Swedish black metallers MARDUK will release their 12th studio album, "Serpent Sermon", via Blooddawn Productions/Century Media Records on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway: Friday, May 25
Rest Of Europe: Monday, May 28
Spain, Italy: Tuesday, May 29
Sweden, Finland, Hungary: Wednesday, May 30
Australia, New Zealand: Friday, June 1
USA/Canada: June 5

"Serpent Sermon" track listing:

01. Serpent Sermon
02. Messianic Pestilence
03. Souls For Belial
04. Into Second Death
05. Temple Of Decay
06. Damnation's Gold
07. Hail Mary (Piss-Soaked Genuflexion)
08. M.A.M.M.O.N.
09. Gospel Of The Worm
10. World Of Blades

The song "M.A.M.M.O.N." is now available for streaming using the SoundCloud player below (courtesy of Metal-Hammer.de).

The album will be made available as standard CD, vinyl and limited-edition media book with an exclusive bonus track entitled "Coram Satanae".

A CD listening session for journalists and media was held in Stockholm on February 11.

Several photos from the studio can be seen at this location.

MARDUK will embark on a North American tour in June with support from 1349, WITHERED and WEAPON.

The band will play its first hometown show in Norrköping in over 12 years on April 28 at Skandiateatern.

MARDUK's latest EP, "Iron Dawn", was made available at the Maryland Deathfest in May 2011 and at the six North American shows that followed.

According to a press release, the songs included on "Iron Dawn" differ from the concept that is being created for the next full-length album. Therefore this EP was made available as a special treat for all MARDUK legionaries out there.

"Wormwood", the eleventh album from MARDUK, sold around 650 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 99 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.

"De Vermis Mysteriis", the new studio album from the Oakland, California hard rock band HIGH ON FIRE, can be streamed in its entirety at NPR.org. Due on April 3 via eOne Music, the CD was recorded in Salem, Massachusetts' GodCity Studios with producer and CONVERGE guitarist Kurt Ballou. The 10-song effort — touted as "direct, eye-opening and powerfully supernatural" — is the band's sixth studio recording and the follow-up to 2010's "Snakes For The Divine" which debuted at No. 62 on The Billboard 200 chart and has been called "wonderful" by The New York Times and "an exhilarating rush" by the Chicago Tribune.

"De Vermis Mysteriis" (or "Mysteries Of The Worm") takes its title from a fictional grimoire created by "Psycho" author Robert Bloch and incorporated by H. P. Lovecraft into the lore of the "Cthulhu Mythos" (Lovecraft mentioned "De Vermis Mysteriis" as one of the books that "repeat the most hellish secrets learnt by early man"). The album carries a deeply mystical undercurrent, incorporating fantastical themes and lyrics detailing, among other things, time travel, a serum called liao that is made out of a black lotus and "a Jesus twin who can see the past through his ancestors' eyes." And that's just scratching the surface!

Musically, "De Vermis Mysteriis" is absolutely explosive, showcasing the California power trio's thundering roar and expanded harmonic and rhythmic palettes while the songs move confidently through multiple riffs and movements. HIGH ON FIRE construct tough, burly stoner metal that is at once devastatingly epic and mercilessly metallic as superstar guitarist Matt Pike's sizzling ax and avenging-angel riffs fuse with Des Kensel's double-kick-drum onslaught and Jeff Matz's concrete crushing, Burton-esque bass guitar. Over the course of forty-five minutes, HIGH ON FIRE have created an amalgamation of fantastical lyrical ideas and brute force musicianship anchored in an endlessly captivating, punkishly frantic sound. Simply put, the band generates awesome on demand and has a virtual chokehold on monolithic-sounding, masterfully crafted epic music. HIGH ON FIRE is a savage bull in the china shop of modern metal.

When asked for comment on "De Vermis Mysteriis", Pike somewhat cryptically replied, "Prepare for your dark journey."

