way more into this band. And I think that my work ethic and their ethic are very different, to be polite. And I think that we just grew apart as people, man. It's like a marriage — not every girlfriend or wife you were with you want to still be with. It's kind of like I don't wanna go back to that girlfriend. Imagine living with her and playing with her and going to work with her, but you don't want to be with her anymore. And to be brutally honest, I really, really like DIRGE WITHIN. My heart is more into this music and this style and what I created from scratch. And I think that's more me. Life is about evolving and changing and not always going backwards. Some people like the past. Me, I'm proud of my past, but I like to move and progress and grow. Dude, we're only so long on this Earth and I don't want to wear the same pair of pants I wore in high school."

Interview (audio):

On June 19, Deadline Music/Cleopatra Records will release a special three-disc audio/video deluxe collection of LYNCH MOB's "REvolution". The set features the full-length studio album "REvolution" with killer, supercharged renditions of classic DOKKEN/LYNCH MOB tracks such as "Tooth And Nail", "Breaking The Chains", "Wicked Sensation" and more. It also includes professionally filmed live performances recorded during the 2005 "REvolution" tour, mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound.

George "Mr. Scary" Lynch cemented his legendary role in the heavy music community in the early 1980s when he joined forces with Don Dokken. For almost a decade with DOKKEN, Lynch was able to develop a groundbreaking brand of guitar virtuoso that would also earn a Grammy nomination. In the early 1990s, Lynch launched his own project, LYNCH MOB, which released several well-received records in between Lynch's eclectic other solo works. But in 2003, the MOB reassembled to rework DOKKEN and LYNCH MOB material. The result was a decidedly darker, heavier, and very experimental reinvention that fans of all iterations of George Lynch appreciated. They took it on the road for a series of fierce concerts that left audiences jaw-dropped at the band's creative live presentation

Along with the legendary George Lynch on guitar, this iteration of LYNCH MOB features the return of Robert Mason on vocals after nearly a decade absence, original bassist Anthony Esposito, and Michael Frowein on drums.

"REvolution: Deluxe Collection" track listing:

Disc 1: REvolution

01. Tooth And Nail
02. Tangled In The Web
03. All I Want
04. Kiss Of Death
05. She's Evil But She's Mine
06. Relax
07. Cold Is The Heart
08. Breaking The Chains
09. When Darkness Calls
10. River Of Love
11. Wicked Sensation
12. Paris Is Burning
13. The Secret

Disc 2: REvolution Live! CD

01. Intro
02. Paris Is Burning
03. Dance Of The Dogs
04. Tangled In The Web
05. All I Want
06. Kiss Of Death
07. She's Evil But She's Mine
08. Cold Is The Heart
09. When Darkness Calls
10. River Of Love
11. Rain
12. Hell Child
13. Breaking The Chains
14. Wicked Sensation
15. Tooth And Nail

Disc 3: REvolution Live! DVD

01. Paris Is Burning
02. Dance Of The Dogs
03. Tangled In The Web
04. All I Want
05. Kiss Of Death
06. She's Evil But She's Mine
07. Cold Is The Heart
08. When Darkness Calls
09. River Of Love
10. Hell Child
11. Breaking The Chains
12. Wicked Sensation
13. Tooth And Nail
14. Rain (bonus track)

Italian thrashers MERENDINE have inked a deal with Germany's Metalville Records. The band's fourth full-length album, "New World Disorder", will be released in June.

MERENDINE, who are based in Northern Italy in the town of Padova, have a unique sound of hard rock/thrash, which is reminiscent of the Bay Area thrash scene with a strong European metal feel.

Having previously worked with Jack Frost (SEVEN WITCHES, SAVATAGE) and Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), MERENDINE's new CD was produced by Luigi Stefanini in Italy in November and December 2011. "We were looking for a different sound," states drummer Luca Cerardi. "We had great success with Chris Caffery and Jack Frost. But the band was at a turning point. We wanted to do something different. I am very happy with the way the record came out."

