A 13-year-old MACHINE HEAD fan by the name of Anthony Potenza joined the band on stage this past Sunday, January 29 at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, New York to perform their song "Aesthetics Of Hate".

Potenza — who has been playing guitar for two and a half years and says he is "self taught" — was brought up on stage after he held up a sign that said "Let This 13-Year-Old Play 'Aesthetics Of Hate' With You."

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

In a post on his Facebook page, Potenza wrote about the experience of playing with MACHINE HEAD, "It was so fun just looking up and seeing only people like it never ended; it was amazing." He added, "[The band] hung out with me after the show they were all so nice. I can't wait for them to come back."

MACHINE HEAD is currently headlining a North American tour with support from SUICIDE SILENCE and DARKEST HOUR.

More details on "Oro: Opus Primum" — the first installment of the new two-album series from Italy's supernatural doom sorcerers UFOMAMMUT — have this week been confirmed.

Already known for their attention to detail with each release, including incredibly detailed and quality artwork and packaging, as expansive and layered as every obliterating UFOMAMMUT release is musically, this time they take it one notch higher and have completed a massive two-part album, set for release months apart.

Now confirmed for release in the U.K. on April 9, throughout the rest of Europe on April 13, and in North America April 17, this week the artwork and track listing for the incredibly anticipated first installment of the series — "Oro: Opus Primum" — have been unveiled for the first time.

"Oro: Opus Primum" track listing:

01. Empireum
02. Aureum
03. Infearnatural
04. Magickon
05. Mindomine

The second chapter in this monolithic two-part album, "Oro: Opus Alter", will be released sometime in September with more details to be unveiled throughout the months following "Opus Primum".

2012 will see UFOMAMMUT expanding their touring circles wider across the face of the planet in support of "Oro". Stay tuned throughout the year as more details on the release and the act's tour schedule are confirmed.

Vocalist Jesse Leach, who left Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE in 2002, was asked by Australia's Loud magazine if he has been approach to rejoin the band following the recent exit of his replacement, Howard Jones. "I'm not going to comment," he responded. "Everyone wants to know… I'd rather those guys go through what they've got to go through and whenever they make that decision… They're good friends of mine, so I'm respecting their space at the moment. It's more fun, more mystery, too; you don't have to know everything. These days everybody is on Facebook and tweeting everything that happens. What's happened to the mystery of music and not knowing everything?"

He added, "My viewpoint is to respectfully step back from the situation and support them. Whatever decision they make will be the right one for them and I look forward to what it is."

Leach spent most of the past year touring with TIMES OF GRACE, his collaborative project with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE members Adam Dutkiewicz (guitar) and Joel Stroeltzel (guitar). That band's debut album, "Hymn Of A Broken Man", came out in January 2011 via Roadrunner Records.

Jones issued a statement regarding his departure from the group, which was announced earlier in the month. Jones wrote in part, "I've had a pretty interesting couple of years, to say the least, battling with some personal issues. One of the low points being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes that went unchecked for years. The rest of the band stuck with me through it, and, to be honest, they are the ones that kept me going. The whole experience definitely put a scare in me."

He continued, "Recently we've all been in writing mode, but somehow I couldn't get excited about the new album and all the touring that would go with it. The guys saw it before I did. In hindsight, I now realize that my heart wasn't in it."

Jones thanked the rest of the band for "an amazing decade," adding, "I have so many good memories, and those are the ones that I will keep."

The band said in its statement, "We love Howard and are thankful for the nine years that we've had him in the band. Out of respect for everyone involved we will not be discussing the specific reasons behind this decision. Howard is a part of our family and always will be, and we wish him well."

No replacement has been found yet for the 41-year-old Jones, who joined KILLSWITCH in 2002. Jones sang on the band's last three studio efforts, including 2009's self-titled set.

RIOT guitarist Mike Flyntz has issued the following statement regarding the passing of his bandmate, RIOT's founding guitarist Mark Reale:

"I would like to thank everyone for the support and love regarding the passing of my dear friend Mark Reale. I have had the honor to stand next to him on the stage and in the studio for over 22 years. Mark gave me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of recording and writing records, and also touring in support of those records. I was a fan first, getting his autograph after a RIOT show at L'Amour [in Brooklyn, New York] when I was in college. Mark was a shy man who didn't talk much unless he was being interviewed or on the phone. Lord knows he could talk on the phone. Mark also loved to laugh. One part of our special relationship was that we could laugh until we were crying, and he would be lying on the floor yelling 'please stop' and after five minutes of silence, all I had to do was look at him and it would start all over. I will forever cherish those moments. As far as a musician, he is the most underrated guitarist, songwriter, riff-creator, visionary in rock music. He should be in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame for his vibrato alone. Listen to his vibrato. His sense of melody was incredible. He taught me so much.