"De Vermis Mysteriis" track listing:

01. Serums Of Liao
02. Bloody Knuckles
03. Fertile Green
04. Madness Of An Architect
05. Interlude
06. Spiritual Rites
07. King Of Days
08. De Vermis Mysteriis
09. Romulus And Remus
10. Warhorn

In advance of the new album's release, HIGH ON FIRE will perform a number of live dates as part of the 2012 SXSW (South By Southwest) in Austin, Texas. The band is expected to preview new material at the shows.

EMI has set a March 26 release date for "En Vivo!", the new concert Blu-Ray, two-DVD set and double soundtrack album from legendary British metallers IRON MAIDEN. In addition to the Blu-Ray, the two-DVD will initially be available as a limited-edition double DVD in collectors' steel book case and double vinyl picture disc. As well as a traditional two-CD soundtrack album, "En Vivo!" will be available as a digital download CD soundtrack album and digital download video.

A trailer for the "En Vivo!" steel book DVD can be seen below.

"En Vivo!" was filmed on April 10, 2011 in front of over 50,000 ecstatic fans at the Estadio Nacional, Santiago during the "Round The World In 66 Days" leg of "The Final Frontier World Tour", and captures a magnificent performance by the band, ardently embraced by the legendary Latino passion and energy of their Chilean fans. With spectacular stage backdrops, dynamic musicianship and a literally jaw-dropping appearance by Eddie, this live show encapsulates to perfection the heart and soul of IRON MAIDEN 2011.

IRON MAIDEN bass player and founder member Steve Harris comments: "For 'The Final Frontier Tour' it was really important to me that we filmed in South America as we're always so overwhelmed by the fans' reaction when we go to that part of the world and I wanted to reflect that in the filming. After much consideration, we chose the Santiago show as we felt it was one of our best performances of the entire tour and to play at the prestigious Estadio Nacional was a landmark moment for us. For reasons known to our fans, it took a long time before we got to play our first show in Chile, and once we did get to play a show, the response was so phenomenal we just had to keep coming back and it's got better and better each time! This show also features the gigantic new Eddie. He wasn't due to make his appearance until our European leg of the tour later in 2011, but we managed to transport him across the sea in a special huge container just in time for the latter end of the South American dates so it was great we were able to immortalize him for the DVD as he really has to be seen to be believed!"

The concert was filmed digitally using 22 HD cameras and an octocam (a flying camera which captures aerial crowd scenes), recorded in both stereo and 5.1 audio and mixed by MAIDEN's longstanding producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley, all of which serves to accentuate the incredible atmosphere of this compelling performance. Extensive use is made of split screens so fans can follow the individual members closer and the set list moves seamlessly between songs from MAIDEN's most recent studio album, 2010's "The Final Frontier", through to classic fan favourites via the band's vast and varied catalogue (full set listing below).

DVD Disc Two is a bonus disc containing an 88-minute documentary, "Behind The Beast". This is also an entirely in-house production by MAIDEN's own Krew, led by Andy Matthews, and is intended as an interesting and revealing high-quality "home movie" for their fans of how to put on an IRON MAIDEN tour and what goes on behind the scenes at a show. It describes the extraordinary story of one of the most acclaimed and ambitious touring shows in the world. It illustrates the day-to-day life and complex tasks of the MAIDEN Killer Krew and the other characters behind the scenes. The expertise and experience, the problem-solving and successes, the sheer scale and immense difficulties of the undertaking comes to life through the day-to-day coverage of the tour and the background work of the crews in sound, lighting, carpentry, production and set design. As well as interviews with the IRON MAIDEN crew, it interweaves anecdotes from the band and their fans, and includes footage of the live show in this comprehensive guide to the intricacies of staging massive, live stadium shows around the world out of the belly of a Boeing 757. The bonus disc also contains an extended version of the promo video "Satellite 15…The Final Frontier", a video about the making of "Satellite 15…The Final Frontier" plus the opening video sequence to "The Final Frontier World Tour".

MAIDEN's "Final Frontier World Tour 2010-11" saw the band circumnavigating the planet for the third time in their customized Boeing 757, Ed Force One, piloted by lead singer Bruce Dickinson, and playing 98 shows in 36 countries to over 2 million fans.

