The lyric video for the English version of SABATON's new single, "A Lifetime Of War" (Swedish: "En Livstid i Krig"), can be seen below. The track comes off the band's new album, "Carolus Rex", which will be released in Europe on May 25 via Nuclear Blast Records. The lyrics for the CD, which will be made available in both English and Swedish, deal with the Swedish Empire (referring to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721).

The band previously stated about "Carolus Rex": "For the first time ever we have had an expert to help us out with the theme, the well-known Swedish historian Bengt Liljegren. We have also added some extra time in the studio to find the absolute right sound on 'Carolus Rex', and our producer, Peter Tägtgren, says that this album will mark a brand new standard for how a heavy metal album should sound like!"

Liljegren's published works include acclaimed biographies of Adolf Hitler and Karl XII. He also appeared in the popular Swedish TV series "Boston Tea Party".

"Carolus Rex" - English version track listing:

01. Dominium Maris Baltici
02. The Lion From The North
03. Gott Mit Uns
04. A Lifetime Of War
05. 1 6 4 8
06. The Carolean's Prayer
07. Carolus Rex
08. Killing Ground
09. Poltava
10. Long Live The King
11. Ruina Imperii

"Carolus Rex" - Swedish version track listing:

01. Dominium Maris Baltici
02. Lejonet från Norden
03. Gott Mit Uns
04. En Livstid i Krig
05. 1 6 4 8
06. Karolinens bön
07. Carolus Rex
08. Ett Slag Färgat Rött
09. Poltava
10. Konungens Likfärd
11. Ruina Imperii

SABATON was forced to cancel the first three shows of its current U.S. tour — which was scheduled to start on April 10 in Tampa, Florida — due to delays in obtaining visas over the Easter weekend for the band's four new members.

SABATON recently parted ways with guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mulback and keyboardist Daniel Mÿhr. The band's new touring lineup is as follows:

Joakim Brodén - Vocals
Pär Sundström - Bass
Chris Rörland (NOCTURNAL RITES) - Guitar
Thobbe Englund (WINTERLONG, RAUBTIER) - Guitar
Robban Bäck (BALTIMOORE, PREY) - Drums

"A Lifetime Of War" lyric video (English):

Veteran Japanese metallers LOUDNESS have inked a deal with FrostByte Media. The band's latest album, "Eve To Dawn", will be released outside Japan this summer. The CD was originally made available in the group's home country last September.

In advance of an extensive North American tour around the release of "Eve To Dawn", LOUDNESS will play select American dates this month, with a special appearance at this year's M3 Rock Festival on Saturday, May 12 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland and a headlining gig at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City on Monday, May 14.

"Eve To Dawn" track listing:

01. A Light In The Dark
02. The Power Of Truth
03. Come Alive Again
04. Survivor
05. Keep You Burning
06. Gonna Do It My Way
07. Hang Tough
08. Ki-Do-Ai-Raku (instrumental)
09. Comes The Dawn
10. Pandora
11. Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!

Audio samples of all the tracks that appear on the CD can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

In the video clip below, LOUDNESS guitarist Akira Takasaki talks about celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band's formation; the group's most recent album, "King Of Pain"; and what to expect from "Eve To Dawn".

LOUDNESS's previous album, "King Of Pain", was released in Japan on May 19, 2010 via Tokuma Japan Communications. The CD included a 32-page booklet, a LOUDNESS original pick, and application card (valid only in Japan).

LOUDNESS released a CD+DVD set entitled "Live Loudest At The Budokan '91" on December 23, 2009 via Warner Music Japan. The album was recorded on May 31, 1991 in Tokyo, Japan and features Mike Vescera (OBSESSION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) on vocals.

French progressive metallers HACRIDE have inked a deal with Indie Recordings who will release their new album in early 2013. The band has built a strongly innovative career in ten years, inviting the listener to a unique musical trip that will, for sure, leave traces and scars. Hacride is now back on a new label and ready to offer a new and ambitious album.

The band had this to say about the signing with Indie Recordings: "We are very proud to be back with a new project. We have been working on our new album for two years now and we will enter the studio this summer. This new album will be a new era for Hacride with a new label and a new team around us. It’s a pleasure for us to be signed to Indie Recordings, a clever label with open-minded people! Our last album Lazarus was the end of a chapter in our universe and we are very grateful for all the work done by our previous label, Listenable Records, but it’s now time for us to come back with a strong album and to be back on tour as well with our new and catchy drummer Florent Marcadet."

In the annals of rock history, Tommy Bolin occupied a brief, but shining stint as a brilliant guitarist who wowed those in the know with his mastery of many genres —rock, fusion, funk, reggae and heavy metal among others. Along with a much-lauded solo career that, pushed the boundaries of rock/jazz fusion, Bolin played with THE JAMES GANG and DEEP PURPLE, which set him up for major solo guitar stardom which was cut short by his untimely death in 1976.

Not to be overlooked, there's been much written about the guitar wunderkind and now a top notch roster of players have signed on to pay tribute to Bolin on "Great Gypsy Soul". Produced by Greg Hampton and Warren Haynes, it's a remarkable project that brings together major players who actually perform alongside Tommy Bolin's playing and vocals from the recording outtakes to his solo debut album "Teaser". Peter Frampton, Warren Haynes (a key supporter of the project), Nels Cline, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Brad Whitford, Joe Bonamassa, John Scofield, Derek Trucks, Glenn Hughes and Myles Kennedy all contribute to this amazing project.

"Great Gypsy Soul" was released on 429 Records on March 27 in both a single CD format and double CD with bonus tracks. The set will be made available in Europe on May 18 through earMUSIC.

A five-and-a-half-minute "teaser trailer" for the release can be seen below.

