Reunited British rockers THE DARKNESS made their U.K. live comeback last night (Sunday, June 5) in front of just 200 people at the Norwich Waterfront.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Bareback
02. Black Shuck
03. Growing On Me
04. Get Your Hands Off My Woman
05. One Way Ticket
06. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us
07. Love Is Only A Feeling
08. Is It Just Me?
09. Concrete
10. Cannonball
11. Stuck In A Rut
12. Givin' Up
13. Friday Night
14. I Believe In A Thing Called Love
15. Love On The Rocks With No Ice

Fan-filmed video footage of THE DARKNESS premiering two new songs — "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us" and "Cannonball" — during last night's concert can be viewed below.

OUTLOUD - the Greece based hard-rocking outfit featuring Bob Katsionis (FIREWIND), Mark Cross (ex-HELLOWEEN, Firewind) and singer Chandler Mogel (ex-TALON) - have inked a brand new deal with AOR Heaven for their sophomore release, which was recorded in the summer of 2010 and once again produced by Bob Katsionis and mixed and mastered by Tommy Hansen.

Love Catastrophe will featured the following tracklist:

'We Came To Rock'
'Falling Rain'
'Live Again'
'Waiting For Your Love'
'The Night That Never Ends'
'Someday'
'Underground'
'Isolation Game'
'Clean Hands'
'Love Catastrophe'

Swedish Management Negative Entertainment has signed Valencia, Spain's FROM NOWHERE to its ranks. The band has recorded their second full length album entitled Agony, comprised of eighth new compositions, plus two renditions of songs by CANCER and DEATH.

Agony was mastered by Andy LaRoque at Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden, and the artwork was handled by Gustavo Sazes (ARCH ENEMY, MORBID ANGEL, KRISIUN).

When asked about the new album frontman Armando García commented: "We are pretty excited with this new album, it is our most powerful and well produced effort so far so we really hope we can reach a wider audience. We have paid attention to every detail as much as possible, we have done everything as an independent band so it wasn't an easy task, but we are conscious that at these days, with the decaying of the music sales you can't go out there trying to compete on a difficult market with a mediocre production. We have tried to achieve the perfect combination of classic melodic death metal, with tons of technical elements but never losing the sense of musicality, that is the core and essence of everything".

Agony tracklist:
'Welcome To The Cage'
'Catalepsy'
'The Fallen One'
'Drugs Of War'
'Factory Of Hate'
'Breathless (Agony)'
'Right To Die'
'REM'
'Hung, Drawn And Quartered' (Cancer cover)
'Sacred Serenity' (Death cover)

From Nowhere consists of:
Armando García - vocals/guitars
J.M. Monleón - guitars
Germán Rubio - drums

Bass on Agony album was recorded by Armando, and the band is currently looking for a new bass player.

From Nowhere and Negative Entertainment are in the process of finding a suitable label to release Agony and to expose them to an international audience.

ProgRock Records has checked in with the following update:

THE WINTER TREE (formerly MAGUS) is a band formed by composer/multi-instrumentalist Andrew Laitres(a.k.a. Andrew Robinson) with vocalist/guitarist Mark Bond and his wife Deb Bond on keyboards. In late 2010 Andrew decided to rename the band The Winter Tree, after the song
of the same title by one of Andrew's favorite bands, RENAISSANCE. Andrew, along with new bandmates, released their self-titled CD in mid-2011 with ProgRock Records.




The Winter Tree is a synthesis of many different musical styles and genres: rock, folk, electronic, ambient, and world music among others. These elements combine to create a fascinating and cohesive work that should satisfy the prog rock enthusiast as well as a diverse listening public.

The band had this to say: "The members of The Winter Tree are delighted to be on the same record label with Michael Sadler, Jim Gilmour, It Bites and Steve Walsh! Back in the 80's, I met Mr. Sadler at a bar after a mind blowing SAGA gig and he bought me a beer and encouraged me to 'never give up.' Thank you Michael and thank you Shawn".