"There is so much more I need to say about my friend, but I have been at a loss of words since his passing. The only comfort I have is that he is out of pain."

Reale died Wednesday (January 25) in a San Antonio hospital due to complications of Crohn's disease — an ailment he had battled for most of his life. He was 56 years old.

Reale had reportedly been in a coma for the past two weeks after suffering a subarachnoid hemorrhage on January 11.

Mark is survived by his father, Anthony Reale, and was preceded in death by his mother, Frances Reale.

Mark spent most of his life working and performing while enduring almost constant pain and the side effects of treatment for Crohn's disease. He was in Texas bravely attempting to practice for the shows, but was felled by a severe onset of Crohn's symptoms, leaving him in the Intensive Care Unit at an undisclosed facility. Mark was struggling with these symptoms throughout the production of RIOT's new album, "Immortal Soul", and guitarist Mike Flyntz recorded a major portion of the guitars on the LP with Mark's creative direction while Reale was unable to perform.

Video footage of members of CHILDREN OF BODOM, ANNIHILATOR and TRISTANIA performing karaoke-style cover versions of several popular standards on the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise — which set sail Monday, January 23 aboard the Royal Caribbean Majesty Of The Seas from Miami, Florida to George Town, Cayman Islands and returned four days later — can be viewed below.

For more karaoke performances, click here.

The following bands performed on this year's cruise:

ALESTORM
AMORPHIS
ANNIHILATOR
ATHEIST
CANDLEMASS
CANNIBAL CORPSE
CHANNEL ZERO
CHILDREN OF BODOM
CORONER
DARK FUNERAL
DIAMOND PLATE
EDGUY
ELUVEITIE
EXCITER
GOD DETHRONED
GRAVE DIGGER
HAMMERFALL
IN EXTREMO
KAMELOT
KATAKLYSM
MASSACRE
MEGORA
MOONSORROW
MY DYING BRIDE
NIGHTWISH
OVERKILL
PENTAGRAM
PESTILENCE
PRETTY MAIDS
RIOT
SAMAEL
SAPIENCY
STRATOVARIUS
SUFFOCATION
TANKARD
THERION
TRISTANIA
VENOM
VICIOUS RUMORS
VIRGIN STEELE
WHIPLASH

For more information, visit www.70000tons.com.

"Live And Learn", the first video from OBEY THE BRAVE, the new metal/hardcore band featuring former members of DESPISED ICON and BLIND WITNESS, can be seen below. The clip was directed and edited by acclaimed Montreal director Jessy Fuchs and it "showcases exactly what the band is all about: raw music paired with an in-your-face attitude," according to a press release.

"I didn't expect this much love or hate on the web already," said current OBEY THE BRAVE singer and former DESPISED ICON frontman Alex Erian. "I guess we're doing something right. We still have dues to pay as a band though and we're working hard on what matters the most: actually playing music, working on a killer record and doing everything we can to get back on tour. So stoked on our new material and can't wait to share it with you all."

In the meantime, OBEY THE BRAVE has been keeping busy, booking dates back home across Quebec. The band also has more Canadian touring plans in the works in Ontario and the Maritimes this winter but for now, you can catch them at the following shows:

Feb. 17/11 - Sherbrooke, QC @ Le Magog
Feb. 18/11 - St-Hyacinthe, QC @ L'Espace Temps
Feb. 20/11 - Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
Mar. 02/11 - Kemptville, ON @ Leslie Hall
Mar. 03/11 - St-Jerome, QC @ Cafe d'en Face
Mar. 09/11 - Kingston, ON @ TBA
Mar. 10/11 - Toronto, ON @ Rockpile
Mar. 15/11 - Quebec, QC @ L'Agitée
Mar. 16/11 - Chicoutimi, QC @ TBA
Mar. 17/11 - Trois-Rivieres, QC @ L'App-Art
Mar. 23/11 - Victoriaville, QC @ Club Aramis
Mar. 24/11 - Rimouski, QC @ [to be announced]
May 06/11 - Gatineau, QC @ Heart Fest

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/obeythebrave.

CALL ME NO ONE, the new project featuring SEVENDUST members Clint Lowery (guitar) and Morgan Rose (drums), entered the studio on January 22 to begin recording its debut album for a tentative May release.

Lowery recently stated via Twitter that he is "very excited" about the new collaboration, while Rose added that CALL ME NO ONE will "absolutely" be touring in support of the forthcoming CD.

A couple of short video clips from the early CALL ME NO ONE album-recording sessions can be seen below.

SEVENDUST is not scheduled to begin writing material for its new album until June, leaving Lowery and Rose a few months to focus on CALL ME NO ONE.