Tommy Bolin was the quintessential guitar prodigy who focused his talents within the burgeoning rock/metal scenes of the early '70s as well as mastered a highly lauded jazz fusion technique, catching the attention of rock tastemakers and guitar legend peers. It was just a matter of time before Bolin was making a name for himself playing on projects as diverse as Billy Cobham's "Spectrum" project (considered one of the great jazz fusion recordings of all time), replacing Joe Walsh in THE JAMES GANG, playing session work on seminal fusion projects by MOXY and ALPHONSE MOUZON, to replacing Ritchie Blackmore in DEEP PURPLE. With the release of his second solo album, "Private Eyes", what should have been a red letter moment for Bolin, opening up for Jeff Beck in Miami, sadly turned tragic as Bolin was found dead of an overdose shortly after the gig.

Says Warren Haynes: "Many of the guests added after the fact have a close personal connection to Tommy — all share in acknowledging his place in rock history. Watching (and hearing) it all come to fruition some 35 years later was a journey of its own — well worth the travel."

"Great Gypsy Soul" track listing:

Disc 1

01. The Grind (w/ Peter Frampton)
02. Teaser (w/ Warren Haynes)
03. Dreamer (w/ Myles Kennedy and Nels Cline)
04. Savannah Woman (w/ John Scofield)
05. Smooth Fandango (w/ Derek Trucks)
06. People People (w/ Big Sugar and Gordie Johnson)
07. Wild Dogs (w/ Brad Whitford)
08. Homeward Strut (w/ Steve Lukather)
09. Sugar Shack (w/ Glenn Hughes and Sonny Landreth)
10. Crazed Fandango (w/ Steve Morse)
11. Lotus (w/ Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Huges and Nels Cline)

Disc 2 Bonus CD

01. Flying Fingers (w/ Oz Noy and Nels Cline)
02. Marching Bag - Movement One (w/ Nels Cline, Bolin, Greg Hampton, John Scofield, Sonny Landreth)
03. Marching Bag - Movement Two (w/ Nels Cline, Bolin, Steve Lukather, Derek Trucks, Peter Frampton)
04. Marching Bag - Movement Three (w/ Gordie Johnson, Bolin, Nels Cline, Oz Noy, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Joe Bonamassa)
05. Marching Bag - Movement Four (w/ Nels Cline, Bolin, Warren Haynes, Joe Bonamassa, Oz Noy, Brad Whitford, Peter Frampton)

Check out audio samples at www.429records.com.

Vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway of British grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH was interviewed on the "Scary Terry's Saturday Nightmare" show, which airs Saturdays from 9:00 p.m. to midnight on the Rock 94.7 radio station in Wisconsin. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

When asked if there is a question that he wishes someone would ask him in an interview but no one ever does, Barney replied, "Are you gay?" He added, "No, I'm not, but there's lots of rumors about me out there. I mean, not that it matters. I find it quite amusing; I'm deeply touched by that, actually. Yeah, I think people sort of put two and two together and make five. Because I've always been very open about talking about things like sexuality and stuff, people come up with a miscalculation and just assume that you're gay. I'm not, but it is quite amusing. But nobody will ever ask me that outright. And I'm always willing to talk about stuff like that. People shouldn't be afraid of discussing stuff like that openly."

Interview (audio):

Sanctuary has set a June 4 U.K. release date for "Iron Man: The Best Of Black Sabbath".

"Iron Man: The Best Of Black Sabbath" is a 14-song collection of classic tracks from across BLACK SABBATH's first eight albums — including tracks from 1970's debut "Black Sabbath" and follow-up "Paranoid", 1971's "Master Of Reality", 1972's "Volume 4", 1973's "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and 1978's "Never Say Die". The album brings some of the best loved and most influential rock songs of all time together on one album — including such classics as "Paranoid", "Iron Man", "Black Sabbath", "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", "War Pigs" and "Changes".

Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward — four names that resonate throughout rock's recorded history as clear and sublime as the bell that tolls the opening to the bands eponymous debut album from 1970.

Collectively, they formed BLACK SABBATH and forged the most haunting and hypnotic rock sound of all time. From humble beginnings, the Birmingham quartet enslaved the minds and souls of millions of rock fans around the world and continue to do so into the new millennium. The musical genre they created inspired countless musicians and spawned countless bands. Such has been their influence; they have been inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006 and were included among Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time.

"Iron Man: The Best Of Black Sabbath" track listing (including original albums):

01. Paranoid (from "Paranoid")
02. Iron Man (from "Paranoid")
03. Changes (from "Volume 4")
04. Fairies Wear Boots (from "Paranoid")
05. War Pigs (from "Paranoid")
06. Never Say Die (from "Never Say Die")
07. Children Of the Grave (from "Master Of Reality")
08. The Wizard (from "Black Sabbath")
09. Snowblind (from "Volume 4")
10. Sweet Leaf (from "Master Of Reality")
11. Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games) (from "Black Sabbath")
12. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (from "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath")
13. Black Sabbath (from "Black Sabbath")
14. N.I.B. (from "Black Sabbath")

Before their headlining performance at this year's Download festival, British heavy heavy metal legends BLACK SABBATH will perform in their hometown of Birmingham for the first time in thirteen years in an intimate homecoming show at the O2 Academy on Saturday, May 19. A donation to Help For Heroes will be made from the proceeds of the show.

As previously reported, BLACK SABBATH has been confirmed for this year's edition of the Lollapalooza festival, which takes place on August 3-5 at Grant Park in downtown Chicago.

U.S. metallers SINISTER REALM have commenced work on their third studio album, tentatively titled "World Of Evil". Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Cyber Villain", "Bell Strikes Fear", "World Of Evil", "Call Of The Night Wolf" and "Dark Angel Of Fate".

