Finnish metalcore group SINKING CHARLIE has just released a new EP, entitled "Shelter".

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Siamese Amazement
02. Nap Stitches
03. Shelter

According to SINKING CHARLIE's official bio, the band was formed in June 2011, after the previous incarnation of the lineup with a different name disbanded, due to musical/artistic differences. The early musical influences were taken mostly [from] the Swedish melodic death metal scene and elements of black metal were heavily present."

SINKING CHARLIE's debut release was a two-song single, which was unleashed upon the world at the end of 2011 trough White-Noise Music Publishing.

SINKING CHARLIE is:

Niko Finnilä - Vocals
Markus Suomela - Guitar
Sami Arvonen - Guitar
Henri Piispanen - Bass, Clean Vocals
Henri Kopra – Drums

For more information, visit the SINKING CHARLIE Facebook page.

Indian progressive metal band SKYHARBOR will release its double-disc debut album, "Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos", on April 23 via Basick Records. The CD promises to be a landmark release for the Indian independent music scene, in no small part thanks to the incredible number of international guest appearances it will see, including the likes of Marty Friedman (ex-MEGADETH), Daniel Tompkins (ex-TESSERACT), Vishal J. Singh (AMOGH SYMPHONY) and Sunneith Revankar (BHAYANAK MAUT).

Commented SKYHARBOR guitarist Keshav Dhar: "After four years of epiphanies and disappointments, frustration and jubilation, I’m thrilled to finally be getting our debut album out. It has taken three years to write and another to produce, and what I am most proud of is that I feel each song stands on its own, and while they span a wide range of ideas, sounds and stories, they all belong. Having been able to collaborate with some of the finest names in modern music was the icing on the cake, and I hope people enjoy this album as much as I have enjoyed creating it."

Starting out as a simple bedroom studio project, guitarist Keshav Dhar has seen SKYHARBOR quickly evolve into one of India's hottest metal prospects, with huge admiration coming in from some of the biggest names in metal worldwide. An astonishing amount of buzz also surrounded the bands first ever performance at the Bacardi NH7 Festival in Pune, India earlier this month, where they played to over 1,000 people and were one of the weekend’s highlights.

The track "Maeva" has been released for streaming from the forthcoming album and can be experienced here.

"Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos" track listing:

Disc One (running time: 34 minutes 20 secons)

01. Illusion: Dots
02. Illusion: Order 66
03. Illusion: Catharsis
04. Illusion: Night
05. Illusion: Aurora
06. Illusion: Celestial
07. Illusion: Maeva

Disc Two (running time: 13 minutes 38 seconds)

08. Chaos: Trayus
09. Chaos: Aphasia
10. Chaos: Insurrection

Californian blues-rockers RIVAL SONS are back in the studio throughout February to record their new album, due later this year via Earache Records. The CD is being laid down at Honey Pye Studios in Nashville, Tennessee with Grammy-nominated producer Dave Cobb, who has worked on all three previous releases from the band, and Grammy-winning engineer Vance Powell.

RIVAL SONS once again teamed up with video director Greg Ephraim for the "All Over The Road" video, which can be seen below

RIVAL SONS frontman Jay Buchanan commented: "Just like in the last video, there was no green screen used for this one. We actually did drive a Cadillac through outer space with a bunch of hot, naked chicks in the backseat. I haven't seen a final edit yet because they're trying to lower it to at least an 'R' rating. We'll see if that actually happens."

"All Over the Road" is taken from RIVAL SONS' new album, "Pressure And Time", which is out now worldwide on CD and limited-edition audiophile vinyl, as well as on iTunes with two exclusive bonus tracks.

RIVAL SONS was nominated for two Classic Rock awards, in the categories of "Best New Band" and "Best Album".

Finnish heavy metal monsters LORDI will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the release of their debut album and the 20-year anniversary of LORDI's conception (then just featuring the band's mainman, Mr. Lordi) the by issuing a new CD/DVD, entitled "Scarchives Vol. 1", containing rare and previously unreleased material.

Commented LORDI mainman Mr. Lordi: "The [proposed] box set will NOT come out as a box per se. The items that were supposed to be in the box will be released separately item by item. The reason for this unforeseen change of plans is that all the planned items in the physical box would have raised the production costs so high that the very small, limited quantity of the box would have put the price of each individual box probably unbearable for most of the fans. So it was decided that the best solution is to divide the set in parts. This way the price of each item will not be as pricy, and everyone can decide for themselves what items they want and can afford. So, in a way, the contents of the box set are coming, but the actual physical box is not."

He continued, "The first part to be released is a CD/DVD. It will include the very first unreleased LORDI album, 'Bend Over And Pray The Lord - The Heavy Rock Album' (CD) from 1997. The original booklet is included with no touch-ups whatsoever, plus a long story about making the album. As bonus tracks, 'Get Heavy', which was added to the album a bit later on, is included, as well as 'Hulking Dynamo', produced and mixed by late TT Oksala for 'Get Heavy' in 2002, with little additional work done this year by Mikko Karmila. The other part is a DVD, which includes the very first LORDI show from Nosturi, Helsinki 2002. The show was filmed by multiple cameras, and it is completely unfixed and none of the mistakes and embarrassing moments are edited out. The setlist includes, naturally, all the 'Get Heavy' songs. As a bonus, commentary track by myself and a gallery of all the unreleased merchandise from that era."

"Babez For Breakfast", the fifth studio album from LORDI, sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 43 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.