"New World Disorder" track listing:

01. The New Rebels
02. Revolution
03. We Know The Trick
04. Stand Up And Fight
05. Declaration
06. New World Disorder
07. Servants
08. Blind People
09. Freedom
10. Spin Doctors
11. Bandits
12. Self Destruction

Formed in 1995 as a five-piece, MERENDINE parted ways with guitarist David Bisson two years ago, creating a different element that transcended into a new sound and a new outlook.

"You can't stop progression," states vocalist Zanda Zandarin. "We just became tighter and stronger as a four-piece. We are a family. We made a strong album. That alone is a testament to what we can do together. I'm proud of it and nothing will change that."

MERENDINE toured last winter as direct support for DORO in Europe. The four-week run included stops in Germany, Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Italy and Luxemburg. The band also toured with KRYPTERIA and DORO in 2008.

MERENDINE is:

Luca Zandarin (Vocals)
Luca Securo (Guitar)
Dario Bianchi (Bass)
Luca Cerardi (Drums)

Frontiers Records will release HARDLINE's new studio album, "Danger Zone", on May 18 in Europe and May 22 in North America.

Following the release of "Leaving The End Open", HARDLINE's mastermind and singer Johnny Gioeli did not realistically feel that another HARDLINE album would have seen the light of day sometime soon. It was again thanks to the insistence of Frontiers Records president Serafino Perugino that the concept came about once again "I love surprises and this was certainly one of them," says Gioeli. "Each time I decide to close the door on HARDLINE, I get the itch to continue."

Fate wanted that when Perugino sent Gioeli some song demos written by Alessandro Del Vecchio (an Italian musician and producer know for his work with EDGE OF FOREVER and EDEN'S CURSE but also with AXE, Mitch Malloy, Bobby Kimball and several other top musicians and bands), the singer became excited once again and wanted to give it another go.

"Ale is one talented brotha..." says Johnny. "He plays, writes, sings, engineers, produces and mixes... He's like the golden goose handed to me. More than all the talent he has, he is an example of a great human in many many ways. I look forward to making more music with Ale. And it doesn't hurt that he's Italian, too!"

Alessandro Del Vecchio says: "I feel humbled but at the same time excited as never before. I grew up with 'Double Eclipse', which I bought when I was 13, so it's really a combination of feelings. The whole thing started so naturally that I feel like me and Johnny have been knowing each other for years. Our goal was to match the superb quality of that milestone of a debut and we worked hard to get to it, but we also wanted this record to be a shift and the truthful mirror of this 'new' life for HARDLINE." And, according to Gioeli, "I think all of the HARDLINE records have a magic about them... this one certainly holds a more commercial pop sound to its heartbeat. I love it."

So now HARDLINE have been completed with a Europe-based lineup featuring Francesco Jovino (U.D.O.), Thorsten Koehne (CODE OF PERFECTION, EDEN'S CURSE) and Anna Portalupi (MITCH MALLOY).

"I would absolutely LOVE to tour with these guys. I think the fans would be quite surprised when they hear this band....like a good solid kick in the teeth" concludes Gioeli and certainly discussions are ongoing to have finally HARDLINE play some dates around Europe in support of this exciting new release.

"Danger Zone" track listing:

01. Fever Dreams
02. 10,000 Reasons
03. Danger Zone
04. What I'd Like
05. Stronger Than Me
06. Never Too Late For Love
07. Stay
08. I Don't Want To Breakaway
09. Look At You Now
10. Please Have Faith In Me
11. Show Me Your Love
12. The Only One

The "Fever Dreams" video can be seen below.

"10,000 Reasons" audio sample:

Chicago, Illinois gothic/folk metallers URN are working on their new album, "A Hard Winter's Journey", at Bombshelter Studios in Chicago with producer Dan Precision (RISE AGAINST, NAKED RAYGUN) and at Studio 101 in Melbourne, Florida with Dominic St. Charles (ELECTRIC HELLFIRE CLUB). The band is also in talks with Brian Ferraro of Moondog Entertainment to shoot a video for their upcoming single, "Black Widow", in late summer/early fall.

"A Hard Winter's Journey" marks the recording debut of URN's new composer/keyboardist Drake Mefessta (DIAMORTE, EARTHEN).