ProgRock Records president Shawn Gordon comments: "This is one of those happy accidents, I ran across the band quite by random and really loved what I heard, so I tracked down a web site, emailed the contact info on there and Andrew got right back to me, we had a deal two days later. That’s how I like to work."

The Winter Tree is the first release from the band and is available for immediate ordering at a $2 discount till early June 2011 and will be shipped in mid-June, audio samples, information and ordering can be found at this location.

Austria's Stormbringer.at webzine recently conducted an interview with RHAPSODY OF FIRE and current KAMELOT touring vocalist Fabio Lione. An excerpt from the chat follow below.

Stormbringer.at: How is the tour with KAMELOT going so far?

Fabio: Great! I have to say that the guys are very nice, I love the songs and the band and everything is going in the best way. I'm also very happy to see that the KAMELOT fans are with me and the band. Every show we have a great time, it's a great experience for me. We feel like old friends, I have to say that we are having a great time and great shows together.

Stormbringer.at: Currently you are a temporary replacement of Khan in KAMELOT. Would you ever consider a permanent place in KAMELOT should the guys of the band ask you?

Fabio: Well, I would love it!!! The KAMELOT songs are great, I really like the style and [former KAMELOT vocalist Roy] Khan is probably one of the few singers that I like. So, of course, I would consider that!!! But first let's do the European tour and the North American one, Then if they will ask me, I'll be more than happy to join the band permanently. Since the first time we met and played together we had a very good feeling. Everything was easy and natural like we knew each other for years and everybody who saw the band in South America or Europe said we did great shows!!! I'm happy for the guys and the fans, so let's see what the future will bring for us. Never say never!

Stormbringer.at: Where are the differences or challenges in singing for your own band in comparison to being a guest singer in another well-established band like KAMELOT?

Fabio: It's not easy, I have to say, but in this case I knew Khan since [his pre-KAMELOT band] CONCEPTION era and I know his voice, style and way to sing; he's great!!! So it was a little bit more easy for me 'cause I knew the songs and especially the singer very well, but you have to be in front of many people, fans that are used to see and hear someone else, it's not really an easy job. The best is [to] do it with passion and make people happy. Anyway, I don't think I do something easy in RHAPSODY OF FIRE or VISION DIVINE, I always liked to do not easy things and this new experience it's very good for me. I just try to do it in the best way I can.

In a May 11, 2011 interview with Metal-Trails.com, KAMELOT guitarist/mainman Thomas Youngblood stated about Fabio Lione, "Our producer, Sascha Paeth, he also does RHAPSODY's records and he suggested Fabio because he knows the guy can sing anything. He sings totally different than he does with RHAPSODY with us. He's an amazing singer. I mean, technically, he's probably the best singer that I've ever worked with. So I think he was the perfect choice to finish this tour, to fulfill our obligations to ourselves and the fans. And he's actually a new dynamic to the show, which I think is really cool."

When asked if there is a possibility that Fabio will be the new permanent lead singer of KAMELOT, Youngblood said, "There's always possibilities, you know?! He's got his band, but I think what I wanna do is do this big audition process where we have as many people as possible to choose from and then we'll make a decision."

Regarding possible candidates for the singer position in KAMELOT and what the band will be looking for in a new vocalist, Youngblood said, "I definitely don't wanna say any names right now, but we've gotten a lot of e-mails from people that are known, people that are unknown. Obviously they have to have a certain charisma, they have to understand the dynamics of what KAMELOT is and also what we're gonna be on the next record. Vocally, they have to be a master at what they're doing. So there's a lot of elements. There's also a social part of it — making sure they have no religious restrictions, no addiction issues, they don't have a girlfriend or a wife that says, 'You can't tour,' or something like that. All I can say is that so far a lot of the e-mails I've gotten have been very encouraging."