Polish female-fronted traditional heavy metal act CRYSTAL VIPER will release its new album, "Crimen Excepa", in Europe on April 27 and in the U.S. on April 24 via AFM Records. The concept effort about holy inquisition, black magic and witches, where fiction is mixed with historical facts, was produced by Bart Gabriel (SACRED STEEL, JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR) and recorded with sound engineer Mariusz Pietka (MORTICIAN, LONEWOLF).

"Crimen Excepta" will feature two special guests: David Bower, vocalist of HELL will appear in the title track, while VADER mainman Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek will be heard in the cover version of the classic VADER song "Tyrani Piekiel", which will be available as the bonus track on the first, limited edition of the album.

"We already announced that fans should expect the unexpected," says CRYSTAL VIPER frontwoman Marta Gabriel. "The new album is different than everything CRYSTAL VIPER did in the past. Of course it's still traditonal metal, and it's still CRYSTAL VIPER — but this time, everything was different, starting from the compositions, through our attitude and inspirations, up to equipment we used and the recording session itself."

She adds, "It was amazing to have Peter in the studio. We all are huge fans of VADER, and I think he was also amazed when he heard how our voices sound together in this heavy metal version of 'Tyrani Piekiel'. And when you will hear the lines of William The Judge recorded by David of HELL, you will have your jaw on the floor. We had."

CRYSTAL VIPER's last album, "Legends", was released in October 2010 via AFM Records. The CD's lyrics were based on the original Polish legends from the middle ages. The effort's cover artwork was painted by the French artist Chris Moyen, who has previously worked with SLAYER, TRIVIUM, BEHERIT and BLASPHEMY.

Former RAMONES drummer Marky Ramone has inked a deal with Simon & Schuster to publish his memoirs. He says, "It will be a book written just by me. For sure, out 2013."

Marky Ramone is best known for the 15 years he spent drumming for the legendary RAMONES. Marky appeared in the cult classic film "Rock n Roll High School" in 1979, performed over 1700 shows and recorded over 15 albums (studio, live) with the RAMONES. In 2002, Marky and his bandmates became the first punk rock ensemble to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Marky's radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio was rated the #2 show on the Faction channel in 2009. Also appearing on various TV shows (including Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" and IFC's "Z Rock"), Marky shows no signs of slowing down as he continues to tour the world with his new band, MARKY RAMONE'S BLITZKRIEG, also featuring Michale Graves (ex-MISFITS) on vocals, Crazy Joe on guitar and Graham Vanderveen on bass. The band plays all the classics that lead to Marky's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame!

Two original members of Chicago doom legends TROUBLE — vocalist Eric Wagner and drummer Jeff "Oly" Olson — have joined forces with the band's longtime bassist Ron Holzner in a new heavy rock/doom metal act called THE SKULL.

When asked why they decided now was the right time for THE SKULL to come together, Ron told Metal Kaoz, "The 'TROUBLE aam' set at last year's Days Of The Doomed Fest [in Kenosha, Wisconsin] was the catalyst for this whole thing. Eric and Oly hadn't had the chance to talk much before [Days Of The Doomed Fest], and then when I got there the next day and we all got to hang out and talk... it was really nice! Playing 'End Of My Daze' with the whole fucking crowd singing... that's what it's all about! We all looked at each other on stage and simply went, 'Wow!'"

He added, "All of us have our [respective] bands that are doing well, but the fans really want to hear the old [TROUBLE] songs the way they're meant to be heard.

"After the [Days Of The Doomed] fest, Eric basically said to me, 'Let's start a band!', and after that night the three of us thought, 'That would be cool.' We want to give the fans to the best of our ability what they deserve. When people speak loud enough, you hear it. Well, we hear it! We're doing this because we want to, and because the fans want us to. It's all about the fans. The fans spoke out, and the fans have been heard.

"The thing is, we can't just sit back and not listen to the fans. We want to go out and have fun and play the old songs. We don't have to go out and do this because we all have our own bands that are doing well with records coming out. We're doing this because we want to, and because the fans want us to."

Olson was equally enthusastic about the formation of THE SKULL, telling Metal Kaos in an e-mail, "[I'm] excited to jam some TROUBLE again! [I] was a little worried there would be some drama with the fans, like with the two L.A. GUNS bands performing the same material, but there is nothing I want more than a reunion with all TROUBLE members. For now, this will do."

Wagner, Olson and original TROUBLE bassist Sean McAllister shared the stage for the first time since 1986 during Olson's RETRO GRAVE set on June 18, 2011 at the Days Of The Doomed Fest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Video footage of Wagner, Olson and McAllister performing the song "Victim Of The Insane", which was written by Olson for TROUBLE's full-length debut "Psalm 9" (1984), can be viewed below.

TROUBLE formed in 1979 and released several classic albums like "Trouble", "Manic Frustration" and "Plastic Green Head".

Eric was one of the guest singers on Dave Grohl's (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS) heavy metal side project PROBOT, whose 2004 album featured heavy metal vocalists from the '80s and '90s. Wagner also makes a guest appearance in the forthcoming horror film "Jezebeth" (written and directed by Damien Dante of Satania 6 Films), to be released on Blu-ray in early 2012.

Eric Wagner left TROUBLE in April 2008, citing his disdain for the touring life as the main reason for his departure.

According to SF Weekly, a rare and valuable bass guitar belonging to EVANESCENCE bassist Tim McCord was stolen from the San Francisco apartment he shares with his girlfriend.

On Tuesday, shortly after McCord's girlfriend, Ashley Dunlop, left for work at 8:15 a.m., someone broke into their apartment in San Francisco's Panhandle neighborhood, and stole, among many other valuables, McCord's Yamaha bass guitar that had been handed down to him by his father after he died.

"He is absolutely heartbroken," Dunlop told SF Weekly. "It is the most important possession he has and it means the world to him. To have that taken — he was broken by it."