SEVENDUST's latest CD, "Cold Day Memory", sold around 27,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous effort, "Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow", opened with 25,000 units back in April 2008 to land at position No. 19.

"Cold Day Memory" was released on April 20, 2010 on the band's own 7Bros. Records, through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group. The CD — produced by Grammy Award winner Johnny K (DISTURBED, STAIND, 3 DOORS DOWN, PLAIN WHITE T'S) — was the group's first new album with its original lineup back together with guitarist Clint Lowery's return after his departure in 2003.

Legendary Danish heavy metal singer King Diamond (KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE) played a surprise three-song set this past Friday, January 27 at Tree's in Dallas, Texas during the "5th Annual Nomad Recording Studio Throwdown". King, who appeared without his trademark makeup, was joined for the performance by Michael Harris on guitar, Neil Brincks on bass, J.T. Longoria on guitar and Matt Thompson (KING DIAMOND, SHAOLIN DEATH SQUAD) on drums. King also presented awards at the event, which featured additional performances by BORN & RAISED, SHAOLIN DEATH SQUAD, LOVE STRICKEN DEMISE and RIVETHEAD.

Fan-filmed video footage of King's surprise set — consisting of the songs "The Family Ghost", "Burn" and "Evil" — can be seen below.

Nomad Recording Studio is a full-service, Pro Tools and analog recording facility based in Carrollton, Texas. Nomad offers exceptional recording, as well as mixing and mastering services.

King Diamond previously stated about Nomad engineer/producer J.T. Longoria, "He is unbelievable; he is the best guy I ever worked with in a studio."

The success of the "Nomad Recording Studio Throwdown" is credited largely to Nomad's sponsors, who lend their names, financial support and merchandise/product to the event. The money they raise goes to the Blue Star Connection, a charity which helps put musical instruments into the hands of children who are battling cancer or other life-threatening diseases.

King Diamond (real name: Kim Bendix Petersen), 55, underwent open-heart triple-bypass surgery in November 2010. He has since completed his cardiac rehabilitation program and has stopped smoking entirely, changed his diet and is getting regular exercise, according to his wife Livia Zita.

King Diamond made his long-anticipated return to the stage with his MERCYFUL FATE bandmates Hank Shermann, Timi Hansen and Michael Denner on December 7, 2011 at the second of four intimate shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of METALLICA's week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only.

As previously reported, KING DIAMOND will play only two shows in Europe this summer:

June 09 - Sweden Rock Festival – Sölvesborg, SWE
June 15 - Hellfest - Clisson, France

Guitarist/vocalist John Sykes (WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER, THIN LIZZY) has commented on the dissolution of his much-hyped collaborative project with drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB).

Portnoy and Sykes announced they were working together during a July 2011 taping of season eight of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show". The program's co-host Eddie Trunk tweeted about the project at the time, "I heard demos. Sounds like killer BLUE MURDER meets '1987' WHITESNAKE. Amazing!" He also said that the new group would perform some BLUE MURDER material when it hits the road.

The project last year demoed more than a dozen songs at a Los Angeles studio, with Portnoy describing one track as "copping the [LED] ZEPPELIN/[BLACK] SABBATH vibe" and another as "[PINK] FLOYD meets [DEEP] PURPLE!!! Some serious old-school classic rock."

In a new posting on his official web site, Sykes writes, "The project I was putting together with Mike Portnoy didn't work out, and I wish him all the best for the future. I'm continuing to work on my new album, and I look forward to putting out some great new music in 2012."

Commented Portnoy on Twitter, "Sad but true... I tried my best to make it work... Me and the bass player [Billy Sheehan] couldn't wait around any longer... [Billy] and I are moving on and have already begun work with another guitarist/vocalist [rumored to be Richie Kotzen, formerly of POISON and MR. BIG. — Ed.], keeping the original 'power trio' concept."

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 20 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI).

Portnoy played on AVENGED SEVENFOLD's latest album, "Nightmare", following the death of that band's drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, and toured with them for the entire second half of 2010.

Sykes announced his departure from THIN LIZZY in July 2009, explaining that "I feel it's time to get back to playing my own music."

Former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony says he's looking forward to hearing the band's new album because it includes material that he recorded with the group before they got signed in the 1970s.

Speaking to the U.K. digital radio station Planet Rock, Anthony said, "They [the current lineup of VAN HALEN] played a show in New York the other week. There was [a] song they played called 'She's The Woman', which is actually a song that was, basically, written before I even joined VAN HALEN."

During the same interview, Anthony said he has no plans to go after his former bandmates for songwriting credit on the reworked compositions on the new VAN HALEN album, "A Different Kind of Truth", despite their former policy of crediting all members equally. "I don't want to do anything," he said. "I just let it be." He added, "And, hey, it'll be nice to hear some of those old songs again that I haven't played in a long time."