URN has announced more than half a dozen tour dates kicking off at the end of May in Texas followed quickly by the band's first trip across the Mexican border. After this initial run of dates, the band will return to the road at the end of July for a tour of the Midwestern United States. The band plans on playing a mix of songs both new and old, including some early versions of songs off the upcoming CD.

Although the album has no official release date or distributor at this time, fans can stream an early version of the single "Cast In Amber" using the audio player below.

Video footage of CADAVERIA — the Italian band featuring former OPERA IX vocalist Cadaveria and ex-OPERA IX drummer/NECRODEATH vocalist Marçelo Santos (a.k.a. Flegias) — performing the song "The Days Of The After And Behind" on March 30 at United club in Turin, Italy can be seen below. The track comes off the group's fourth album, "Horror Metal", which was released on January 31 via Bakerteam Records, a division of Scarlet Records which aims "to discover and offer support to the best talents of the hard rock and heavy metal international scene."

"Horror Metal" track listing:

01. Flowers In Fire
02. The Night's Theatre
03. Death Vision
04. Whispers Of Sin
05. Assassin
06. The Days Of The After And Behind
07. Apocalypse
08. The Oracle (Of The Fog)
09. Requiem
10. This Is Not The Silence
11. Hypnotic Psychosis

The group's long-awaited follow-up 2007's "In Your Blood" (released on French extreme metal label Season Of Mist) has been described by Cadaveria as "the most obscure, raw and horror-filled work ever produced by the group."

German folk metallers NACHTGESCHREI have announced the addition of singer Martin LeMar (TOMORROW'S EVE, MEKONG DELTA) to the group's ranks.

Says the band: "After a long search, the decision was made quickly: we rehearsed and did test recordings with a lot of great singers, but one guy just blew us away... Martin LeMar will be the new voice of NACHTGESCHREI! And what a voice — Martin just convinced us with his voice and personality. We are absolutely sure that he is the right guy to kick off once again with. We are confident that the best is yet to come: currently we are working on new songs, planning the first shows and have a little surprise for you up our sleeves — so stay tuned."

NACHTGESCHREI will release a digital-only best-of album, "Eine Erste Kerbe", on May 18 via Massacre Records.

Drummer Chad Smith rejoined CHICKENFOOT on stage last night (Wednesday, May 16) at Orpheum Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. Smith, who hasn't been touring with CHICKENFOOT due to his commitments with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS (his temporary replacement is Kenny Aronoff), came up onstage during CHICKENFOOT's encore and played an impromptu solo, after which he was joined by the other members of CHICKENFOOT for renditions of "Oh Yeah", JIMI HENDRIX's "Foxey Lady" (with a bit of "Manic Depression" thrown in), "Different Devil", and a tribute to the late Ronnie Montrose in the form of MONTROSE's "Rock Candy".

Fan-filmed video footage of last night's concert can be seen below.

CHICKENFOOT singer Sammy Hagar said that Aronoff was Smith's personal choice as the band's touring drummer, saying, "Chad picked him because he said Kenny's just like him. He beats his drum set to death. He doesn't play them. He beats them to death. At the end of every show you have to buy a new drum set for these guys. We need that power."

CHICKENFOOT's sophomore album, "III", sold 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's self-titled debut opened with 49,000 units back in June 2009 to debut at No. 6.

"III" was produced by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, METALLICA) and is the much-anticipated follow-up album to the successful eponymous debut of a rock band packed with successful veterans.

Capital Chaos has uploaded multi-camera video footage of American death metallers ORIGIN performing on May 9 at The Plea For Peace Center in Stockton, California. Check it out below.

ORIGIN's latest album, "Entity", was released last June via Nuclear Blast Records.

One of the most intense and technical forces of the contemporary death metal world, ORIGIN has returned to stake its claim as the leader of metal's new wave of extremity with its fifth studio effort. As expected, the death grind trio of Mike Flores (bass, vocals), Paul Ryan (guitar, vocals) and John Longstreth (drums) continues to churn out frantic, hell-paced grids of metal torment, but now further complements the arrangements with a newfound propensity for churning grooves and the hook-laden approach that first reared its ugly, but accessible head on the band's 2007 offering, "Antithesis". The band once again returned to Chapman Recording Studios in Lenexa, Kansas to work with longtime engineer and friend Robert Rebeck.