Read more from SF Weekly.

The lyric video for "Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion", a brand new track from Swedish experimental extreme metallers MESHUGGAH, can be seen below. The songtitle is an excerpt from a quote by philosopher, physician, organist, and 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Schweitzer: "Revenge… is like a rolling stone, which, when a man hath forced up a hill, will return upon him with a greater violence, and break those bones whose sinews gave it motion."

"Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion" comes off MESHUGGAH's new album, "Koloss", which will be released in Germany on March 23 and the rest of Europe on March 26 (March 27 in North America) as a CD digi, limited-edition Magic Cube (CD digi plus DVD exclusive to Nuclear Blast mail order) and two-LP brown vinyl via Nuclear Blast Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. I Am Colossus
02. The Demon's Name Is Surveillance
03. Do Not Look Down
04. Behind The Sun
05. The Hurt That Finds You First
06. Marrow
07. Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion
08. Swarm
09. Demiurge
10. The Last Vigil

In a recent intervie with MSN's metal music section Headbang, MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake stated about the band's decision to call the new album "Koloss", "It's not so much like a theme, it's kind of how the overall album is more towards something heavier than anything that we've ever done. We wanted something that had that sound to it, something monolithic, something huge. Also a few things that tied into that was the stress and anxiety that a few of us went through up until we started recording this album because of previous sessions where we felt we were doing things the wrong way. That lingers with you, you don't want to do the same mistakes again, you want to save the mental health of a few in the band as well, try to do things another way. So it felt like a colossal thing to get out of the hat this time, even though it went smoother in a lot of ways. Also once we knew what artwork we were using, because it's not artwork that was designed for this album, it was an existing piece of art by this Russian artist Luminokaya, we just fell in love with the piece and we found out it hadn't been used for anything, so we could buy the rights for it. Once we saw that, and we already had the title 'Colossus', we had that song in there, we just felt like this creature on the cover looks like, is it a god, is it a devil, what is it? The word 'Koloss' just fit for some reason."

Regarding how the band found the album artwork, Haake, "I don't even remember, I think I was just looking through random art online probably three or four years ago I saw this guy's art the first time. I got in contact with him, and initially he was supposed to do something for the album but we trailed off into other things and we didn't stay in touch for a while. I just took for granted that the piece had been used for something already, but when I finally asked him he said no, it was up for grabs. He's done a lot of additions and renditions and versions of it for the whole layout, so he's spent a lot of time on it too, and we're really stoked that we ended up using this art."

Regarding the suggestion that "Koloss" sounds like MESHUGGAH deliberately tried to expand its sound even more than on "ObZen", Haake said, "We definitely pushed ourselves hard with 'ObZen', too, but maybe that one feels even more like a flirtatious thing with the stuff we were doing earlier on and the stuff we grew up with. I still feel there's some of that on this one too, with the different tunings, and a couple of the songs are actually written for six-string guitar and not all of them being really down-tuned eight-stringed stuff. That's definitely to get that old-school thrash vibe in there, even though the music is different, of course. There's definitely a little bit of that going on this album, too. But apart from that, we basically tried to create something that we find intriguing. We always try to find new ways of writing our own music, so to speak, to see if there's an additional lateral movement, a sideways step that we can take for ourselves to feel that we did something new with this one and that we pushed ourselves into doing something that came out cool and refreshing. That's kind of what we always aim for, and this time it came out like this."

Released in March 2008, MESHUGGAH's last album, "obZen", debuted at No. 59 on The Billboard 200 chart and at No. 14 on the iTunes Top Rock Albums chart.

MESHUGGAH's first DVD, "Alive" sold around 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 8 on the Top Music Videos chart.

"Crucify", a brand new song from British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST, is available for free download at CenturyMedia.com (e-mail sign-up required). The track comes off the band's new album, "Tragic Idol", which will be released on April 24 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media Records. The CD was recorded in part at The Chapel studios in Lincolnshire, England and features cover art by by Parisian designer Valnoir, who has previously worked with MORBID ANGEL, LAIBACH, ULVER and WATAIN, among others.

Stated PARADISE LOST singer Nick Holmes about "Crucify": "My father always used to say that typical life stresses were crucifying him. I always thought it was such a dramatic way of stating that. He was just uncomfortable with a situation that would soon be remedied. I also refer to an actual person as a literal crucifixion at the end. The words 'for eternity you’re my sentence' is my favorite line on the whole album."

In other news, PARADISE LOST will embark on a U.K. headlining tour this April. To celebrate the event, PARADISE LOST will have a very limited number of VIP tickets available (10 per show) which you can purchase online from the band's web site.

Commented singer Nick Holmes: "This is a pretty extensive U.K. tour for us. I'm speechless and excited. It's nice to know there's a WH Smith in every town we play"

The dates are as follows:

April 16 - Cardiff, England - Great Hall 2
April 17 - Southampton, England - The Brook
April 18 - Folkestone, England - Quarterhouse
April 19 - Colchester, England - Arts Centre
April 20 - Stoke, England - Sugarmill
April 22 - York, England - The Duchess
April 23 - Glasgow, Scotland - King Tuts
April 24 - Sheffield, England - Corporation
April 25 - Wolverhampton, England - Slade Rooms
April 26 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
April 27 - Manchester, England - Club Academy
April 29 - London, England - Scala
April 30 - Norwich, England - Waterfront

PARADISE LOST's last full-length effort, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us", came out in October 2009.

The band recently released the "Draconian Times MMXI" DVD via Century Media.