Audio clip of Michael Anthony talking to Planet Rock about the new VAN HALEN album:

SpazioRock recently conducted an interview with new GOTTHARD singer Nic Maeder. You can now watch the chat below.

Nic was born in 1971 in Lausanne, Switzerland, lived in Melbourne, Australia and grew up between Switzerland and "Down Under."

Commented guitarist Leo Leoni: "Nic not only has a great voice and is a fantastic musician, but we also have a great person in our midst. We can rock again at last."

Added drummer Hena Habegger: "The search took a long time but it was clear to all of us when we met Nic that he was the right guy. With him we can enjoy the music again and celebrate new success. I'm really happy that we are continuing."

The final decision for Nic Maeder was unanimous.

"We noticed straight away that the chemistry, both musically and personally, was right. For us, he is the new member of the family," said guitarist Freddy Scherer.

Nic Maeder, who besides his singing position also plays guitar and piano, is a very talented and creative person. His songwriting ability also means he fits perfectly into the GOTTHARD family. He is the missing piece in the puzzle.

"Music has been my companion all my life and always was an important part of it. It is a great feeling to be able to share in the birth of a song and to see how it keeps growing. I can experience that with GOTTHARD and it makes me happy. I am making music with friends," said Nic Maeder.

The band concluded: "Of course, you can write a lot about a new singer, but in the end there is nothing better than seeing and hearing him sing. We therefore decided to produce a song plus video [see below] as a thank you to our fans, which can be downloaded free of charge. It is dedicated to all our fans who didn't lose their faith and trust in GOTTHARD. You have supported us with all your strength during the past months. Thank you so much!"

Said bassist Marc Lynn: "With Nic, we have taken the right decision for GOTTHARD. A lot of courage is needed to step into the footsteps of such a great singer. For that, Nic has earned our respect. Let's never forget this and make Nic welcome in the family. We are in the studio at the moment and are working with renewed energy and enthusiasm on songs for a new album, which will be released in the spring of 2012."

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

Interview:

Founding member and guitarist Spike Cassidy of hardcore/metal crossover pioneers D.R.I. (DIRTY ROTTEN IMBECILES) is in the hospital recovering from complications — including infection — that arose after he underwent total colectomy surgery (having his entire colon removed) earlier this month. Doctors have pinpointed the infection and he is expected to be released from the hospital within the next few days.

Spike's rehabilitation will likely have some effect on the band's touring schedule in early 2012.

In 2004, Cassidy was diagnosed with colon cancer. He underwent surgery (a one-foot section of large intestine was removed through an eight-inch incision in his stomach on March 27, 2006), radiation and chemotherapy and is said to be winning the battle against the disease.

Video footage of D.R.I.'s December 14, 2011 concert in Denver, Colorado can be seen below (courtesy of Superskum).

D.R.I.'s classic 1987 album "Crossover" was reissued in April 2010 via Beer City Records. Available on LP, CD and as a digital download, the LP was remastered by Bill Metoyer, who was the engineer for the original recordings. The CD and digital version of the reissue include the original 13 songs plus 11 bonus tracks.

For the past 29 years, D.R.I. has been the epitome of the aggressive, hardcore-punk thrash sound that we've all become accustomed to hearing. Throughout this time, they've been one of the few genuine underground bands to remain true to their pure punk roots. Still actively touring and recording, the only thing that may have changed is that they're a little older now, but time hasn't gotten the best of the DIRTY ROTTEN IMBECILES. They're still thrashing just as hard, and just as loud as ever, continuing to overload our senses with the sound that is, and will always remain, uniquely D.R.I.

Acclaimed Houston, Texas-based heavy metal singer James Rivera (HELSTAR, MALICE, VICIOUS RUMORS, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM) has formed a new project entitled METAL ASYLUM, which is slated to be launched in February.

The concept of METAL ASYLUM was inspired by two of Rivera's previous endeavors; the first tribute band the singer ever created entitled PROJECT RIVERA, which was a tribute to classic '80s metal, in addition to a more recent specialty show of his known as "James Rivera, A Tribute To His Metal History". The frontman has recruited several quality local Houston musicians to perform material from his own music career, in addition to fan favorites from the forerunners of classic and true metal. Audiences can expect to witness Rivera and company's renditions of the SCORPIONS, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, MERCYFUL FATE, METAL CHURCH, plus many others! Currently three regional Texas shows are scheduled to take place early this year in San Antonio, College Station and Houston. James Rivera's METAL ASYLUM promises to deliver a pulse-pounding, headbanging, horns in the air experience for every metalhead!