In other news, SINISTER REALM will perform at the Warriors Of Metal festival on June 30 in Ohio.

The Pennsylvania-based squad released its last studio album, "The Crystal Eye", in July 2011 via Shadow Kingdom Records. In January 2012, the band performed at Germany's Metal Assault festival, where they shared the stage with such acts as SANCTUARY, HEIR APPARENT and PAGAN ALTAR.

SINISTER REALM's traditional heavy metal style with slight doom influences has created a huge buzz among fans of such bands as CANDLEMASS, DIO, TWISTED TOWER DIRE and ARGUS.

SINISTER REALM is:

Alex Kristof - Vocals
John Gaffney - Bass, Guitar, Background Vocals
John Kantner - Rhythm/Lead Guitar
John Risko - Lead Guitar
Chris Metzger - Drums

Swedish melodic/progressive metallers VINDICTIV, formed and led by Swedish guitar sensation Stefan Lindholm, are currently in the studio recording their third album, "Cage Of Infinity". Lindholm says: "We have some exiting guests on the new album. All we can say is that the new album is going to kick ass!"

VINDICTIV recording lineup:

* Stefan Lindholm (RAVEN LORD, FIRECRACKER, PHENOMENA) - Guitar
* Csaba Zvekan (RAVEN LORD, EXORCISM, KILLING MACHINE) - Vocals
* Pontus Larsson (RAVEN LORD, EXORCISM, FIRECRACKER) - Keyboards
* Marco Minnemann (TONY MACALPINE, GEORGE BELLAS, BRYAN BELLER) - Drums
* Nalley Pahlsson (THERION, ZAN CLAN, TREAT) - Bass

VINDICTIV released two albums so far — the self-titled debut in 2008 and "Ground Zero" in 2009. Apart from his main band, Stefan has been a successful soloist on a number of albums, among them record producer Tom Galley's international project "Phenomena" and "Soulspell". Other great vocalists Stefan has worked with include Tony Martin (BLACK SABBATH), Oliver Hartmann (AT VANCE, AVANTASIA) and Mark Boals (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, RING OF FIRE).

This is where it all began. For the first time ever, Chuck Schuldiner’s pre-DEATH band MANTAS's recordings have been officially collected into one fully authorized compilation. "Death By Metal" is the brutally raw sound of an entire genre being born out of the basement of Chuck Schuldiner's Florida home close to three decades ago. These are the earliest recordings of death metal legend, pioneer and groundbreaker Chuck Schuldiner absolutely ripping the face off of hordes of devotees worldwide. This is the first time that these recordings have been legitimately available since their original release as the "Death By Metal" demo tape (1984). This is the beginning of DEATH!

Due on June 19 via Relapse Records, "Death By Metal" will feature the following track listing:

01. Legion Of Doom ("Death By Metal" Demo Version 1)
02. Evil Dead ("Death By Metal" Demo Version 1)
03. Mantas ("Death By Metal" Demo Version 1)
04. Death By Metal ("Death By Metal" Demo Version 1)
05. Power Of Darkness ("Death By Metal" Demo Version 1)
06. Legion Of Doom ("Death By Metal" Demo Version 2)
07. Power Of Darkness ("Death By Metal" Demo Version 2)
08. Death By Metal ("Death By Metal" Demo Version 2)
09. Evil Dead ("Death By Metal" Demo Version 2)
10. Legion Of Doom (Rehearsal Early 1984)
11. Mantas (Rehearsal Early 1984)
12. Death By Metal (Rehearsal Early 1984)
13. Evil Dead (Rehearsal Early 1984)
14. Rise Of Satan (Rehearsal Early 1984)

"Anger Is the Reason" and "Pieces Of Red", two brand new songs from Los Angeles-based thrashers ANGER AS ART, can be streamed below. Both tracks come off the band's fourth album, "Hubris Inc.", which will be released later in the year via OSM Records.
Songtitles set to appear on the CD:

* Hubris Inc. (intro)
* This Is Why I Hate
* Pieces Of Red
* Divided We Fall
* As The Exalted Seethe
* Time Devours Life
* The Evil You Create
* Gods Of Hate
* Pearls Before Swine
* Anger Is the Reason
* Never Forgive, Never Forget
* Head Of The Snake
* Rage And Retribution
* Speed Kills

ANGER AS ART earlier in the year announced the addition of bassist Henry De La Cruz (MANIACAL GENOCIDE, STIGMATA, REVMATIX) to the group's ranks. Henry replaces Angelo Espino, who departed in October.

ANGER AS ART's concert DVD, "Live Dissent", was released last year. The disc features footage from the February 21, 2010 concert at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, California, clips of the band on tour in Europe and in the USA, and a segment of the recording process for the "Disfigure" album.

ANGER AS ART's third album, "Disfigure", was released in November 2009 via Old School Metal Records. The bulk of the tracking was done at Trench Studio in Corona, California with John Haddad, while the vocals and "extra stuff" was overseen by Chris Trent at CT Audio.

ANGER AS ART's current lineup:

Steve Gaines - Vocals, Guitar
Henry De La Cruz - Bass
Rob Alaniz - Drums
Daniel Oliverio - Guitar, Vocals

Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH were presented with three separate sales-certification plaques after their May 6 concert at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart, Germany:

* "Imaginaerum" (2011) gold album (signifying sales in excess of 100,000 copies in Germany)
* "Dark Passion Play" (2007) platinum album (signifying sales in excess of 200,000 copies in Germany)
* "Once" (2004) triple gold album (signifying sales in excess of 300,000 copies in Germany)

Photos of the presentation can be seen below.

Commented NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main composter Tuomas Holopainen: "These three awards from 'Once', 'Dark Passion Play' and 'Imaginaerum' represent the purity of our music making, loyalty of the fans, and hard work and trust from the record label and management. We are deeply touched and grateful, and will continue to tread the chosen path with you all."