Sony Music reissued PARADISE LOST's seminal 1995 album "Draconian Times" through the "Legacy" series; featuring the entire digitally remastered album, including a 5.1 Dolby Surround mix in a brand-new collector's edition digipak box set, so fans could hear the album like never before. Along with this release, the band performed "Draconian Times" live at a series of seven exclusive gigs this past spring in Utrecht, Bochum, London, Paris, Athens, and Thessaloniki.

"Draconian Times MMXI" features the London show at The Forum on April 1, 2011, a documentary from the whole tour filmed by the band's bass player Steve Edmondson, interviews about the history of "Draconian Times" with producer Simon Efemey, Nick Holmes (vocals), Greg Mackintosh (guitar), Aaron Aedy (guitar), Steve Edmondson (bass) and Andy Farrow (manager since 1990) and the two promo videos from PARADISE LOST's latest album, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us".

"Bodiless Sleeper", a brand new song from Swedish tech-death assassins SPAWN OF POSSESSION, can be streamed below (courtesy of GuitarWorld.com). The track comes off the band's third full-length album, "Incurso", which will be released in North America on March 13 via Relapse Records. The CD, which will contain nine tracks plus an instrumental intro, was recorded at Pama Studios in Kristianopel, Sweden with engineer Magnus "Mankan" Sedenberg.

According to a press release, "devastating riffs, jaw-dropping time-signatures and improbably complex songwriting coalesce to create an opus of next-level death metal on 'Incurso', which the band promises to be their most supreme work to date, and more devastating than ever."

The "Incurso" cover art was created by graphic artist Pär Olofsson (IMMORTAL, IMMOLATION, DYING FETUS) and can be seen below.

"Incurso" track listing:

01. Abodement
02. Where Angels Go Demons Follow
03. Bodiless Sleeper
04. The Evangelist
05. Servitude of Souls
06. Deus Avertat
07. Spiritual Deception
08. No Light Spared
09. Apparition

The song "Where Angels Go Demons Follow" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

As previously announced, SPAWN OF POSSESSION will embark on a month-long European tour in March as the support act for labelmates OBSCURA. Also scheduled to appear on the bill are GOROD and EXIVIOUS.

SPAWN OF POSSESSION (Jonas Bryssling: guitar, Dennis Röndum: vocals, Erlend Casperson: bass, Henrik Schönström: drums, Christian Münzner: guitar) formed in 1997 and has previously released two full-length albums. The band's latest CD, "Noctambulant" (2006, Neurotic Records), received international critical acclaim for its blend of musical chops and unfettered extremity.

"Bodiless Sleeper" audio stream:

Greece's Rock Overdose recently conducted an interview with Finnish quitarist Timo Tolkki (STRATOVARIUS, REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE, SYMFONIA). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Rock Overdose: You announced a retirement after the fact that SYMFONIA would not go on as a band, and a lot of fans were surprised by this. What was the story behind that?

Timo: I simply said that in the present market situation, it is not possible to earn an income by being a professional musician. My career spans over 20 years in STRATOVARIUS plus the other works. So it was a simple rational decision. We are going to see more bands from the middle league falling in the next 3-5 years simply because record companies are dying themselves and they take the last bits there are to take and it's gonna make the situation even worse. It was the same situation with REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE. Music business is firstly becoming boring and predictable and secondly it is dying.

Rock Overdose: So, I suppose that you will focus to your solo career from now on?

Timo: I dont know, man. The same situation applies to a possible solo career. In this moment, I am not doing anything and maybe I never will record anything anymore for commercial purpose. We ll have to see what happens in the next years.

Rock Overdose: Your last album of your solo career was 2008's rock opera "Saana - Warrior of Light Pt. 1". We must wait for "Part 2" now or…?

Timo: "Saana" was a fun album to make to experiment for the first time with three singers singing a story. It was very very cheaply done but it does have my key message in it, my life philosophy in there. I really dont think there will be part 2, but if I am going to record something still, I am sure it could be something like musical or maybe more rock- or metal-orientated story with a lot of dynamics.

Rock Overdose: There are some rumors that some old members of STRATOVARIUS will form a group named STRATO. Did they approach you to play with them? Are you thinking to do it?

Timo: Yes, it's true. We have met many times in the last two years. Me, Tuomo Lassila (the founding member of STRATOVARIUS) and Antti Ikonen went to see Roger Waters' "The Wall" in Helsinki together. We have talked about making an album called "Return To Dreamspace". I wrote to STRATOVARIUS and asked if we could use the name for this one album because there is the founding member of the band involved and who invented the name. We got a vicious letter from the lawyer that we will be sued immediately if we would use the name. It just shows the attitude and it is sad to see that a band that once had life and soul in it is now a simple franchise. A money-making machine except that the industry situation gets to them as well. Jörg Michael [drums] decided to leave the band because he did not like the music the band was heading to. Now he plays in some Greek band, I think. STRATOVARIUS will not exist anymore in five years.

Read the entire interview from Rock Overdose.

Quebec's resurrected dark metallers MOONLYGHT have been rejoined by their original bassist Christian Jacques. The band states, "Christian played bass in MOONLYGHT from 1995 to 1998 and during that period he laid down his bass tracks on our first demo, 'Midwinter Melodies', besides participating with us for the composition of many songs.

"Christian has great musical knowledge. He played, among others, in the Quebec punk band MAP, but also with traditional music group MAUVAIS SORT. He is also author-composer-interpreter (he will release a solo album on February 21) and finally in the punk band ACHIGAN. Christian is very happy to work with us on that third opus!"

MOONLYGHT will enter the studio this summer to record its third album, "Return To Desolation". Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Return To Desolation", "Human Rememberance", "Dwelling In Earth's Shadow", "A Distant Illusion Of Freedom" and "The Sweet Poisonned Light".