METAL ASYLUM lineup:

* James Rivera (HELSTAR, MALICE, VICIOUS RUMORS, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM) - Vocals
* Marc Petillon (WINTERS END) - Guitar
* Scott Fisher (WINTERS END) - Guitar
* Michael Millsap (SIX MINUTE CENTURY) - Bass
* Mikey Lewis (HELSTAR) – Drums

Upcoming shows:

Feb. 24 - Bonds 007 Rock Bar - San Antonio, TX
Feb. 25 - Schotzis - College Station, TX
Apr. 14 - Acadia Bar & Grill - Houston, TX (James Rivera's Birthday Bash)

Legendary rock band THE CULT has set "Choice Of Weapon" as the title of its long-awaited ninth album, due on May 22 via Cooking Vinyl Records. The group's first full-length work in five years (though the band has kept active by putting out "capsules" of new songs and live recordings in recent years) was co-produced by Chris Goss (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, U.N.K.L.E. ) and longtime collaborator Bob Rock (METALLICA, AEROSMITH).

"Choice Of Weapon" was made in several studios, including the band's own Witch Mountain as well as spots in New York City, Los Angeles and the California desert.

A new THE CULT song entitled "Lucifer" can be streamed at RollingStone.com.

Regarding the recording process for the new album, THE CULT frontman Ian Astbury tells RollingStone.com, "We began with Chris Goss, who is a very close friend and somebody I've been friends with for over 20 years. And we always talked about doing a CULT record together. Chris did all the refinement, helping us find the material, craft it, and I think we've been at it for quite a while. It just became attrition. Everyone was getting kind of exhausted. Kind of wearing each other out in the studio."

On the topic of the "Choice Of Weapon" album cover, Astbury said, "This image has been with me for many years, since I was about 11 years old. I grew up in Hamilton, Ontario. I immigrated there when I was a kid. I was exposed to Native American culture very early on. And that kind of piqued my interest in indigenous cultures. It had a quite profound effect on me. With this particular image, it had been hovering around me for quite a while. And it's almost like I had to manifest this image within myself. I wanted to have an image that in some way reflected the sentiment of not only the record, of the deepest sentiment of the record, but also the sentiment of what's going on in society. I mean, the fact that the shaman figure has a veiled face, there's a face mask pulled over, it's almost reminiscent of images we've seen from Libya and Egypt and also from things like the Occupy movement or the riots we had in the U.K."

He continued, "The title of the record reflects the fact that here we are, we have a choice to make right now. We can choose different modalities. We can either choose literal weapons, which, many people have picked up weapons in Libya, Egypt, Syria. Or picking up weapons and overtaking systems, physically, by force. In a more metaphorical sense, a weapon can be a camera, a weapon can be a pen, a weapon can be a statement, a verbal statement, a weapon can be an article of clothing. Tantric weapons are symbols they use in tantric rituals, like the dorje, which is an object that the shamanic figure is actually holding. The dorje being representative of a thunderbolt enlightenment, that moment of awakening, where you go, 'Aha!'

"Time magazine said this year the Person of the Year was the demonstrator, the image of the woman with the veil. So this is an icon that we're seeing more and more in our culture. It's almost like people don't want to come out and show their faces and say something. Because they're almost afraid of . . . I don't know. There's a lot of intellectual bullying going on. People are very quick to jump on someone if they say something that's maybe different. They're certainly not part of the status quo, of a moving force. Everyone's kind of pointing at it, but nobody's really saying it, what really needs to be said. So in some ways, this shamanic figure, the look in the eyes is almost like a wild animal, which I connect to nature."

Read the entire interview at RollingStone.com.

THE CULT is Ian Astbury (vocals), Billy Duffy (guitar), Chris Wyse (bass), John Tempesta (drums) and Mike Dimkich (rhythm guitar).

"The Great Fire", the new album from Orange County, California's BLEEDING THROUGH, can be streamed in its entirety on AOL Music. The CD will be released on January 31 via Rise Records.

"The Great Fire" track listing:

01. March
02. Faith In Fire
03. Goodbye To Death
04. Final Hours
05. Starving Vultures
06. Everything You Love Is Gone
07. Walking Dead
08. Devil And Self Doubt
09. Step Back In Line
10. Trail Of Seclusion
11. Deaf Ears
12. One By One
13. Entrenched
14. Back To Life

Check out the cover artwork below.

BLEEDING THROUGH's last, self-titled CD sold around 3,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 143 on The Billboard 200 chart.

BLEEDING THROUGH's previous effort, "Declaration" (2008), opened with 6,000 units to land at No. 101.

Classic Swedish heavy metal band OVERDRIVE formed in 1980 and recorded two albums, "Metal Attack" and "Swords And Axes", before splitting up in 1985. A shortlived reformation took place in 1992, at the time featuring original drummer Kenta Svensson, guitarist Janne Stark and singer Pelle Thuresson now handling the bass. In 2003 the band played, what was to be a one-off reunion show, but it became permanent as more concerts were booked and a new deal with Lion Music was signed. The band continued with new singer Per "Perilo" Lengstedt (formerly Karlsson) and has since released an EP and three albums. The group's latest CD, "Angelmaker" (2011), received rave reviews and the band played a number of shows.