Former DEFIANCE guitarist Shawn Bozarth unveiled his new band ONE LESS ENEMY on April 19 at the Fat Cat club in Modesto, California. Sharing the bill was WARBRINGER and headliner FORBIDDEN. ONE LESS ENEMY tore through its ferocious five-song set with a mix of technical and melodic thrash . The urgency of the material was not lost on the crowd, who exhibited an enthusiastic response to the band.

"It was an honor to open for such luminaries as FORBIDDEN," said Shawn. "They were a huge influence to me when I was younger. Now that DEFIANCE is over, I'm focusing 100 percent on ONE LESS ENEMY and we are armed and ready! We're gearing up to hit the studio and shop our project to various interested labels."

After undergoing several lineup changes, ONE LESS ENEMY solidified its assembly, consisting of Shawn Bozarth (guitar), Gary Jones (vocals), Kris Olson (bass), Harley Maxwell (guitars) and Chuck Beale (drums).

Look for ONE LESS ENEMY to be doing a string of live Bay Area shows throughout the summer and fall of 2012 while they finish their debut offering.

Video footage of ONE LESS ENEMY performing the song "Scattered Dissent" can be seen below.

Fan-filmed video footage of TRILLIUM — the metal project launched by American singer/songwriter Amanda Somerville — performing on May 13 at Corporation in Sheffield, United Kingdom as the support act for DELAIN can be seen below.

TRILLIUM released its debut album, "Alloy", on November 1, 2011 in North America (three days later in Europe) via Frontiers Records.

"Alloy" is a collection of songs that's charged with emotion and exploration and a very personal statement from Amanda.

"Since I'm an eclectic and diverse person and musician, that certainly comes out in this album," the singer states in a press release. "I think that the diversity is what is going to set this album apart from other stuff that's out there right now. It's got big choruses and epic symphonic hits, guitar solos you could imagine being played on a mountain top with an aerial camera view, but it's also got a lot of soul added to the raise-your-fists-in-the-air-and-make-a-mean-face vibe".

Musically, TRILLIUM melts rock and metal in a new, interesting and different way from anything Amanda has worked on so far. "Alloy" is also graced with the talents of several musicians with whom Amanda had the honor of working in the past. Sander Gommans (AFTER FOREVER, HDK) and Sascha Paeth (KAMELOT, AVANTASIA, EPICA, AFTER FOREVER) were the main songwriters along with the American singer on this album. They have brought a lot to the project and have certainly allowed the sound to be a lot richer and stronger.

"Sander is all around an awesome songwriter and guitar player, and he's especially good at coming up with riffs and movements of a song, while Sascha is a fantastic producer who can play any instrument there is — and play the hell out of it — and his sense of songwriting is really strong!" says Amanda.

Other contributing musicians include Miro Rodenberg, who handled all of the orchestral and keyboard arrangements, Robert Hunecke on drums, Olaf Reitmeier on acoustic guitar, Simon Oberender on keyboards (and mastering). But there are more surprises are on the record.

"Working with Mat Sinner on KISKE-SOMERVILLE established a solid professional relationship and I also found a good friend in him," says Amanda. "We co-wrote 'Love Is An Illusion' together for this album and it was a pleasure working with him once again!"

And last, but in no way least, Jorn Lande has lent his epic voice to the song "Scream It". Somerville tells the story: "I actually wrote that song with Jorn in mind not for his status in the scene, but because I absolutely love his voice, he's a wonderful friend of mine through working together on AVANTASIA and he was the perfect 'actor' to play the character in the song. And he nailed it!"