DVD Disc One - "Live At Estadio Nacional, Santiago" (approximate running time: 120 minutes)

01. Satellite 15
02. The Final Frontier
03. El Dorado
04. 2 Minutes To Midnight
05. The Talisman
06. Coming Home
07. Dance Of Death
08. The Trooper
09. The Wicker Man
10. Blood Brothers
11. When The Wild Wind Blows
12. The Evil That Men Do
13. Fear Of The Dark
14. Iron Maiden
15. The Number Of The Beast
16. Hallowed Be Thy Name
17. Running Free

Bonus Disc - DVD Disc Two "Behind The Beast" (approximate running time: 102 minutes)

01. "Behind The Beast" documentary
02. "Satellite 15…The Final Frontier" promo video (director's cut)
03. "The Making of Satellite 15…The Final Frontier" promo
04. "The Final Frontier World Tour" Show Intro

Check out the "The Wicker Man" performance from the "En Vivo!" DVD below.

"The Wicker Man":

Swedish-language newspaper Dalarnas Tidningar (DT) from SABATON's hometown of Falun published a report earlier today (Monday, March 26) claiming that the band's current incarnation will go its separate ways, with vocalist Joakim Brodén and bassist Pär Sundström planning to continue the group with new musicians.

According to Dalarnas Tidningar, it is not presently clear what caused SABATON's most recent lineup to implode, and Brodén, who is also the band's main songwriter, was tight-lipped about possible personnel changes when reached by the newspaper. "I will not comment on it," he said.

When pressed further to confirm or deny the rumors, Brodén said, "I can't say anything as long as the tape recorder is on. But what I can say is that it's sad that such rumors are being spread."

SABATON's new album, "Carolus Rex", 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 previously published works include acclaimed biographies of Adolf Hitler and Karl XII. He also appeared in the popular Swedish TV series "Boston Tea Party".

SABATON will embark on a North American headlining tour next month. The "Swedish Empire Tour 2012" will kick off on April 10 in Tampa, Florida.

Former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis recently visited the EMG studios to film a live performance of two tracks — "Mercurial" and "Sibylline Origin" — off his forthcoming second solo album, "Plains Of Oblivion". Jeff's first performance video of "Jato Unit" in 2009 generated over 1 million hits on YouTube.

Brand new video footage of Loomis' performance of "Mercurial" can be seen below.

"Plains Of Oblivion" will be released on April 10 in North America (one day earlier in Europe) via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by Aaron Smith (7 HORNS 7 EYES) and features cover artwork by Colin Marks of Rain Song Design, who has previously worked with ALL SHALL PERISH, THE END and XERATH.

"Plains Of Oblivion" track listing:

01. Mercurial (feat. Marty Friedman)
02. The Ultimatum (feat. Tony MacAlpine)
03. Escape Velocity
04. Tragedy And Harmony (feat. Christine Rhoades)
05. Requiem For The Living (feat. Attila Voros)
06. Continuum Drift (feat. Chris Poland)
07. Surrender (feat. Ihsahn)
08. Chosen Time (feat. Christine Rhoades)
09. Rapture
10. Sibylline Origin

Pre-orders for "Plains Of Oblivion" are now available exclusively through CMDistro. A limited supply of pre-order packages including a CD, t-shirt and guitar pick are available for $22 and can be purchased here.

Loomis is currently taking part in the 24-date, coast-to-coast U.S. tour with PROTEST THE HERO, PERIPHERY, THE SAFETY FIRE and TODAY I CAUGHT THE PLAGUE.

Jeff is being accompanied on the stage by the following musicians:

* Joe Nurre (SHADED ENMITY) - Guitar
* Gregory Macklin (SYSTEM DIVIDE, ORDINANCE) - Bass
* Anup Sastry (INTERVALS, SKYHARBOR) - Drums

After Jeff's departure from NEVERMORE and the release of his solo debut — 2008's "Zero Order Phase" — fans have been craving a new album. With a number of influential musicians appearing on the upcoming release, Loomis is more than ready to deliver.