On whether KAMELOT wants someone who will sound very similar to Roy or a singer with his own style, Youngblood said, "The new guy should have his own thing going on. Of course, he has to be able to sing the old songs and do it properly — give it justice and respect. But to bring in a clone makes no sense; that's not our goal."

Guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal of US-based extreme pro metallers CYNIC has issued the following new album update:
"I've been working away in the home studio writing lots of new songs and keeping off the grid to stay creatively focused. Apologies for having been a bit reclusive in our digital age of informational abundance! It's safe to say that Cynic already has plenty of material for a new record, but something keeps the inspiration going to write more. I feel like I'm on for the ride and just seeing what manifests as a result of sitting on the train and looking out the window. As we move further along and closer to 'destination recording', the album will start to shape itself and the appropriate songs will be chosen. We're looking at late summer / early fall to enter the studio. At the moment, I have no idea when the record will be released. Maybe later this year or early next. We're also in communication with lots of fantastic new musicians who will be involved. I can already sense this next album is going to take our listeners on a whole new sonic adventure that words cannot yet describe. I say this because the work is feeling based and there's a lot of life poured into these embryos that will speak for themselves when heard. I'm always amazed at how living life informs the art so directly and yet we have no power over it. The songs have a directness and urgency unlike anything we've done before due to a bountiful influx of concentrated life experiences. Thank the universe for the gift of music. I am so absolutely grateful to be alive and to be able to share the potency and beauty of music with you. In the meantime keep spreading the love and thank you for taking this journey with us."

Cynic are officially a duo completed by drummer Sean Reinert. The band's latest album, Traced In Air, was essentially the beginning of this new philosophy. "We love playing with different musicians as it is, so this opens up lots of possibilities," Masvidal commented recently.

SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor was interviewed at the first-ever Carolina Rebellion festival, which was held on Saturday, May 7 at Metrolina Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina.

When asked about his plans for the foreseeable future, Taylor said, "We're talking about doing another STONE SOUR album. I've already got about 16 songs written. We're gonna do something… This will the first time we get to do back-to-back albums. It's something I'm pretty excited about. I've got a really great concept and hopefully it flushes out that way. We still haven't gotten together and demoed everything yet. But if I have it my way, it's gonna be the biggest thing we've ever done."

STONE SOUR canceled the rest of its recent tour dates after drummer Roy Mayorga suffered a stroke following a gig in Des Moines, Iowa last month.

The canceled STONE SOUR concerts included stops in Rapid City, South Dakota, Fargo, North Dakota, Detroit, Libertyville, Illinois, and Columbus, Ohio.

Mayorga joined STONE SOUR in 2006 after the band's previous drummer, Joel Ekman, was forced to leave the group in order to spend time with his son, who was diagnosed with brain stem cancer.

STONE SOUR bassist Shawn Economaki was forced to leave the band's recent tour to deal with undisclosed "personal issues." STONE SOUR has used a replacement bassist for some recent shows.

The band's third album, "Audio Secrecy", has sold 175,000 copies in the U.S. since its September 2010 release.

STONE SOUR is not scheduled to perform again until September, when the band will appear at Brazil's Rock In Rio festival. Frontman Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root will play shows this summer with SLIPKNOT.

German a capella band VAN CANTO have checked in with the following update:




"We finished drum recordings for the new album and are currently recording vocals. The new one will be released by the end of September.

The release will be followed by a European Tour with four other bands. So we finally hope to get to see all Van Cantians in France, England, Hungary, Czech Republic, Italy, Holland, Belgium and so on. See the dates below."

UK-based gothic power metallers PYTHIA have issued the following update:

"We are delighted to announce that a very special limited edition box set commemorating our first album, Beneath The Veiled Embrace, is now available to order at our official shop."