"Alloy" was released in a lavish digipack CD edition and includes the following songs:

01. Machine Gun
02. Coward
03. Purge
04. Utter Descension
05. Bow To The Ego
06. Mistaken
07. Scream It
08. Justifiable Casualty
09. Path Of Least Resistance
10. Into The Dissonance
11. Slow It Down
12. Love Is An Illusion *

* bonus track

"Alloy" recording lineup:

* Amanda Somerville - Lead and backing Vocals, Keyboards
* Sascha Paeth - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Drums
* Sander Gommans - Guitar
* Miro - Arrangements and Keyboards
* Olaf Reitmeier - Acoustic Guitar
* Robert Hunecke - Drums
* Simon Oberender - Keyboards
* Jorn Lande - Guest Lead Vocals on "Scream It"

BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Ozzy Osbourne (vocals) have released the following statement:

"We have decided not to make any detailed comment on Bill's latest statement. There are two sides to every story. We have been working hard at rehearsals making excellent progress after Tony's treatments and we have engaged a substitute drummer for the forthcoming shows. See you at Download."

Ward officially announced on Tuesday (May 15) that he will not be joining BLACK SABBATH for this year's performances. In a long message posted on his web site, Ward explained that he was simply unable to come to terms with his bandmates. The drummer claimed that the group asked him to participate "minimally" at the band's Download festival set in the U.K. in June, then later offered him the chance to play a Birmingham warm-up show on May 19 "for free and see how the first show goes" without any guarantee that he'd get to perform at the other concerts, which he ultimately turned down. He said, "I can't prioritize the SABBATH fans making one show more important than the other. I can't do that. All of you are important. It's all the gigs or none at all. I can't come to Birmingham and 'see what happens' knowing there is a risk of not being able to play Download or Lollapalooza. Again, for me, it's all or nothing. I didn't want to make this decision, but I have to be honest and transparent."

BLACK SABBATH was supposed to tour the Europe and North America this year as part of a worldwide trek in support of a new album, but Tony Iommi's cancer diagnosis put those plans on hold.

Ozzy, Iommi and Butler recently spent time in London recording their first album together in 33 years, although without Ward it is not the original SABBATH reunion announced last November.

The rest of SABBATH's scheduled European summer gigs will be replaced by "Ozzy And Friends", at which the singer will be joined by Butler, former Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde and other special guests, including Slash on selected dates.

"Give Me Real", a brand new song from Swiss hard rockers GOTTHARD, was premiered by the band's guitarist, Leo Leoni, yesterday (Wednesday, May 16) exclusively on the "La Ley del Rock" show on Chile's Radio Futuro. You can now stream the track using the SoundCloud player below (starting with the Leo Leoni introduction at around the 2:48 mark).

"Give Me Real" comes off GOTTHARD's new album, "Firebirth", which will be released on June 1 via Nuclear Blast/Warner Music. The CD was produced at the band's own Yellow House Studios in Lugano, Switzerland, with guitarist/songwriter Leo Leoni and Paul Lani (who has previously worked with GOTTHARD on several of their earlier albums, including "G-Spot" and "Homerun") at the helm.

"Firebirth" marks GOTTHARD's first release with Maeder, who was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, lived in Melbourne, Australia and grew up between Switzerland and "Down Under."

"Firebirth" track listing:

01. Starlight
02. Give Me Real
03. Remember It's Me
04. Fight
05. Yippie Aye Yay
06. Tell Me
07. Shine
08. The Story Is Over
09. Right On
10. S.O.S.
11. Take It All Back
12. I Can
13. Where Are You? (dedicated to Steve Lee)

GOTTHARD vocalist Steve Lee was killed on October 5, 2010 in what has been described as a freak road accident in Nevada.

The "Firebirth" album cover depicts the firebird Phoenix, which symbolically rises "from the ashes to the sky" — this line expresses what each GOTTHARD fan feels and underlines the turbulent time that GOTTHARD has gone through in the past months.

GOTTHARD's first live shows with Maeder are taking place right now in South America before the band makes several European festival appearances. The new group's German live debut will take place on July 14 at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen.

GOTTHARD's "Starlight" video was filmed in an old animal food factory near Berlin, Germany where scenes from the Quentin Tarantino film "Inglorious Basterds" were previously shot.

"Give Me Real" audio stream (with Leo Leoni introduction starting at around 2:48 mark):