Commented MOONLYGHT mainman Sebastien Robitaille: "I think that the essence of the 'new' MOONLYGHT 2012 is much more complete than what we've ever done in the past on 'Progressive Darkness' and 'Shining'."

MOONLYGHT is currently searching for a label home.

The band's sophomore album, "Shining", came out in March 2008 via Mankind's Demise Records (with Galy distribution).

MOONLYGHT re-released its first album, "Progressive Darkness" (originally issued in 2002 on the now-defunct Metal Disk Records), in 2004 via Sweden's Escapi.

U.D.O., the German metal band led by former ACCEPT frontman Udo Dirkschneider, will release a "rare-tracks" album with some very special gems for the fans. Entitled "Celebrator", the effort will be made available on April 20 via AFM Records. The group is currently finalizing the track listing for the CD, the details of which will be announced later this month.

U.D.O.'s November 16 perormance at Hristo Botev Hall in Sofia, Bulgaria was professionally filmed for the band's next official live DVD, due in 2012.

U.D.O.'s latest album, "Rev-Raptor", was released on May 20, 2011 via AFM Records. The recordings for the CD took place between June 2010 and February 2011 at Roxx studios (owned by U.D.O. guitarist and ex-ACCEPT drummer Stefan Kaufmann) in Pulheim, Germany. The effort was mastered by Manfred Melchior at MM Sound Digital studios in Steinhagen, Germany. The album's cover artwork is once again a comic-like motif: but the "Dominator" character is this time "a lot more effectual and colorful," according to a press release.

Century Media Records, the Finnish Metal Expo, Inferno magazine, Terrorizer magazine and Imperiumi.net joined forces in 2010 to find the "Suomi Metal Star 2011." Around 240 Finnish bands signed up to take part in the contest and 12 were selected to be voted on by the public prior to the end of that year. The four finalist bands played at the Finnish Metal Expo in Helsinki in February 2011 and it was ODDLAND from Turku who won over the majority of the jury members with its brand of sophisticated prog metal/rock — described as a cross between DEVIN TOWNSEND, OPETH and KATATONIA.

After spending months writing new material, ODDLAND will finally release its debut album, "The Treachery Of Senses", on April 30. The effort will be made available as regular CD and digital download.

"This record was long in the making, as most of the tracks were already composed when we got signed by Century Media, but even the older songs evolved a lot during pre-production," says ODDLAND vocalist/guitarist Sakari Ojanen. "We feel that in the end we succeeded in making a great record as a whole, rather than just a collection of individual songs."

He adds, "Working with Dan Swanö was very satisfactory — he really helped us attain the sound we were after. Also worth mentioning is the contribution of Samu Oittinen at Fantom Studios, who helped us nail the organic sound we wanted for the raw tracks.

"We feel there isn't too much of this kind of music out there, so hopefully 'The Treachery Of Senses' won't go unnoticed. In the end, we couldn't be happier with the outcome — we feel we made a killer debut album."

Swanö states: "One of the best albums I have mixed. Ever! Incredible songs, stellar musicianship. I am proud to be a part of this amazing record!"

ODDLAND teamed up with Elton Fernandes to perfect their artistic vision for "The Treachery Of Senses" album. Check out the cover artwork below.

"The Treachery Of Senses" track listing:

01. Above And Beyond
02. Flooding Light
03. In The Eyes Of The Mourning
04. Aisle Of Array
05. Past The Gates
06. Still The Spirit Stays
07. In Endless Endeavour
08. Sewers
09. Lines Of Silver Blood
10. Ire

ODDLAND was formed in 2003 when four 18-year-old "wimps" decided to play heavy music to as a mental anti-acne medication. The mental acne never disappeared, but neither did the passion to play overdriven music with captivating melodies and intense energy. So far they made two recordings: the EP "Connecions Critical Behind" (2007) and the demo/promo "Away From The Watching Eye" (2009).

For more information, visit the ODDLAND Facebook page.

"Superskum" (web site) conducted an interview with Anna Murphy of Swiss folk metallers ELUVEITIE before the band's February 7 concert at the Gothic Theatre in Englewood, Colorado as the support act for CHILDREN OF BODOM. You can now watch the chat below. Also available is performance footage from the Englewood show.

ELUVEITIE has joined CHILDREN OF BODOM on the Finnish metallers' North American headlining tour in celebration of the band's 15th anniversary. The trek kicked off on January 30 in Rochester, New York and will run through March 4, hitting 26 cities over the course of the five-week jaunt. Boston-based extreme metal band REVOCATION and Canada's THREAT SIGNAL are also on the bill.

ELUVEITIE's new album, "Helvetios", was released in Europe on February 10 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at New Sound Studio in Pfäffikon, a municipality in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland, with producer Tommy Vetterli (a.k.a. Tommy T. Baron; CORONER/ex-KREATOR guitarist). According to the band, Vetterli "record[ed] drums, guitars and vocals and also produc[ed] and mix[ed] the record. Most folk instruments and also vocals [were] recorded by Anna Murphy and Marco Jencarelli at the Soundfarm studios in Lucerne."

"Helvetios" track listing:

01. Prologue
02. Helvetios
03. Luxtos
04. Home
05. Santonian Shores
06. Scorched Earth
07. Meet The Enemy
08. Neverland
09. A Rose For Epona
10. Havoc
11. The Uprising
12. Hope
13. The Siege
14. Alesia
15. Tullianum
16. Uxellodunon
17. Epilogue

Interview:

"Asesino", the new video from Chilean thrashers KRUDO, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "Demencial", which was released last month via Digmetalworld. The clip was directed and edited by Mario Ruiz, with camera work by Amaro and Mario Ruiz.