Added Andy Siry, head of A&R and label manager of Nuclear Blast: "NIGHTWISH rightfully stand at the very top of the winner's podium, brave every trend with their music and go ahead with their style consistently with much blood, sweat and tears. Each and every NIGHTWISH album is a masterpiece and the awards substantiate that the fans acknowledge and honour the band's class and sincerity. We're very proud that we've been able to make our contribution to their success and are looking forward a lot to our shared future."

NIGHTWISH will embark on a North American headlining tour in September with support from KAMELOT.

For more information, visit EnterTheVault.com.

NIGHTWISH released a limited-edition "Trials Of Imaginaerum" 10-inch picture disc for Record Store Day (April 21). The effort includes four previously unreleased demo recordings with Marco Hietala on lead vocals. It also comes with a download of the previously unreleased track "The Heart Asks Pleasure First", a cover with lyrics from the movie "The Piano".

"Trials Of Imaginaerum" features a picture of "The Crew, The Owl And The Dove" on one side, and the "Imaginaerum" grounds on the other side.

"The Crow, The Owl And The Dove", the second single from NIGHTWISH's latest album, "Imaginaerum", entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 1. The single features the title cut in three versions — radio edit, album version and instrumental — and the previously unreleased song "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" (theme from the movie "The Piano") in two different versions.

NIGHTWISH released a special "tour edition" of "Imaginaerum", on April 13 via Nuclear Blast Records. It is a 2CD+DVD digibook in slipcase.

"Imaginaerum" sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, 2007's "Dark Passion Play", opened with 11,000 units to land at No. 84.

"Imaginaerum" was released in North America on January 10 via Roadrunner Records.

Nach einigen Monaten im Studio haben die Melodic Deather THE AGONIST endlich ihr langerwartetes drittes Album "Prisoners" fertiggestellt. Das von Christian Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY) produzierte und von Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, DARK TANQUILITY, SUICIDE SILENCE) abgemischte Prisoners wird via Century Media Records am 04. Juni 2012 veröffentlicht. Das Album macht genau da weiter, wo "Lullabies for the Dormant Mind" von 2009 aufgehört hat, und zwar mit wunderbaren Melodien, die in gewohnter Agonist-Manier mit komplexen Metal-Strukturen amalgamieren und Fans von anspruchsvollem Metal ganz sicher auf ihre Kosten kommen lassen werden.

Das kommende Album betreffend, kommentiert die Band: "‘Prisoners‘ zu kreieren war die anspruchsvollste Aufgabe, die THE AGONIST bis dato angegangen sind. Jahre an Emotionen, Leidenschaft, Ideenreichtum und Erfahrung ließen dieses Album entstehen und ich bin mir sicher, dass die Leute, die ‚Prisoners‘ hören werden, all dies in dem beim Hören wiederfinden werden."

Die Band bereitet sich im Moment auf eine ausgedehnte US-Tour mit KITTIE vor. Weitere Details über "Prisoners" werden in Kürze enthüllt, also haltet die Ohren und Augen offen!

"Prisoners" Track List:

01. You're Coming With Me
02. The Escape
03. Predator & Prayer
04. Anxious Darwinians
05. Pnophobia
06. Ideomotor
07. Lonely Solipsist
08. Dead Ocean
09. The Mass Of The Earth
10. Everybody Wants You (dead)
11. Revenge Of The Dadaists

"New Breed Of Godz", a brand new song from reunited Los Angeles heavy metal legends MALICE, is available for streaming below (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep). The track is the title cut of the band's new album, which will be released on May 22 in the U.S./Canada, May 25 in Germany and May 28 in the rest of Europe through SPV/Steamhammer. The group recently entered Silvercloud Recording studio in Redondo Beach, California with producer Joe Floyd (HALFORD, BRUCE DICKINSON, WARRIOR) to record updated versions of eight classic MALICE metal anthems such as "Stellar Masters" and "Sinister Double" as well as "four killer new tracks" for the CD, which will be made available as a high-class digipak with a bonus DVD.

"New Breed Of Godz" track listing:

CD:

01. New Breed Of Godz (new song)
02. Hell Rider
03. Against The Empire
04. Branded (new song)
05. Sinister Double
06. Circle Of Fire
07. Stellar Masters
08. Winds Of Death (Angel Of Light) (new song)
09. Air Attack
10. Chain Gang Woman
11. Slipping Through The Cracks (new song)
12. Godz Of Thunder

DVD contents (running time: approximately 60 minutes)

* Rare live footage from 1987
* Three live tracks from 2011 edition of Keep It True festival in Germany
* Making of "New Breed Of Godz" album

A snippet of the re-recorded version of "Hell Rider" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

MALICE will hit the road in the fall, with dates to be announced soon. Stepping in for Mark Behn on the live front will be Robert Cardenas (AGENT STEEL), who also laid down the bass tracks on the new songs in the studio.

"We were all amazed at the great crowd response and turnout for the gigs we played in 2011, and it feels great to have a well-known label like SPV behind us, be in the studio with a veteran lineup and have a killer producer," stated MALICE guitarist Jay Reynolds. "There will no longer be an absence of MALICE!"

In an early 2011 interview with KNAC.COM, Zane stated about MALICE's present incarnation, "Pete's been out on the road with MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP for the last ten years and he's doing some dates with BLACK 'N BLUE. . . We're excited to have James Rivera come in and [play] with us. He did a great job on the VICIOUS RUMORS 'Warball' record. . . Brian Allen, who did our last reunion show, is now singing with VICIOUS RUMORS and we even approached Tim 'The Ripper' Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) at one point."

The band released an album titled "The Rare And Unreleased" in 2010 on Retrospect Records.