Jeff was the lead guitar player and main songwriter of NEVERMORE, a band that has certainly made its mark on modern music by forging a unique sound that fuses different forms of metal that has given birth to an authentic and very influential style. His solo CD, "Zero Order Phase", took the #4 spot in a April 2009 Guitar World magazine's readers' poll in the "Best Shred Album Of The Year" category — a notable accomplishment when you consider the top three vote-getters, Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen and Joe Satriani. Jeff has become one of his generation's most recognizable guitarists and the source of many of the last decade's best riffs.

Jeff's complex shredding has been a central part of the progressive power guitar scene since 1992 and is responsible for some of the most awe-inspiring riffs modern metal has ever heard. Nearly every aspiring musician who has been listening to metal for the past 10 years or so has undoubtedly had the pleasure of hearing Jeff Loomis' progressive and technically superior playing.

Loomis' first solo album, "Zero Order Phase", was released in September 2008 through Century Media Records.

"Frostrite", a brand new song from Norwegian avantgarde metallers BORKNAGAR, can be streamed on the band's Facebook page ("Like" required). The track comes off the group's new album, "Urd", which will be released March 27 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded with Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios (OPETH, PARADISE LOST, KATATONIA) in Örebro, Sweden.

The "Urd" artwork was designed by Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco, who has not only already worked on BORKNAGAR's previous "Universal" release but also with artists such as SOULFLY, BELPHEGOR, EINHERJER and KEEP OF KALESSIN.

"Urd" track listing:

01. Epochalypse
02. Roots
03. The Beauty Of Dead Cities
04. The Earthling
05. The Plains Of Memories
06. Mount Regency
07. Frostrite
08. The Winter Eclipse
09. In A Deeper World

BORKNAGAR recently recruited Baard Kolstad (ICS VORTEX) as its new drummer.

BORKNAGAR 2012 is:

* Øystein G. Brun (Cronian, ex-Molested) – Clean and Electric Guitar
* Vintersorg (VINTERSORG, FISSION) - Grim Vocals, Clean Vocals and Choirs
* Lars A. Nedland (SOLEFALD, ex-CARPATHIAN FOREST) - Keyboards, Clean Vocals, Choirs
* Jens F. Ryland (ICS VORTEX) - Lead Guitar
* ICS Vortex (ex-DIMNMU BORGIR, ARCTURUS, ICS VORTEX) - Bass, Clean Vocals and Choirs
* Baard Kolstad - Drums

Drums and percussion on "Urd" were performed by David Kinkade (SOULFLY, ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION).

"Roots" audio stream:

INCITE, the Phoenix, Arizona-based metal band fronted by Richie Cavalera — the stepson of SOULFLY/CAVALERA CONSPIRACY mainman Max Cavalera — has inked a deal with the Bay Area label Minus Head Records. The group is currently in the studio with producer Logan Mader (GOJIRA, SOULFLY, DEVILDRIVER) recording its new album for a late fall release.

"INCITE has a fresh take on thrash, [and] we're excited to be a part of it!" said Minus Head owner Brad Hardie.

INCITE released its debut album, "The Slaughter", in North America on October 20, 2009 and in Europe on November 2, 2009 via I Scream Records.

INCITE's current lineup is as follows:

Richie Cavalera - Vocals
Zak Sofaly - Drums
Kevin "Dis" - Guitar
Luis "Marrufo" - Bass

Richie Cavalera has made a number of guest appearances in the studio and on stage with both SOULFLY and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

INCITE will hit the road in the U.S. as the support act for SOULFLY starting on April 13 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Photo credit: Glen LaFerman

MIDAS FATE, the band featuring former RIOT/MASTERPLAN frontman Mike DiMeo, will release a new album, "Magnificent Rebel", on on July 24 in Europe and July 31 in North America.

The first sample of the forthcoming CD, a song called "Silent Scream", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

MIDAS FATE released the "What Dreams May Come" single in January 2011. It was mixed by Paulo Brancaccio at Diesel Studio and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studio.