In December 2011, internal communication problems caused the group to break up for a short time. Not willing to let go of a great band, the members reformed with Thuresson once again handling the bass.

After leaving OVERDRIVE in 1985, Pelle switched to playing bass and has since played with such bands as OVERHEAT, CROSSEYED MARY and the AC/DC cover band AC/DC JAM.

"It's truly sad it had to come to this, but it was impossible to continue under previous circumstances," OVERDRIVE said in a statement. "It, however, feels really great to have Pelle back in the band, both on a personal and a musical level. We've stayed friends through the years and Pelle even made a guest appearance on one of our shows in 2010. This also opens up possibilities for some more interesting things for OVERDRIVE on a live show level. We are really exited to get this sucker on the road."

Added Pelle: "I didn't expect this at all, but I immediately jumped at it when I was asked. Now I just have to relearn all the old songs on bass instead."

OVERDRIVE's new single, "Short Moments", is in heavy rotation on the Swedish radio channel P4 and a digital release will follow soon. The band will also support NAZARETH in Sweden.

Pictured below is OVERDRIVE's current lineup (left to right): Kjell Jacobsson (guitar), Pelle Thuresson (bass), Per "Periloz" Karlsson (vocals), Janne Stark (guitar) and Kenta Svensson (drums).

Former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis has set "Plains Of Oblivion" as the title of his sophomore solo album, to 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

In August 2011, RHAPSODY OF FIRE guitarist Luca Turilli and keyboardist Alex Staropoli announced their decision to go their separate ways.

Due to legal reasons, Staropoli will continue under the RHAPSODY OF FIRE name. Turilli, on the other hand, will make his future efforts available under the RHAPSODY moniker (RHAPSODY OF FIRE's original name), in which he will be joined by guitarist Dominique Leurquin, bassist Patrice Guers, and drummer Alex Holzwarth. A singer for the group has has yet to be announced.

LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY will release a new album entitled "Ascending To Infinity" on June 29 via Nuclear Blast.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Quantum X
02. Ascending To Infinity
03. Dante’s Inferno
04. Excalibur
05. Tormento E Passione
06. Dark Fate Of Atlantis
07. Fantasia Gotica
08. Clash Of The Titans
09. Of Michael The Archangel And Lucifer's Fall
I. Alma Mundi
II. Fatum Mortalis
III. Ignis Divinus

The album will have a running time of around 65 minutes.

The limited-edition version of "Ascending To Infinity" will include two bonus tracks for 75 minutes of music, plus "many exclusive gifts," to be revealed very soon.

LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY will embark on the "Ascending To Infinity" headlining tour in the fall.

In a recent interview, Turilli stated about "Ascending To Infinity", "Honestly, this album is very important for me, Alex Holzwarth, Patrice and Dominique and personally it is the one I always dreamed to record. The basic composition process lasted around five months. In this period of time I worked at the rhythm of 12-14 hours per day and, while very hard because very demanding mentally and spiritually, this was one of the most rewarding sessions of composition of my whole life. It rarely happened I had so much fun playing the guitar, the keyboards or my beloved piano and creating original classical parts, cinematic interludes, orchestrations and all the rest. Now all the songs are ready and I am actually in the process of arranging everything. As you know, I don't hire external people to orchestrate the music, but I do all by myself writing the music for each section of the orchestra, the choirs etc. and this sometimes can be a very long and hard process stealing a lot of time and energy. I can not deny that this is a very ambitious album, because of the investment, artistic vision etc., and all the people working on it, Nuclear Blast included, are thinking the same. That's why in the upcoming months of intensive studio work I want to go on dedicating myself night and day to it, without thinking to anything else."

Regarding the change in the production team for the LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY album, Luca said, "After many years of work in Wolfsburg at the court of our friend Sascha Paeth, I decided to start this new artistic adventure with a different team of people. Sascha and the other friends of the Gate Studio (Miro, Olaf, Robert, Simon, etc.) are a winning team and their help in the past was really important for RHAPSODY. But it's since many years already that Alex and I took the productions in our hands becoming producers of our own albums, despite Sascha remaining always fundamental as engineer and mixer man. His mixes will remain legendary and our list of thanks will be never long enough for all the professional contribution he gave. All the years of work, fun and sufferance in the Gate studios of Wolfsburg will surely remain unforgettable and are carved in our heart. For LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY and the new band adventure I decided to change the studio and the main man behind the console. We are now recording the new album at the Backyard Studio of Kempten, Germany. Our new engineer and main mixer man is the same owner of the studio and his name is Sebastian Roeder, the person who worked for RHAPSODY OF FIRE in the last worldwide tour making real miracles while mixing our music live. Apart from being a talented engineer, he is a great person and he shares with us the love for this style of music. To resume, the new album will be produced by me as usual, while Sebastian will take care of the engineering, mixing and mastering process."