The items contained in this limited run of just 100 boxes is as follows:

- 12" Double Sided Picture Disc Vinyl
- Japanese Edition CD
- Exclusive T-Shirt
- Exclusive A2 Poster
- Exclusive Art Print (Hand Screened 12" by 12")
- Signed & Numbered Hand pressed Letter From The Band
- Oversized Art Prints (Personalized By Emily Alice)
- Boxed & Sealed With A Satin Ribbon

ew Jersey metallers SCARS OF ENVY, featuring former/current members of GUTWRENCH, AMPT and AMERICAN ANGEL, have completed work on their Debut album Forsaken Me due this summer on as-yet-determined label.

The song 'Bred To Conquer', off the new album, is available for stream at the group's website.

The cover art was created by fantasy/sci-fi artist Dorian Cleavenger. View the artwork below:




Forsaken Me track listing:

‘Bred To Conquer’
‘At War Within’
‘Carry The Wounded’
‘Forsaken Me’
‘T-Minus Zero (Mother Earth)’
‘Smear’
‘Center’
‘System Failure’
‘Communion (In Black)’
‘Engines of Chaos’

Several of the biggest names in today's current drum industry are proud to announce the search for the "Drummer Of Tomorrow". Beginning June 1, drummers can film a solo or play-along performance, upload their video to DrummerofTomorrow.com, and be entered to win over $50,000 in prizes and drum gear. Prizes include drum sets from Mapex, cymbals from Zildjian, drumheads from Remo, drum sticks from Vic Firth and songbooks from Alfred Music Publishing. In addition, the top winner will win an artist endorsement contract from Mapex, and will appear on the company's official artist roster.

"This is an amazing opportunity to find the next great drummer, organically," says Joe Hibbs, product marketing manager for Mapex. "It's the only worldwide drum competition, spanning over a dozen countries."

The "Drummer Of Tomorrow" United States contest will be broken out into several elimination rounds, which run from June 1, 2011 through 2012 at the Musikmesse show in Frankfurt, Germany. For the U.S. competition, entries will be accepted from June 1 through July 31, 2011 on the U.S. contest site. As winners advance through the contest, they will be flown to various locales to perform. Destinations include a studio in Nashville, Tennessee, the 2012 winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California, and the 2012 Musikmesse show in Germany. Entries will be judged by voters on the contest site as well as a panel of drum industry professionals and artists from the Mapex roster.

"This is the ultimate audition for any drummer out there; playing in front of a worldwide audience," adds Hibbs.

VREID and DORDEDUH (the Romanian metal band featuring former NEGURA BUNGET members Hupogrammos and Sol Faur) are among the artists who will contribute to the forthcoming "official tribute" to Norwegian masters of progressive/experimental metal ENSLAVED. Twenty acts are scheduled to appear on the CD, entitled "Önd - A Tribute", which will coincide with 20-year anniversary of Norway's finest.

The cover artwork for "Önd - A Tribute" was created by David "Darkarts" Thiérrée in close collaboration with ENSLAVED members and can be seen below.

The final list of confirmed acts for ENSLAVED tribute:

* DORDEDUH (Romania)
* ODEM ARCARUM (Germany)
* ISLAND (Germany )
* ASMODEE (France)
* ANGANTYR (Denmark)
* REVERENCE (France)
* FOSCOR (Spain)
* STAGNANT WATERS (France/Norway)
* WODENSTHRONE (UK)
* ANGMAR (France)
* RIBOZYME (Norway)
* EL REGN (Norway)
* VREID (Norway)
* JANVS (Italy)
* BELENOS (france)
* KRAKOW (Norway)
* LUX DIVINA (Spain)
* AS LIGHT DIES (Spain)
* FEN (UK)
* DARKENHOLD (France)

According to DOWN's official web site, the acclaimed New Orleans band — which features in its ranks CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, drummer Jimmy Bower (EYEHATEGOD, SUPERJOINT RITUAL guitarist), bassist Rex Brown (ex-PANTERA), guitarist Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR), and vocalist Philip Anselmo (SUPERJOINT RITUAL, ex-PANTERA) — has been rehearsing for its upcoming European dates, which kick off next week. In addition, "it looks like they're gonna lay down some new tracks at the end of the month when they return from the other side of the pond," the posting adds.