MIDAS FATE is:

Mike DiMeo - Lead Vocals, Choir
Vitor Campos - Guitar, Choir
Renato Videira - Bass, Choir
Felipe Vieira - Drums, Choir

Guest musicians:

Christian Trivelatto: Piano, Keyboards
Rafael Videira: Violin, Viola

São Paulo, Brazil-based metallers KAMALA have completed work on their new album, "The Seven Deadly Chakras", with producer Ricardo Piccoli (SHADOWSIDE, HEPTAH BLÜE BARREL) and are currently seeking a suitable record label to release the effort.

Commented KAMALA singer/guitarist Raphael Olmos: "MS Metal Records showed interest in releasing our work in Brazil. We trust in their work, but we're still looking for other proposals, to make sure this albums gets the recognition it deserves."

He added, "'The Seven Deadly Chakras' is a 100% conceptual album. It has 14 tracks, seven being about the seven deadly sins, and the other seven about the chakras. The idea behind the album is that every sin affects the chakras, where one side shows the search for equilibrium and the other shows the dark side of the human being."

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on "Apocalyptic Love", the second solo album from legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES), can be streamed at Amazon.com.

Due on May 22 via his own label Dik Hayd International distributed through EMI, the CD will follow his 2010 debut album, "Slash", and his November 2011 first-ever live solo album, the two-CD/DVD set "Made In Stoke 24/7/11". Notably, the "Slash" album debuted on The Billboard 200 chart at #3 (#1 on the Rock chart, #1 on the Independent chart, and #1 on the Hard Music chart). Digitally, the album also became the #1 overall digital album and hit #1 on iTunes in 13 countries. Internationally, the disc achieved Top 5 chart positions in over a dozen major territories, hitting #1 in both Japan and New Zealand.

In the U.K., "Apocalyptic Love" will be released on May 21 in exclusive Classic Rock Fan Pack form — providing a unique collectable package containing the studio album with bonus tracks alongside a specially created magazine with unseen behind-the-scenes content put together by Classic Rock. The Fan Pack format will also come with free gifts, including a pin badge and artwork poster and will be available to buy via more than 2000 retail outlets on newsstands nationally as well as the traditional high street and online music retailers. Roadrunner Records will simultaneously release the record digitally. The standard physical release of the Slash album will follow through Roadrunner Records on June 18.

For the new album, Slash — along with and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass) — teamed with producer Eric Valentine, who also produced the "Slash" disc. All the songs were written together by Slash and Kennedy, and cameras have been rolling throughout the entire making of the album.

"Apocalyptic Love" track listing:

01. Apocalyptic Love
02. One Last Thrill
03. Standing In The Sun
04. You're A Lie
05. No More Heroes
06. Halo
07. We Will Roam
08. Anastasia
09. Not For Me
10. Bad Rain
11. Hard & Fast
12. Far And Away
13. Shots Fired

Slash is currently shooting a "dark" video for the song "You're A Lie" with director Anthony Leonardi III. Leonardi is also helming the first feature film produced by Slash, called "Nothing To Fear", which was recently picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment. The movie is the first of a proposed series of horror films produced by Slash's company, called Slasher Films, which he launched last year in partnership with two other producers. The film began shooting last month in Louisiana, with Anne Heche and others confirmed for the cast.

"You're A Lie" can be streamed in its entirety at RollingStone.com.

"'You're A Lie' is the second song I brought to the band in 2011 during the last tour," explains Slash. "We worked on it at soundcheck somewhere, I can't remember where. It's gone through some minor changes along the way, mainly the chorus. But for the most part, it's remained true to its original arrangement. I can't wait to play this live."

Massachusetts metallers SHADOWS FALL will release their new album, "Fire From The Sky", on May 15 via Razor & Tie. The CD was recorded at Zing Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts with longtime friend, producer/engineer and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/TIMES OF GRACE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz. Adam D., who has previously manned the boards on albums by ALL THAT REMAINS, AS I LAY DYING, UNEARTH, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and EVERY TIME I DIE, was also intimately involved in the writing of the new SHADOWS FALL material.