"Demencial" track listing:

01. Hacia La Demencia
02. Biotipo Criminal
03. Cuando La Mente Se Ciega
04. Asesino
05. Desierto
06. Dueños Del Orden
07. Carne Muerta
08. En Mi Agonía
09. Almas Carniceras
10. Progenitor

KRUDO is:

Cristian Arriola: Vocals
Giordano Moglia: Guitar
Mario Ruíz: Guitar
Lucio Pérez: Bass
Roberto Zúñiga: Drums

For more information, visit KRUDO's Facebook page.

FOO FIGHTERS were honored with a Grammy in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 54th annual Grammy Awards, which are being held tonight (Sunday, February 12) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. FOO FIGHTERS were nominated for the track "White Limo", from the band's 2011 album "Wasting Light".

The nominees in this year's "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category were as follows:

* DREAM THEATER - "On The Backs Of Angels"
* FOO FIGHTERS - "White Limo"
* MASTODON - "Curl Of The Burl"
* MEGADETH - "Public Enemy No. 1"
* SUM 41 - "Blood In My Eyes"

To be eligible for nomination, an artist's work must have been released between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011.

The 54th annual Grammy Awards are once again being broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

In an effort to continuously evolve its Grammy Awards process, The Recording Academy announced in April 2011 that it had restructured the Grammy categories across all genres and fields, bringing the total number of categories to be recognized at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012 to 78 from 109. As a result, instead of separate "Best Metal" and "Best Hard Rock" performance prizes, there is now a single "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" award.

For a complete list of nominees, go to this location.

Fan-filmed footage of TRIVIUM performing a cover version of METALLICA's classic track "The Four Horsemen" on February 10 at the Summit Music Hall in Denver, Colorado can be seen below. TRIVIUM played the song as a three-piece, with vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy watching his bandmates — Corey Beaulieu (guitar), Paolo Gregoletto (bass) and Nick Augusto (drums) — from the side of the stage (Corey handled lead vocals in the track).

In a 2010 interview, Heafy was asked who inspired him the most when he was first starting out as a musician. "If it weren't for James Hetfield [METALLICA], I literally wouldn't be here," he said. "I mean, I know that there are a lot of other musicians, in that band as well, especially from the 'Black Album' era, but it was Hetfield who really brought me into metal. To see their live shows and see what a commanding presence he was, and to see how good of a guitar player he is. So, he got me into everything, then I bridged out from there."

TRIVIUM has joined forces with Swedish metallers IN FLAMES for a co-headining North American tour in January/February. Support on the trek is coming from VEIL OF MAYA and KYNG.

TRIVIUM's latest album, "In Waves", sold 22,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on The Billboard 200 chart — the highest U.S. chart entry of the band's career. The group's previous CD, "Shogun", opened with just under 24,000 units back in October 2008 to debut at No. 23. The effort followed up "The Crusade", which registered a first-week tally of 31,000 copies in October 2006 to enter the chart at No. 25.

"Where Orchidectomy And Mastitis Street Meet Is Why I Will Die", the new video from Sydney, Australia-based metallers KUNVUK, can be seen below. This is the third and most ambitious music video from the independent metal band so far. Shot across eight different locations, stretching across thousands of kilometres, culled from over 200 individual clips and taking 10 months to compile, the epic nine-minute music video was directed by Luis Barra, the band's bass player.

KUNVUK is currently working on the follow-up to its debut album, "Immute:Jackals", which is expected to be released in May.
"Immute:Jackals" was recorded, engineered, mixed and produced by the band's lead guitarist/vocalist David Hart and mastered by Rick O'Neil (FAITH NO MORE, GRINSPOON, BOB DYLAN) at Turtlerock Mastering.

Recorded at the band's own Shadow Mekanik Studios, "Immute:Jackals" was released as a two-disc, DVD-sized, eight-panel digipack with 24-page booklet. The first disc contained 12 new compositions rallying from the brink of insanity to the pinnacle of clarity. Coupled with this was a second disc which contained the reconstructed, re-recorded, remixed and remastered version of the band's demo EP, "The Gone Mekanik Anticipation Demonstration".

For more information, visit www.kunvuk.com.

German death metallers DEADBORN, who feature in their ranks former members of NECROPHAGIST and JACK SLATER, have inked a deal with Apostasy Records. The band's sophomore album, "Mayhem Maniac Machine", will be released on April 20. The nine-song CD was again recorded at Iguana Studios (NECROPHAGIST) with producer Christoph Brandes.

"Mayhem Maniac Machine" rack listing:

01. Premises Of Cryonics
02. Profanatic Reanimation
03. Bionic Abomination
04. Insane Motor Cortex
05. Replicants Device
06. Slaves Of Megatron
07. Reinvented Power Process
08. Second Order Cybernetics
09. Kraftwerk D

The song "Bionic Abomination" is available for streaming using the SoundCloud player below.

DEADBORN's debut album, "Stigma Eternal", came out in October 2007 via Massacre Records.

DEADBORN is:

Mario Petrovic (ex-NECROPHAGIST) - Vocals
Slavek Foltyn (ex-NECROPHAGIST) - Drums
Jo Morath - Rhythm Guitar
Kevin Olasz (ex-JACK SLATER) - Lead Guitar

Dutch death/thrash metallers DEVIOUS have entered Soundlodge Studios in Rhauderfehn, Germany to begin recording their new EP, tentatively titled "Wolfhagen". Due on May 11, the seven-minute effort will include five new songs and two previously unreleased bonus tracks.