A couple of photos of DOWN rehearsing some of its new material at Anselmo's studio, Nodferatu's Lair — with CROWBAR bassist Patrick Bruders taking care of the four-string duties instead of Brown — can be viewed below.

"Swept Away", the new video from AGAINST ALL WILL, can be viewed below.

Formed by guitarist and principal songwriter Jimmy Allen — an original member of the band PUDDLE OF MUDD — AGAINST ALL WILL boasts ripe, radio-friendly rock songs replete with fat hooks, huge choruses, and melodies that linger long after the music has stopped.

Powered by the vocals of frontman Jeff Current and a heavy-hitting rhythm section of former SOULFLY bassist Marcello "Cello" Dias and DEAD KENNEDYS drummer Steve Wilson, AGAINST ALL WILL's seven-track debut, "A Rhyme & Reason", is described in a press release as "a warm wash of sweet tone and salty vibrato, with lyrics that hit just as hard as the songs."

While most Los Angeles outfits are filled via open auditions or by hired guns, AGAINST ALL WILL was filled through referrals and recommendations — chemistry was critical, and the personalities needed to fit just as securely as the players.

AGAINST ALL WILL's independently released debut, "A Rhyme & Reason", was produced by Tim Harkins (KORN, ALICE IN CHAINS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) and featured the song "The Drug I Need" which received lots of airplay on SiriusXM's Octane channel.

Finnish metallers CHARON have announced they will call it quits after this summer’s performances. .

The band explains about the split: "This shouldn’t be a really big surprise for anyone. We are forced to admit that we have no longer anything new to give to the genre in which Charon has operated. Doing things forced or not straight from the heart has never been a band practice for us. And a 100% satisfactory outcome would no longer be possible.

After the last studio album we should have gotten a grip in time and not to delay the decisions we faced in the end of 2009. In the summer 2010, a new beginning with a new guitarist worked brilliantly and we even wrote a full album of songs. But we did not have enough heart and passion to light up the final fire and to finish the record. Years of hanging loose from the noose had eaten up most of our energy and creativity.

Playing in the band has been a solid part of our lives for nearly two decades. Charon had been a measure for everything that we've done in our lives. There are lots of good memories and tours behind and above all, great fans. Everything has its moments but nothing lasts forever. Our moment ends now."

Charon released five studio albums as well as last year's compilation album A-Sides, B-Sides and Suicides. Charon’s last studio album was Songs For The Sinners from autumn 2005.

The guys will announce more about their new plans when the time is right.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, rumors are swirling online that RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is planning something big to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary. So far, the group has announced just one date, headlining a festival called L.A. Rising on July 30 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Although the band reunited in 2007 following a seven-year break, they have not done a full tour or recorded new material, opting instead for scattered festival dates both in the U.S. and Europe.

RAGE's last full album release was the 2000 covers collection "Renegades". The band's last set of original material was 1999's "The Battle Of Los Angeles".

Meanwhile, guitarist Tom Morello has set August 30 as the release date for his third album as THE NIGHTWATCHMAN, titled "World Wide Rebel Songs".

Morello told The Pulse Of Radio he delayed the release of the record so that he could take part in protests in Madison, Wisconsin earlier this year against the anti-union policies of Governor Scott Walker. "That record was planned and ready to go when the Madison thing erupted, and I just said, you know, I've got to do something about this," he said. "I can't just sit on the sidelines. I want to lend whatever help I can as a musician and as an activist to help steel the spine of this growing labor movement."

The guitarist released an EP called "Union Town" digitally on May 17. All profits from sales of the EP benefit The America Votes Labor Unity Fund via SaveWorkers.org. The disc consists of eight pro-union songs inspired by the Madison rallies this past February.

Unlike previous acoustic NIGHTWATCHMAN albums, "World Wide Rebel Songs" features a full electric band. The debut single, "Save The Hammer For The Man", features Ben Harper on guitar and vocals.