The cover artwork for "Fire From The Sky" was designed by Aaron Marsh of Forefathers and can be seen below.

Commented Marsh: "When presented with the idea, I wanted to deliver an aesthetic that would go beyond the 'typical' or ‘assumed.’ I wanted to embrace a perspective and emotive value that could be carried with the context of the record itself. While I knew this would be challenging and end up stylistic to one degree or another, I still wanted the viewer to get this overwhelming and brooding sense of chaos that could otherwise be imagined when putting themselves in that very scenic situation — supposing this record was the soundtrack to their own apocalyptic movie."

SHADOWS FALL filmed a video for an as-yet-undisclosed new song on March 21 at an abandoned building in Brooklyn, New York.

The band recently wrapped up a string of intimate headlining warm-up shows in select cities before heading to Australia for this year's Soundwave Festival.

Fan-filmed video footage of SHADOWS FALL performing the new song "Fire From The Sky" in Australia can be seen below.

SHADOWS FALL's last album, "Retribution", came out on September 15, 2009. A concert DVD/CD, "Madness In Manila: Shadows Fall Live In The Philippines 2009", followed on October 25, 2010 via Everblack Industries/Ferret Music. The set included over 60 minutes of footage that was shot on April 30, 2009 at the Pulp Summer Slam in Manila, Philippines as well as a live audio CD.

Bassist Robbie Crane has officially quit RATT, the band he had played with since 1997. During an appearance on this past Thursday's (March 22) edition of the "Headbangers At 11" show on the 93.3 KDKB radio station with host Mike Gaube, Crane stated about his decision to leave RATT, "I've been playing in LYNCH MOB since October of 2010. It's a thing that I've always loved doing, and I love playing with the band. As of recently, I've moved on from RATT — I definitely quit RATT — and I let them all know that. But you know what?! Iit's not because of LYNCH MOB. I'd been with RATT for 15 years and it was time to move on. I love being in LYNCH MOB and this is where my heart's at."

A short audio clip of Crane announcing his decision to leave RATT on 93.3 KDKB's "Headbangers At 11" can be streamed using the player below.

Guitarist Marc Rizzo (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY) has laid down a guest guitar solo on the forthcoming full-length album from the Los Angeles hardcore band STRIFE. The group enlisted longtime friend Igor Cavalera (SEPULTURA, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY) to play drums on the CD, which is being produced by TERROR drummer Nick Jett (TAKE OFFENSE, LIONHEART). Igor laid down the drum tracks at Mix Nova Studios in Brazil, with additional recordings taking place at Blood Tracks Studio and Sunset Lodge in Los Angeles. Producer Matt Hyde (HATEBREED, SLAYER) will take care of the mastering duties in April.

Commented STRIFE guitarist Andrew Kline: "Igor absolutely killed the drum tracks. He played a lot more straight-forward than he normally does to fit our style, and then added the right fills and touches to really stand out."

A final release date, label, cover art and additional information on STRIFE's first CD since 2001's "Angermeans" will be revealed in the near future.

Cavalera previously made a guest appearance on STRIFE's second album, 1997's "In This Defiance".

STRIFE is:

Rick Rodney - Vocals
Andrew Kline - Guitar
Chad Peterson - Bass
Todd Turnham - Guitar
Pepe Magana - Drums

Italian progressive rock/metal band KINGCROW has entered the studio to begin recording its new album, "In Crescendo", for a late 2012 release.

A four-minute video clip featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the studio can be seen below.

KINGCROW's latest CD, "Phlegethon", was released in May 2010 via Scarlet Records.

According to a press release, "Describing [KINGCROW] today is quite a difficult task, but one could state that the influence of such artists as PORCUPINE TREE, RIVERSIDE, OPETH, ORPHANED LAND or even DREAM THEATER in their more subtle moments are all present in the music of KINGCROW. With each release KINGCROW has taken a step further away from their original roots as a classic hard rock/metal band and is today one of the most exciting bands that Italy has to offer."