The bass tracks on the new EP are being laid down by Alwin Zuur (ASPHYX) following the departure of Daniël Centiago.

"Wolfhagen" will mark the recording debut of DEVIOUS' new singer, Dennis Lusseveld, who joined the band in November.

DEVIOUS' third full-length album, "Vision", was released in December 2009 via Deity Down Records.

For more information, visit www.devious.nl.

According to IceNews, the State Alcohol and Tobacco Company of Iceland (ÁTVR), which has a monopoly in sales of alcohol in Iceland, has refused to sell a red wine marketed under the branding of the heavy rock band MOTÖRHEAD. The decision was taken because the name is apparently a nod to amphetamine abuse and because the band sings about war, unsafe sex and drugs.

Hjörleifur Árnason, the wine's Icelandic importer, has now appealed the case to the parliamentary ombudsman.

Although ÁTVR has a monopoly on alcohol retail in Iceland, importers and distributors are able to deal directly with bars, restaurants and cafés; meaning the MOTÖRHEAD brand could still be sold in the country and can now expect a higher profile following this controversy.

The English word "Motorhead" is a slang term for an amphetamine addict and furthermore the band sings about war, abuse of power, irresponsible sex and substance abuse, ÁTVR said.

Read more from IceNews.

For more information on the MOTÖRHEAD wine, visit www.motorheadwine.com.

The original lineup of KILLING JOKE will release its new album, "2012" (MMXII), on April 2 via Spinefarm Records. The effort will be released in CD hardcopy and digital formats. It will also be made available on double colored gatefold vinyl.

The album's key is the end of times, an age of flux, a shift in consciousness…

"I can't see the point contemplating extreme life extinction — it's good for nothing. It's nihilism in the absolute even considering it," states KILLING JOKE mainman Jaz Coleman.

This kind of thinking sets the tone for this powerful record, with 2012 and the state of flux the key issue…

"It's in many different calendars — the great unveiling, the sky and the earth coming together. It's a significant date. In the autumn, there is a major planetary alignment, and on that day I'm doing this rock festival, 'A Party At The End Of The Earth', which is going to be in New Zealand. Everything is speeding up. It's not just our minds shrinking. We are heading towards the Eschaton and no-one really knows what's going to happen."

The album reflects this dark vision, but Jaz Coleman sees the great change in a more positive light — the dawning of the Age Of Aquarius…

"All the remote viewers I know, myself included, cannot penetrate beyond," he says. "This year is about getting our collective dreams in order, restoring the biosphere, the idea of well-being as opposed to economic growth, the idea of partnership and co-creation with fellow human beings, moving away from national boundaries and more towards what Schiller and Beethoven were saying in some of their work."

The album's themes are political, anti-capitalist and forward-looking…

"If we can concentrate on what it can be, the dream of clean streams, of re-forestation, of permaculture, of disengaging all the banks — identifying all the majority shareholders of the top 100 corporations and dismantling them," Coleman says. "If we start dreaming of a fairer system and defining what an elite should be – an intellectual powerhouse and not international bankers."

Jaz laughs that wild laugh and stares.

"This is what I'm touching on with the songs; 'Fema Camp' is about the concentration camps they have been building in America; 'Corporate Elect' needs no explanation; 'Rapture' is the way I perceive a KILLING JOKE concert – it's a spiritual experience for myself to get into that state of grace… music is the theme of mantra. I'm not into organised religion at all, but I've always liked what Fela Kuti did in Nigeria, playing music like it was a temple. Maybe we will evolve into a time where we will be performing for ritualistic and spiritual reasons alone and not for monetary reasons?"

"There's a song called 'On All Hallows Eve', which is about my belief in ancestor worship, backed up by quantum theories that there is no death. You only ever remember the time-line that you are alive in — you can't remember being dead because you never were. 'Colony Collapse' is about what's happening, what's going on out there. 'Poleshift' is the first track on the album and about the potential polar shift of the earth's magnetic field, its erratic behaviour, and also the polar shift that will be needed."

The 11 album tracks are an avalanche of sound that is empowering whilst jolting you awake. They are as fascinating as chatting with Coleman, as he talks of future humans living forever but with no emotions, and of the Age Of Aquarius and the cycles of time, the shift in the earth's electro-magnetic field, the end of extreme capitalism, the Arab Spring and how his trips to Cairo to record music have added to his belief that when Cairo falls everywhere else follows…

"2012" is possibly KILLING JOKE's best album ever, and fittingly Mike Coles, long-time KILLING JOKE collaborator and artistic genius, has completed the artwork.

To celebrate the album's release, KILLING JOKE is streaming the track "Rapture" as a taster on YouTube.

"2012" formats and track listing:

CD/Digital Album

01. Pole Shift
02. Fema Camp
03. Rapture
04. Colony Collapse
05. Corporate Elect
06. In Cythera
07. Primobile
08. Glitch
09. Trance
10. On All Hallow's Eve

Double Colored Gatefold Vinyl

Side A:

01. Pole Shift
02. Fema Camp

Side B:

01. Rapture
02. Colony Collapse
03. Corporate Elect

Side C:

01. In Cythera
02. Primobile
03. Glitch

Side D:

01. Trance
02. On All Hallow's Eve

iTunes exclusive track

11. New Uprising

When their original line-up of Jaz Coleman, Geordie, Youth and Big Paul reconvened in 2008 after working together intermittently, that strange voodoo once again filled the room. Individually, they have a power, but together they have something sulphurous and strong that few bands can match. KILLING JOKE are not an average band with an average agenda; they lock the door and let the ritual commence, and "2012" is the result.