MALICE's two Atlantic releases — "In the Beginning" (1985) and "License to Kill" (1986) — are available Stateside on WEA label Wounded Bird and have continued to sell over the years.

MALICE is:

Jay Reynolds - Guitar
Mick Zane - Guitar
Mark Behn - Bass (on re-recorded versions of old songs)
Robert Cardenas - Bass (on new songs)
James Rivera - Vocals
Pete Holmes – Drums

For more information, visit MALICE's official web site, www.malicemusic.com.

Pictured below (from left to right): Mick Zane, Jay Reynolds, James Rivera, Robert Cardenas, Pete Holmes

"New Breed Of Godz" audio stream:

"Branded", a brand new song from '80s hard rock queen Lita Ford, can be streamed using the audio player below (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep). The track comes off Lita's new album, "Living Like A Runaway", which will be released on June 19 in North America via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort will be available in four configurations: a double LP, limited edition CD, standard CD and digital download. The artwork for the album was created by famed rock photographer Mark Weiss can seen below.

Standard jewel case version:

01. Branded
02. Hate
03. The Mask
04. Living Like A Runaway
05. Relentless
06. Mother
07. Devil In My Head
08. Asylum
09. Love 2 Hate U
10. A Song To Slit Your Wrists By

Limited edition digipak version:

01. Branded
02. Hate
03. The Mask
04. Living Like A Runaway
05. Relentless
06. Mother
07. Devil In My Head
08. Asylum
09. Love 2 Hate U
10. A Song To Slit Your Wrists By

Bonus tracks:

11. Bad Neighborhood
12. The Bitch Is Back

Exclusive iTunes version:

01. Branded
02. Hate
03. The Mask
04. Living Like A Runaway
05. Relentless
06. Mother
07. Devil In My Head
08. Asylum
09. Love 2 Hate U
10. A Song To Slit Your Wrists By

Exclusive iTunes bonus track:

11. Boiling Point

Double Gatefold LP Version:

LP Side 1:

01. Branded
02. Hate
03. The Mask

LP Side 2:

01. Relentless
02. Devil In My Head
03. Asylum

LP Side 3:

01. Living Like A Runaway
02. Mother
03. A Song To Slit Your Wrists By

LP Side 4:

01. Love 2 Hate You

Bonus tracks:

02. Bad Neighborhood
03. The Bitch Is Back

"Branded" audio stream (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep):

"Alpha Omega", the new Stuart Birchall-directed video from British metallers ARCHITECTS, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's new album, "Daybreaker", which be released on May 28 in Europe and June 5 in North America via Century Media Records. The follow-up to "The Here And Now" was produced by the band with John Mitchell and Ben Humphreys at Outhouse Studios (ENTER SHIKARI, YOU ME AT SIX, THE BLACKOUT, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, EXIT TEN, YOUR DEMISE, LOWER THAN ATLANTIS, KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES) in Reading, the same team that previously worked on ARCHITECTS' "Hollow Crown" CD. The stunning artwork was created by Paul Jackson (Tank.Axe.Love).

ARCHITECTS recently released the "The Here And Now 2012 Special Edition" including "Devil's Island" and "Untitled" as well as all video clips ("Day In Day Out", "Learn To Live", "Heartburn", "Delete, Rewind" and "An Open Letter To Myself"), making-of footage for "Learn To Live" and "Heartburn" plus several previously released online clips.

ARCHITECTS' last album, "The Here And Now", sold around 900 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 47 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.

"The Here And Now" was produced by Steve Evetts, who has previously worked with THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and SEPULTURA, among many others.

"The Here And Now" debuted at position No. 57 on the official U.K. chart.

Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Gary Schutt, best known for his work with Jeff Scott Soto, has a new album coming out on Palisade Records.

Much like Gary's 2006 releases "B-Sides Myself" and "Dramatically Acoustic", this compilation is a timefiller for his fans until his next full release.

Gary has been busy working with other bands on his Palisade record label (ALWAYS AT WAR, THE METAL HEDZ, E19 and CENTRAL NERVE) and touring with his cover band CATEGORY THREE.

Gary will release his new album, "Puppets In Symmetry", on July 3 worldwide. The CD consists of 13 tracks which are radio-edited versions of songs from his "Excruciating Pleasure" (2003) and "Contingency Plan" (2010) CDs, plus a couple other surprises including a songs that any diehard Soto fan will recognize.

"Puppets In Symmetry" track listing:

01. Psycho Bitch (radio edit)
02. Self Destruction (radio edit)
03. Someone New (radio edit)
04. Wish You Dead (radio edit)
05. Therapy (radio edit)
06. Crave (radio edit)
07. Lost Soul Mate (radio edit)
08. Mental Ward (radio edit)
09. It's Not Me
10. Bitch with a capital "C" (radio edit)
11. Dog (radio edit)
12. Nowhere Fast (acoustic mix)
13. Die Another Love

For more information, visit www.palisaderecords.com.

After completing a successful U.S. tour with new drummer Marc Jackson (who replaced Antony "Antton" Lantearlier this year), MPIRE OF EVIL (formerly PRIMEVIL) — the band formed in 2010 by ex-VENOM members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Tony "The Demolition Man" Dolan (bass, vocals) — has announced that Marc will join the group on a permanent basis.

Video footage of MPIRE OF EVIL performing on April 29 at the Maratona Rock festival in Santhià, Italy can be seen below.

MPIRE OF EVIL recently completed a North American tour with fellow British thrashers ONSLAUGHT.

MPIRE OF EVIL released its full-length debut, "Hell To The Holy", on March 26 via Scarlet Records. The CD boasts 10 brand-new tracks displaying the band's infectious and groovy heavy metal assault, conveying Mantas' thunderous riffs, a huge rhythm section and Dolan's abrasive vocals into a monstrous musical holocaust which will appeal to both old-school and modern metal fans.