KINGCROW is:

Diego Marchesi - Lead, Backing Vocals
Diego Cafolla - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ivan Nastasi - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Thundra Cafolla - Drums, Percussions
Cristian Della Polla - Keyboards, Synths
Francesco D'Errico - Bass

Danish death metallers DAWN OF DEMISE have inked a multi-album deal with Unique Leader Records. The band's third full-length album, "Rejoice In Vengeance", will be released this summer.

According to a press release, DAWN OF DEMISE "has always emphasized on heaviness and catchiness and with three successful releases under their belt, their recipe for death metal has remained the same, staying true to the pit-fueled, aggressive, slam-orientated style."

Commented the band: "It is an honor to have signed a multi-album deal with Unique Leader. The label has released so many killer albums and must be one of the premier death metal labels around. PYREXIA, INVERACITY, DECREPIT BIRTH, AEON, DEEDS OF FLESH, SPAWN OF POSSESSION, etc. We are beyond proud to have our name added to that roster and we are looking forward to see what the future might bring."

DAWN OF DEMISE's second full-length album, "A Force Unstoppable", was released in January 2010 via Deepsend Records.

The band's debut CD, "Hate Takes Its Form", arrived in January 2008 via Deepsend. The CD was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (ABORTED, MERCENARY, NIGHTRAGE). A follow-up EP, "Lacerated", also came out in 2008.

DAWN OF DEMISE is:

Scott Jensen - Vocals
Bjørn Jensen - Bass, Backing Vocals
Thomas "Hotdogger" Egede - Guitar
Martin Sørensen - Guitar
Simon Blaabjerg - Drums

"Autistic Savant", the new video from Finnish technical death metallers DE LIRIUM'S ORDER (DLO), can be seen below. The clip, which was directed by Heikki Oinonen (MEDEIA), was filmed in freezing conditions — minus 30 degrees Celsius — in an abandoned factory in Joensuu, Finland.

According to a press release, "Autistic Savant" "concentrates on autistic savants, some of whom possess extraordinary capabilities such as prodigious memory or superior musical ability. The savant syndrome is largely a mystery despite of the extensive amount of research that has been conducted on the subject.

"A special notion on the video is that the band's drummer, Ukri 'Uge' Suvilehto, who has achieved close to one million YouTube hits with his acclaimed drum videos, was playing with high fever, making the difference in temperature between him and the surrounding environment close to 70 degrees! The video also includes scenes shot underwater."

"Autistic Savant" comes off DE LIRIUM'S ORDER's third album, "Veniversum", which was released on March 23 via DLO Productions, distributed by Inverse Records.

According to a press release, "Veniversum" is "not to be taken lightly — its compelling sounds, myriad instruments, and incredible solos combined with unprecedented musical madness leaves you puzzled and wanting more.. will you survive this blasting inferno?"

"Veniversum" track listing:

01. Autistic Savant
02. .44
03. Maximum Sentence
04. Seppuku
05. The Gravity of Crime
06. Schizophrenic
07. My Kingdom from Baekdu
08. The Aftermath

Die neue Metal Band MISSION IN BLACK setzt sich aus ehemaligen Mitgliedern von Mystic Prophecy und Spellbound zusammen und das alleine ist eigentlich schon Garant für hochwertige metallische Kost. Die Band hat jetzt die neue 4 Track EP 'Black Infect' veröffentlicht!

"Black Infect" Track List:

1. Mission In Black
2. Holy War
3. Immortal
4. Legendary Drunk (...And Ordinary Wasted!)

Austrian extreme metallers MASTIC SCUM have issued the following update:

"In deep sadness we have to announce that our friend and ex-member Will [vocals] died by accident on Friday 23rd of March. We are all very shocked about his tragic death. Will joined MASTIC SCUM in 1993 and left the band in 2008. We had a great time and lot of experiences together. R.I.P., Will — we'll see us in another life!"