Guitarist Russ Strahan (HOUNDS OF HASSELVANDER, PENTAGRAM, LAND OF DOOM) has issued the following statement:

"In light of recent statements and after much thought, I have decided to not pursue THE BONES OF CHILDREN project with Kory Clarke [vocals; WARRIOR SOUL, TROUBLE].

"I have been working on several projects as of late doing studio work for Joe Hasselvander, DOOMSDAY and several other projects I cannot disclose at this time.

"I wish Kory all the best with his future endeavors and hope to see you all when I am back out on the road."

Clarke announced this past week that he was leaving Chicago doom metal legends TROUBLE to start THE BONES OF CHILDREN with Strahan.

Dayton, Ohio radio station New Rock 103.9 The X conducted a short interview with Marilyn Manson on February 10. During the chat, which can be streamed below, Manson revealed that the first single from his upcoming album "Born Villain", a song called "No Reflection", will be released in May.

In a separate interview with Alan Cox on the Ohio rock station 100.7 WMMS, Manson said, "The first single you'll be getting shoved up your ears very soon is called 'No Reflection'." He went on to say, "The record’s done, shooting the video, I think next week." He added, "It's got a very special bonus track on it, features a good friend of mine. I won't mention his name yet. He plays guitar and he's very very well known in different things."

Marilyn Manson's eighth studio album, "Born Villain", will be made available later in the year through Cooking Vinyl Records.

The singer last September unveiled a new music video for the song "Born Villain" directed by actor Shia LaBeouf. Manson and the "Transformers" star met at a KILLS concert, when LaBeouf, a longtime Manson fan, struck up a conversation. LaBeouf said, "He's a big deal to me, and in my childhood, I don't know of a scarier figure in art. He, in my teenage years, was the scariest thing in the world, so part of me has always been intrigued." LaBeouf offered to direct Manson's next video and the singer agreed after LaBeouf showed him a clip he had directed for a band called CAGE. LaBeouf said that Manson is "like a brother to me now. He's a real sweet dude, a real close friend."

Drummer Ginger Fish (real name: Kenneth Robert Wilson) quit MARILYN MANSON in February 2011 and has since joined ROB ZOMBIE. He has been replaced by the Los Angeles-based drummer Jason Sutter.

MARILYN MANSON in 2009 parted ways with longtime record label Interscope following the disappointing sales performance of the shock-rocker's latest album, entitled "The High End Of Low".

"The High End Of Low" was Manson's first album with longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez since 2000's "Holy Wood".

22-year-old Norwegian seven-string guitarist/singer/songwriter The Commander-In-Chief will release her debut EP, "Evolution", on February 15. The effort was produced by Sterling Winfield (PANTERA, HATEBREED, HELLYEAH), who previously mixed The Commander-In-Chiefs' "brutal, adrenalin-fueled" cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Paranoid" (audio stream avialable in YouTube clip below).

According to a press release, "the recording process of the EP was very different from what normally happens in studio these days, so Sterling Winfield made a statement about it.

He said, "I would first like to say thank you again to 'The Commander' and Elisabeth Hagen for giving me the opportunity to work on such an original project. It is refreshing to work on a recording that is nothing like everything else that is going on in music currently. Furthermore, as a producer and engineer for the last twenty-one years, I feel that the following needs to be said for many reasons: I am very proud to acknowledge the fact that what you are hearing is all 100 percent musician-played performances! During the course of listening to these songs, you will NOT hear one drum hit that was moved around, placed on a grid, 'sound replaced' or augmented in any way whatsoever. You will also NOT hear Auto-Tune, Melodyne or any other vocal-tuning software of ANY kind!

"That being said, I will answer the burning question looming in your minds… Yes, The Commander-In-Chief played ALL of the guitars you're hearing and sang every single note. Not only did she do all of this, but she did it all with more great attitude, and professionalism than a lot of the veteran musicians I know that have been doing this almost longer than she has been alive. All of the musicians that played on this project were truly great! They all performed above and beyond the call of duty and I was proud to be a part of it. I think that it is important to mention these things so that listeners and musicians alike can see that music can be made without all of the trappings or abuse of digital recording tools. This experience was also proof to me that there are musicians out there that still take pleasure in playing/singing and relying upon the discipline it takes to do so."

In a 2010 interview with Metal Express Radio, The Commander-In-Chief stated about her music, "I used to call it hybrid rock; the power of rock with the message of punk, and the catchiness of pop inspired by metal techniques. NOW my music has taken a more heavy direction than last year, so it's less punk and more metal."

Regarding her name, The Commander-In-Chief, she said, "I wanted a powerful artist name, since I've always been doing my own thing and still am. I do all the songwriting, guitar playing, singing and I write all the lyrics. For the first demo I made in Chicago I also made my own animated music video which generated quite a buzz on MySpace and gave me all my first fans. I also created illustrations for all my songs, mixing the music with visual arts. I don't do that anymore though, as I just don't have the time."

For more information, go to this location.

Denver, Colorado-based metallers ARCANIUM have entered Mercenary Studios in Zion, Illinois with producers Scott Creekmore and Shaun Glass (SOIL, DIRGE WITHIN) to begin recording their sophomore album, to be released later in the year via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

The first in a series of video blogs featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the new studio sessions can be seen below.

Originally formed in March 2007, ARCANIUM set forth to unleash an unabashed musical barrage on unsuspecting hard rock and metal fans worldwide.

In their relatively short existence as a band, ARCANIUM has toured with such bands as MEGADETH, MACHINE HEAD and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and has earned a respectably loyal fan base throughout the state of Colorado.

ARCANIUM released a self-titled EP in 2008 and followed it up with a debut album, "The Architects", in 2009.