On the topic of the singer for LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY, Luca said, "As you can imagine, this will be one of the most important news to be given in the upcoming months, but for the moment we prefer to keep all top secret. Speaking about singers, please allow me to say a few words about Olaf Hayer, singer and talented voice of LUCA TURILLI, my old solo band. The truth is that, as many people could already imagine, I stopped my solo activity as LUCA TURILLI definitely, willing to dedicate myself to LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY at full time. That's why I want to publicly thank Olaf for the fundamental contribution he gave to our solo albums. All the three albums of the trilogy entered the charts establishing some important records and this was possible mainly because of my friend Olaf. Who knows?! Maybe sooner or later we'll still have the chance to work together. Never say never."

Current TESTAMENT touring drummer Gene ''The Atomic Clock'' Hoglan is pulling double duty on band's U.S. tour with ANTHRAX and DEATH ANGEL, filling in for ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante who is taking a short leave from the band's concert tour to be with his terminally ill mother.

Commented Hoglan: "I am honored to have been asked by Charlie to fill in for ANTHRAX in his time of need. We are all metal brethren, and this is what we do. Unite for the cause, unite for the fans, and unite for metal. Everybody on this tour has pulled together to keep this tour rollin', everybody is kicking ass. And everyone on this tour is sending our love and respect to the Benante and Bello families. [ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello is Benante's nephew. — Ed.] And Charlie, we can't wait to have ya back where you belong, my man. I'm just keeping your throne warm for ya bro."

Hoglan last year laid down the drum tracks on TESTAMENT's new album, "The Dark Roots Of Earth", which is tentatively due in late April/early May 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Gene Hoglan recently released his long-awaited instructional DVD, "The Atomic Clock". Available on Hoglan Industries in the U.S. and on Reversed Records in Canada, the disc showcases Hoglan's three decades of experience of performing and recording with the world's most well-known metal bands such as DEVIN TOWNSEND, DARK ANGEL, DEATH, DETHKLOK, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, TESTAMENT, ZIMMER'S HOLE, and most recently FEAR FACTORY, along with many others on his resume.

Norway's blackened thrashers AURA NOIR will release their fifth full-length studio ablum, "Out To Die", on March 23 in Europe and March 27 in North America via Indie Recordings.

Speaking to Terrorizer magazine shortly after a recent listening session in Oslo, AURA NOIR guitarist/vocalist Aggressor stated about the band's new CD, "It feels right. That's all I can say really. I'm not sitting here digging it; it's more like I'm content with having the finished product there, and now we can go play live. Because I think our music comes into its element when we're playing live. For me, a new album is like, 'Okay, we have more songs to play live now.'"

"Out To Die" marks the return of guitarist Rune Eriksen (a.k.a. ex-MAYHEM guitarist/songwriter Blasphemer), who now resides in Portugal and leads his own band AVA INFERI. Eriksen made several trips back to Norway to work on the new AURA NOIR songs with Aggressor and Apollyon (guitar, bass, vocals, drums; also bassist in IMMORTAL).

"I wish we were all living in the same apartment and rehearsing every day, all three of us together, but obviously that's not possible because we have our private lives and everything," Aggressor told Terrorizer. "But it brought about some new ways of working, and it actually worked out okay in the end."

"Out To Die" track listing:

01. Trenches
02. Fed To The Flames
03. Abbadon
04. The Grin From The Gallows
05. Withheld
06. Priest's Hellish Fiend
07. Deathwish
08. Out To Die

Das zweite Album von BLACK SHEEP WALL trägt den Namen “No Matter Where It Ends” und wird am 23. März via Season Of Mist veröffentlicht.

Hier die Tracklist:

1. Agnostic Demon
2. Liminality
3. Vitruvian God
4. Black Church
5. Torrential
6. Ambient Ambitions
7. Cognitive Dissonance
8. Personal Prophet
9. Flesh Tomb

Quality video footage of the reformed Minneapolis, Minnesota-based hard-rock/industrial act AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE performing on January 24 at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below.

Having survived severe addictions, countless tours, the major label minefield, and the death of guitarist Bryan Ottoson, AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE has returned to create new music and decimate crowds across the globe. Following the 2007 deactivation of the band (due to reasons that aren't terribly interesting), the classic lineup of vocalist Cameron Heacock, bassist Chad Hanks, keyboard player Justin Fowler, drummer Chris Emery and guitarist Karma Cheema is back! To solidify their return, they've added guitarist (and MINISTRY/LORDS OF ACID alumni) Sin Quirin to round out the lineup.