Produced by Mantas himself and featuring stunning cover artwork by Gyula Havancsák (ANNIHILATOR, DESTRUCTION, GRAVE DIGGER), "Hell To The Holy" is without any doubts a "must have" album for 2012.

MPIRE OF EVIL released its debut mini-album, "Creatures Of The Black", on October 21, 2011 via Scarlet Records. The CD featured cover versions of four songs that influenced the members of M-PIRE OF EVIL ("Exciter" by JUDAS PRIEST, "God Of Thunder" by KISS, "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be" by AC/DC and "Motörhead" by MOTÖRHEAD), plus two new songs, "Hellspawn" and "Reptile".

In a 2010 interview with Metality, Dolan stated about the formation of M-PIRE OF EVIL,"Well, I think it came about as Mantas and Antton who were both doing separate music projects (DRYLL and DEF-CON-ONE) came together in DRYLL. Mantas needed a drummer and Antton offered his services. People kept wondering what it would be like if Mantas and Antton played with me and it was kind of, 'Oh, yeah that would be fun perhaps,' but then DRYLL played a show and performed the VENOM track 'Black Metal' [with Antton] and that was kind of it. People started saying I had to come in and play, too. So I got a phone call and had a few chats with Mantas and that was that; we decided we'd see if it worked. It does, very well, but then again myself and Mantas have always been friends and played well together. The addition of a drummer as good as Antton was something too cool to pass up! [M-PIRE OF EVIL] is old school, I guess, melodic, heavy, powerful. [As to how MPIRE OF EVIL is] different from VENOM, [I'm] not sure. We will inevitably be compared, as we are all ex-VENOM [members] and, of course, Mantas was the main songwriter for VENOM, so... But I feel we are more like classic metal. MOTÖRHEAD, BLACK SABBATH.... PRIEST and VENOM."

The first official trailer for "Phantom Antichrist", the new album from German thrash metal veterans KREATOR, can be seen below. Due on June 1 in Europe and June 5 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with renowned producer Jens Bogren (OPETH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK, DEVIN TOWNSEND, AMON AMARTH).

The cover artwork for the standard edition of "Phantom Antichrist" was created by Wes Benscoter (SLAYER, DIO, BLACK SABBATH) and can be seen below.

The limited edition of "Phantom Antichrist" will be made available as two-disc digipack, including a bonus DVD.

"Phantom Antichrist" formats:

- Jewel case CD *
- 2LP yellow vinyl *
- 2LP bi-colored vinyl (red/black): limited to 500 copies, hand-numbered *+
- 2LP picture vinyl **
- CD/DVD digi limited edition: 2 digipacks in a slipcase. **
- Limited mailorder edition: metallic box including CD/DVD digi limited edition, T-shirt, exclusive CD "Live In Wacken", poster, signing card, limited to 500 copies, hand-numbered **+

* = Featuring artwork by Wes Benscoter (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, SLAYER)
** = Featuring artwork by Jan Meininghaus
+ = only available at www.nuclearblast.de/shop

The "Phantom Antichrist" video can be seen below. The clip was helmed by Poland's Grupa 13, which has previously worked with BEHEMOTH, ELUVEITIE, SONATA ARCTICA and DECAPITATED, among others.

Commented KREATOR guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza: "The clips produced by Grupa 13 are groundbreaking visual trips that justify the existence of music videos in this day and age. In support of the lyrical concept of our new album, I could not think of a better creative solution than a collaboration with these great visionaries."

He added, "Grupa 13 strikes again! The most apocalyptic video in the history of KREATOR is here!"

In a recent interview with Suicide Scriptures, Petrozza stated about "Phantom Antichrist", "We made sure that it contains all the trademarks that we're known for — crushing brutality, riffs that are very hard to play, lyrics that talk about things that I get angry about. You know, the full treatment, basically. We didn't try to do anything different. The only goal that we set for the band was we wanted to top everything that we'd done before and make this record an exciting record. That's always the main goal."

He added, "First off, we don't plan ahead too much. I take a long time to prepare the songs at home, in my little home studio, and then when I feel that have something lyrically and musically that I feel is good and exciting and powerful, then I play it to the other guys and then we discuss it. And we might come up with new ideas or we might arrange the songs differently, or we tear them apart and put them back together. It's a long process. We started this in the beginning of 2011, and we kept writing and rehearsing the songs until January 2012."

Regarding the lyrical themes covered on "Phantom Antichrist", Mille said, "Many things: injustice; the crisis in Greece; me thinking that religion is obsolete now in this day and age; personal things. I think the lyrics for 'From Flood Into Fire', they're very different, but it's very hard for me to explain what it's about. I want people to listen to it and leave room for their own imagination. I go to the movies all the time and I'm a big movie nerd, and I hate watching a 'making-of' [documentary featuring behind-the-scenes footage] before I go into a movie. So if I would explain the lyrics right now, [it would lose the magic]."

On the topic of the "Phantom Antichrist" artwork, Mille said, "I got in touch with [artist] Wes Benscoter in the middle of June last year and I gave him a couple of songtitles. And I told him that the album might be called 'Phantom Antichrist'. I already had the idea and I told him what the lyrics were about — it's all about the apocalypse, evil in the world… typical KREATOR topics that I always write about. I think he had 'Pleasure To Kill', and he knew about the band. I liked this AUTOPSY cover that he did, and then I found that he did a lot of great stuff for BLACK SABBATH, SLAYER and many, many bands. . . I talked to one of my colleagues that plays in a German band and he told me that he would draw, with a pencil, artworks and then he would give it to a professional artist. I don't have that much influence on the artwork. I think it's best to give an idea and maybe a title or something, maybe some music even… I think that's more of letting the artist be the artist. He needs to create the visual as we do with the music."