MASTIC SCUM parted ways with Will in 2008 due to "musical differences" and replaced him with Maggo Wenzel (INZEST, TRISTWOOD, WATCH ME BLEED).

The official video for the MASTIC SCUM song "Face 2 Face", taken from the band's 2002 album "Scar" (Cudgel Agency/Twilight Distribution), can be seen below.

MASTIC SCUM's latest album, "Dust", was released on November 13, 2009 via Twilight Distribution.

Die symphonischen Speed Metaller PATHFINDER aus Polen befinden sich mitten in den Aufnahmen ihres zweiten Albums mit dem Arbeitstitel "Fifth Element". Es wird 11 neue Songs und enthalten mit jeweils einem Coversong als Bonus für Europa und Asien, wo das Debut-Album außerordentlich erfolgreich war. In den Handel kommt das neue Album am 26. Mai 2012 via Sonic Attack Records.

"Fifth Element" Track List:

01. Ventus Ignis Terra Aqua 3:00
02. Fifth Element 8:50
03. Ready to die between Stars 5:30
04. The day when I turn back Time 6:15
05. Chronokinesis 5:35
06. March to the darkest Horizon 8:35
07. Yin Yang 4:30
08. Elemental Power 4:50
09. Ad Futurum Rei Memoriam 5:00
10. When the Sunrise Breaks the darkness 6:20
11. Vita 2:0
12. Startakus and the Sun beneath the Sea (Cover Song) European Bonustrack
13. If I could turn back time (Cover Song) Japanese Bonus Song

Mad Max's roots run deep. Featuring vocal powerhouse Michael Voss (Casanova, Michael Schenker), the German act came together in 1981, releasing four albums before going their separate ways in 1989. After some years apart, the band reunited in 1999 and have been delivering their brand of high octane, hook-filled hard rock ever since.

Next week, Mad Max will release Another Night of Passion, their 10th studio record and sequel to their popular 1987 album, Night of Passion. "Rocklahoma," one of the tracks off the new album, is named after the famed American hard rock/metal festival that the band played in 2009 and 2010. The song is the perfect tribute to the era of music the festival embraces.

Noisecreep is proud to bring you the exclusive premiere of Mad Max's "Rocklahoma."

Only one week to go until the Wolfsnaechte tour starts. Time to let you all get an idea of what to expect of the ceremonies to come, isn´t it?
Well, there you go: Here´s a brandnew videoclip for a live-version of "Sanctified with dynamite", shot during the show in Saarbruecken some weeks ago. Enjoy, and make sure to get your Wolfsnaechte-Tickets in time - see you all on tour!

Wolfsnächte-Tour 2012
POWERWOLF
+ MYSTIC PROPHECY
+ STORMWARRIOR
+ LONEWOLF
30/03/12 – DE - Lindau - Club Vaudeville
31/03/12 – AT – Woergl – Komma
01/04/12 – DE - Ludwigsburg – Rockfabrik
05/04/12 – DE – Hannover – Musikzentrum
06/04/12 – NL – Kerkrade – The Rock Temple
07/04/12 - CH – Zizers – Eventstage
08/04/12 – BE – Mons – PPM Fest
09/04/12 – DE - Augsburg – Spectrum
13/04/12 – DE – Langen – Stadthalle
14/04/12 – DE – Berlin – C-Club
27/04/12 – DE – Speyer - Halle 101
28/04/12 - DE - Geiselwind – Musichall
29/04/12 - DE - Hamburg – Markthalle
30/04/12 - DE - Bochum – Matrix

Die Schweizer Hard Rock Band POLUTION wird ihr neues Album "Beyond Control" am 25. Mai 2012 via Escape Music veröffentlichen. Die Band hat jetzt die "Beyond Control" Track List und das Cover Artwork enthüllt. Außerdem könnt ihr hier im Player in den neuen Song "Follow me" reinhören!

"Beyond Control" Track List:

01. Rising Danger
02. Fire
03. Live until you die
04. Forever and a day
05. Follow me
06. Prefix
07. The Band
08. War
09. Flying
10. RIP
11. Bite me
12. All-in