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE entered Studio D in Cleveland, Ohio on October 24, 2011 with producers Don Dibiase and Thom Hazaert to begin recording its first new material since 2005's "The Feeding". The result of the 24-hour marathon session was a new studio track "Sugars of Someday" and a "live" EP including three new AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE tracks: "Sand", "Set Yourself on Fire", "Writhe" and a cover of the PATTI SMITH classic "Rock And Roll Nigger". These 5 songs are currently being mixed for an upcoming EP release.

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE 2012 is:

Cameron Heacock - Vocals
Chad Hanks - Bass
Justin Fowler - Keyboards, Backing vocals
Karma Singh Cheema - Guitar
Christopher Emery - Drums
Sin Quirin (MINISTRY, LORDS OF ACID) - Guitar

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE announced in August 2009 that it was disbanding due to Heacock's "inability to continue on a musical career path."

The band's sophomore album, "The Feeding", came out in February 2005.

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE released a DVD/CD entitled "Can't Stop the Machine" in April 2007 on Nitrus Records via Fontana/Universal. The 90-minute DVD chronicled HEAD CHARGE's career with a poignant tribute to deceased guitarist Bryan Ottoson, insightful interviews and no holds barred live footage. The companion CD featured unreleased tracks and a remix of the HEAD CHARGE classic "Just So You Know" by Wired All Wrong.

TRIVIUM guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy, guitarist Corey Beaulieu and bassist Paolo Gregoletto stopped by the studios of the the Tampa Bay radio station 98 Rock in their home state of Florida to perform acoustic versions of their songs "Built To Fall" and "Dying In Your Arms", as well as a cover version of the IRON MAIDEN classic "Iron Maiden". Check out the footage below.

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.

"In Waves" was recorded primarily at Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, Florida (with only the drums having been tracked at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida) with the production/mixing team of Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT, FEAR FACTORY) and Martin "Ginge" Ford, along with engineer Carl Bown. A two-disc special edition is also available. It features five bonus tracks, plus a DVD with a 40-minute, behind-the-scenes documentary, as well as an exclusive concert filmed in a warehouse located in Orlando, Florida, which is the band's stomping grounds. This concert features the first performances of tracks from "In Waves", along with TRIVIUM classics.

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.

HBO has selected the LAMB OF GOD track "King Me" to be the musical bed for the promos for the upcoming season of "True Blood".

"King Me" closes LAMB OF GOD's new album, "Resolution", and features the band accompanied by a full orchestra and opera singer Amanda Munton.

"True Blood" is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on "The Southern Vampire Mysteries" series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana. The series centers on the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse (played by actress Anna Paquin), a telepathic waitress.

The fifth season of "True Blood" will premiere on HBO this summer.

"Resolution", the new album from Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD, has entered the official Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) chart at position No. 3.

As previously reported, "Resolution" is likely to sell between 50,000 and 55,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on January 24 via Epic.

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

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

AmbPirate of Capital Chaos conducted an interview with guitarist Kevin Schwartz of San Diego-based brutal death metallers PATHOLOGY on January 23 at On The Y in Sacramento, California. You can now watch the chat below. Also available is performance footage from the Sacramento concert.

PATHOLOGY's latest album, "Awaken To The Suffering", was released on September 13, 2011 via Victory Records. The CD was recorded at Lambesis Studios (owned by AS I LAY DYING vocalist Tim Lambesis) in the band's hometown with producer Daniel Castleman (IMPENDING DOOM, AS I LAY DYING, WINDS OF PLAGUE). This is PATHOPLOGY's first CD to feature the group's new lineup, including vocalist Jonathan Huber and second guitarist Kevin Schwartz, who have spent time on the road with their new bandmates during recent U.S. and European tours with DEICIDE and OBITUARY.

The artwork for "Awaken To The Suffering" was brought to life by the twisted mind of Pär Olofsson (IMMORTAL, THE FACELESS, ABYSMAL DAWN).

Interview:

Wie bereits in einer früheren Newsmeldung angekündigt werden CYNIC die legendären „Portal“ Demos veröffentlichen. „The Portal Tapes“ wird am 23. März (27. März in Nord Amerika) via Season Of Mist veröffentlicht.

“The Portal Tapes” werden in einer strickt limitierten Digipak CD Version (5000 Einheiten) und einer Vinyl LP Edition (1000 Einheiten) erscheinen.
Tracklisting:

1. Endless Endeavors
2. Karma's Plight
3. Circle
4. Costumed in Grace
5. Cosmos
6. Crawl Above
7. Mirror Child
8. Road to You
9. Belong
10. Not the Same