The "Phantom Antichrist" single was released April 20 on seven-inch colored vinyl and as a digital download via iTunes, Amazon and various other digital music providers. The release also includes the exclusive IRON MAIDEN cover "The Number Of The Beast".

A brand new promotional photo of KREATOR can be seen below (photo by Stefan Heilemann of Stuttgart, Germany's Heilemania).

KREATOR is:

Miland "Mille" Petrozza – Vocals, Guitrar
Sami Yli-Sirniö - Guitar
Christian "Speesy" Giesler - Bass
Jürgen "Ventor" Reil - Drums

"Phantom Antichrist" trailer:

"En Livstid i Krig", a new song from Swedish metallers SABATON, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the band's new album, "Carolus Rex", which will be released in Europe on May 25 via Nuclear Blast Records. The lyrics for the CD, which will be made available in both English and Swedish, deal with the Swedish Empire (referring to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721).

The band previously stated about "Carolus Rex": "For the first time ever we have had an expert to help us out with the theme, the well-known Swedish historian Bengt Liljegren. We have also added some extra time in the studio to find the absolute right sound on 'Carolus Rex', and our producer, Peter Tägtgren, says that this album will mark a brand new standard for how a heavy metal album should sound like!"

Liljegren's published works include acclaimed biographies of Adolf Hitler and Karl XII. He also appeared in the popular Swedish TV series "Boston Tea Party".

"Carolus Rex" - English version track listing:

01. Dominium Maris Baltici
02. The Lion From the North
03. Gott Mit Uns
04. A Lifetime of War
05. 1 6 4 8
06. The Carolean's Prayer
07. Carolus Rex
08. Killing Ground
09. Poltava
10. Long Live the King
11. Ruina Imperii

"Carolus Rex" - Swedish version track listing:

01. Dominium Maris Baltici
02. Lejonet från Norden
03. Gott Mit Uns
04. En Livstid i Krig
05. 1 6 4 8
06. Karolinens bön
07. Carolus Rex
08. Ett Slag Färgat Rött
09. Poltava
10. Konungens Likfärd
11. Ruina Imperii

SABATON was forced to cancel the first three shows of its current U.S. tour — which was scheduled to start on April 10 in Tampa, Florida — due to delays in obtaining visas over the Easter weekend for the band's four new members.

SABATON recently parted ways with guitarists Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, drummer Daniel Mulback and keyboardist Daniel Mÿhr. The band's new touring lineup is as follows:

Joakim Brodén - Vocals
Pär Sundström - Bass
Chris Rörland (NOCTURNAL RITES) - Guitar
Thobbe Englund (WINTERLONG, RAUBTIER) - Guitar
Robban Bäck (BALTIMOORE, PREY) - Drums

"En Livstid i Krig" audio stream:

"Losing My Mind", a new song from Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND — who feature in their ranks current OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. — can be streamed using the audio player below (courtesy of Germany's Rock Hard magazine). The track comes off the band's new album, "Few Against Many", which will be released in Europe on May 21 via Century Media Records and in North America on May 22 through DisManic, Inc. via eOne Distribution. The CD was mixed by Jason Suecof and Eyal Levi at Audiohammer Studios (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, DEATH ANGEL) in Sanford, Florida.

Commented Gus: "Usually bands will brag about how they recorded their 'fastest song ever!' Well, we're proud to say that this is our slowest song ever and probably our heaviest one. With that said, 'Losing My Mind' has lots of different musical parts, tempo changes, thrashy grooves, cool leads, etc. Anyways, check out the song and I hope you bang your head while listening to it!"

Produced by Gus, "Few Against Many" was recorded with his longtime bandmates, vocalist Apollo Papathanasio, keyboardist/guitarist Bob Katsionis and bassist Petros Christo, at Valve Studio in Greece as well as the Sweetspot Studios in Sweden and sees the band expanding on its signature melodic sound with some of its most aggressive songs to date. The CD also marks the recording debut of new FIREWIND drummer Johan Nunez (NIGHTRAGE). The young Belgian is regarded by Gus as a "phenomenal talent," and anyone that witnessed him on the band's most recent world tour will no doubt agree.

"Few Against Many" track listing:

01. Wall Of Sound
02. Losing My Mind
03. Few Against Many
04. The Undying Fire
05. Another Dimension
06. Glorious
07. Edge Of A Dream (feat. APOCALYPTICA)
08. Destiny
09. Long Gone Tomorrow
10. No Heroes, No Sinners

The song "Edge Of A Dream" features a special appearance of Finnish cello superstars APOCALYPTICA.

While the album's standard version will be available in the CD format as well as LP and also as digital download, "Few Against Many" will also be released as limited-edition digipak CD with two special bonus tracks: "Battleborn" and an acoustic version of "No Heroes, No Sinners".

The "Wall Of Sound" video can be seen below. The clip was filmed by Colin Marshall during the band’s recent shows in Greece.

Commented Gus: "We wanted to do a different video this time, instead of the usual indoor studio shootings. So we figured we'd show the band in its comfort zone — on stage. The clip was shot on our most recent shows in Greece this past January and you can witness the mayhem that goes down when we play in our home country! Enjoy!"

FIREWIND 2012 is:

Bob Katsionis - Keyboards, Guitar
Apollo Papathanasio - Vocals
Gus G. - Guitar
Petros Christo - Bass
Jo Nunez - Drums

FIREWIND debuted two brand new songs — "Wall Of Sound" and "Losing My Mind" — during its headlining concert on January 14 at the Fuzz Club in Athens, Greece.

FIREWIND has already announced a few summer festival appearances (including Summer Breeze in Germany and Czech Republic's Masters Of Rock) and will play three shows in China and Taiwan at the end of August. The band will also embark on a European headlining tour in September/October with support from LEAVES' EYES.

"Losing My Mind" audio stream:

"Her Little 'Accident'", the new video from Los Angeles, California misanthropic sludge rockers -16-, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Tyson Montrucchio, who has previously worked with BRUTAL TRUTH and CATTLE DECAPITATION.

"Her Little 'Accident'" comes off the band's new album, "Deep Cuts From Dark Clouds", which was released on CD and LP in North America on April 24 and May 7 in Europe. The CD was recorded with the band’s friend and longtime engineer Jeff Forrest at Double Time Studios in San Diego, California and then mastered by PIG DESTROYER's Scott Hull at Visceral Sound Studios.The artwork was created by Orion Landau (RED FANG, RWAKE) and can be seen below.

The complete track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Theme From "Pillpopper"
02. Parasite
03. Her Little "Accident"
04. The Sad Clown
05. Ants In My Bloodstream
06. Broom Pusher
07. Opium Hook
08. Bowels Of A Baby Killer
09. Beyond Fixable
10. Only Photographs Remain

Commented -16- bassist Tony Baumeister: "We're very excited about the release of our new record. The addition of Mateo on drums opened a lot of doors for us creatively. We experimented with different time signatures, different tunings, and finally made the album we've wanted to make all along. The goal was to destroy our last record, and we feel like we achieved that. We can't wait to play these songs live. U.S. and European touring plans are in the works..."

"Her Little 'Accident'" video:

"Held In Light", a new song from PHILM — the Los Angeles-based experimental post-hardcore triumvirate featuring drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER), guitarist/vocalist Gerry Nestler (CIVIL DEFIANCE), and bassist Pancho Tomaselli (WAR) — can be streamed and downloaded for free below. The track comes off PHILM's debut album, "Harmonic", which will be released on May 15 via Ipecac Recordings.

"Harmonic" track listing:

01. Vitriolize
02. Mitch
03. Hun
04. Area
05. Way Down
06. Harmonic
07. Exuberance
08. Sex Amp
09. Amoniac
10. Held In Light
11. Dome
12. Killion
13. Mezzanine
14. Mild
15. Meditation

PHILM will play a special CD-release show on May 15 at The Viper Room in West Hollywood, California.

For more information, visit the PHILM Facebook page.

PHILM will give a free webcast performance on May 16 at 7 p.m. Pacific/10 p.m. Eastern, recorded at Bob Weir's TRI Studios and streamed directly via TriStudios.com and Yahoo! Music.

Viewers of the webcast can tweet along with the audience on Twitter by using #PHILMLive.

"When people hear about my involvement in PHILM, they automatically assume that it will compare to SLAYER's sound," explains Lombardo. "They couldn't be more different. I have scaled down my drum set to a four-piece, reminiscent of the drummers from the late '60s that influenced me. Each song is unique in itself, I like to refer to it as 'rhythmic emotion.' It's almost like taking all the heavy songs of the '60s and bringing that era to a modern plateau, then blending them with the modern trance and psychedelic sounds of today."

"We decided to record 'Harmonic' in the intimate setting of a home, with various vintage recording equipment," says Lombardo on the band's debut album. "The music was written collectively in an improvisational manner, unlike the majority of recordings I've done before. This was very important given this is my first recording where I'm carrying the title of producer and performer. The album achieves a dense, unholy convergence of tones and discords. We also touch on haunting, desolate, ambient sounds. Our music tends to be written in a manner where we never know the outcome until we listen back to what we recorded. A harmonic journey."

While there are elements of metal detected throughout PHILM's sound, the band manages to also incorporate such other styles as jazz, ambient, hardcore punk, experimental, and funk into its unpredictable, cacophony-heavy style. An obvious reason for this multi-genre amalgamation can be directly linked to the gentlemen that play alongside Lombardo in PHILM — Tomaselli is a longtime member of funk rockers WAR, and Nestler fronts prog metallists CIVIL DEFIANCE. Add it all up, and you get the wonderful world of PHILM.

In an interview with AOL's Noisecreep, Nestler stated about PHILM's formation, "Dave and I first got together in 1997 to start an original band. We later regrouped between SLAYER's scheduled tour dates in late 2009, playing some upstairs jams at the Rainbow in Hollywood. We then decided to restart our band. Pancho had met Dave a few years back at one Dave's drum clinics and we decided to invite him in."

Regarding PHILM's sound, Nestler said, "The music of PHILM is channeled through the many different influences of drum and bass, expressionism, and underground that ranges via ancient and indigenous to street. There are many different things that Dave and I have been into that have contributed to the vision of PHILM. Pancho's highly skilled bass playing, chordal color and shape have helped expand the overall sound instrumentation and groove. Dave Lombardo's drumming goes without comparison, except that it might be said, to quote Pancho that 'it's like playing with the seven, not four, horses of the Apocalypse behind you.'"

PHILM officially took form in late 2010 with a handful of tour dates and an early four-song demo that quickly began to make the rounds of in-the-know music critics. Noisecreep said the band "has crafted a crunchy, thrashy, yet thoroughly unclassifiable sound" and the OC Weekly said of the trio: "PHILM's ability to melt down metal influences and mix them with the elements of funk, ambient jazz and punk... is potent and has left audiences wondering how so much noise could emanating from just three musicians."

Ipecac Recordings is the brainchild of Greg Werckman (former label manager for the legendary punk label Alternative Tentacles) and FAITH NO MORE singer Mike Patton, who played with Lombardo in the eclectic supergroup FANTÔMAS.

Video footage of PHILM performing on May 29, 2011 at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California can be viewed below (courtesy of Metal Assault).

"Held In Light" audio stream: