Swedish death metallers SOULDRAINER have inked a deal with ViciSolum Productions. The band's second full-length album will be released in the fall.

Commented the group in a statement: "We are very excited to work with ViciSolum Productions, which is a Swedish label. We've had contact with them for a couple of months now and we finally got to sign the deal. We met up with Thomas from ViciSolum Productions last night at the venue we were playing and signed the contract right before we entered the stage. Thomas is a great guy with sound values and has a great vision and we believe that together we can make a great job making sure all our fans will get the opportunity to enjoy our music. We have great expectations about our upcoming album and we can't wait for you to hear it!"

The first in a series of webisodes featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the recording sessions for the sophomore album from YOTANGOR, the brand symphonic metal French band featuring female singer Yngrid Yotangor, can be viewed below. Tentatively titled "Enslaved", the CD is being laid down at frontman Jean-Guy Pichoustre's Laboratory Metal studio in at Toulouse.

In the first webisode, the bass and drum parts are recorded by Patrice Hernandez and Tony Marcos, respectively, with direction from producer Jean-Guy Pichoustre.

YOTANGOR's debut album, "King Of The Universe", was described in a press release as "an ambitious double CD with 26 tracks, a concept album that talks about King Yotangor, a modern dictator convinced to be good with his people while all what he does is perverted by money and stupidity."

"King Of The Universe" was released on October 3, 2009.

YOTANGOR is:

Yngrid - Lead Vocal
Vincent Agar - Lead Guitar
Jean-Guy Pichoustre - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Patrice Hernandez - Bass, Backing Vocals
Tony Marcos - Drums, Lead and Backing Vocals

Two members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Peter Iwers (bass) and Björn Gelotte (guitar) — are partners in a new restaurant in their hometown of Gothenburg with a focus on "quality and service." Named 2112 as a tribute to RUSH's "2112" album, the establishment had its grand opening on April 21.

A three-minute video report on the 2112 restaurant courtesy of germany's Metal Hammer magazine can be viewed below.

"We decided to open a place that was part restaurant with fine dining and part pub with a great selection and a good bar menu," Iwers and Gelotte told GAFFA. "Both of us love to go out and drink and eat and that is exactly what you can do here. You can start in the restaurant and continue in the pub, or vice versa."

Danish thrashers ESSENCE, who are currently working on the sequel to their debut album, Lost In Violence, have issued an update. From their headquarters in Aalbog, Denmark, the band reveals that they will perform at this year’s edition of the Roskilde Festival, together with IRON MAIDEN, AUTOPSY and SOILWORK. They will also be the main support for Swedish death metal legends IN FLAMES, when they guest at a sold out Voxhall in Denmark on May 31st.

Essence also announce that they are streaming their debut album in it's entirety at this location.

The band have also revealed that bassist Tobias Nefer will be replaced by Norway's Benjamin Atlas. Benjamin will act as the band's live bass player, until they find a permanent fourth member.

The band has this to say about the news: "It's a huge honour for us to play at the 2011 Roskilde Festival and in particular with In Flames! Dreams can come true and we enjoy every second of this! We choose to put Lost In Violence up for online streaming, so all who feel like it can listen to the songs, because we want to spread our music to as many people as possible. All the people who have supported us throughout the years deserve much more than just being able to listen to the record, but that's all we can do right now! We look forward to perform with Benjamin Atlas on bass duties, as he is more than competent to handle the bass playing, which Essence has presented to the world so far!"

Essence recently announced they will hit the road this summer in support of VADER, on their Summer Campaign 2011 tour in June. The full line-up for the tour will also include Brazil's KRISIUN and Belgium's RESISTANCE.

Essence comments on the tour: "It will be a great honour for us to tour with Vader. The four of us have listened to Vader for many years and therefore we are very pleased that our first international tour will be as support for them. We are very grateful to Vader for having us on this tour and it will undoubtedly be a great pleasure opening for them every single night!"

BLOOD STAIN CHILD, Japanese cyber-melodeath band with contemporary Japanese music culture influences, will release its fifth album, "Epsilon", on June 30 (July 1 in the U.K.) via Coroner Records in digipak format (with an exclusive bonus track) and digital download. The CD was produced, mixed and mastered by Ettore Rigotti (DISARMONIA MUNDI, DESTRAGE, SLOWMOTION APOCALYPSE, STIGMA) at The Metal House Studio and it features guest appearances by Claudio Ravinale and Ettore Rigotti (DISARMONIA MUNDI).

"Epsilon" track lisitng:

01. Sirius VI
02. Forever Free
03. Stargazer
04. S.O.P.H.I.A.
05. Unlimited Alchemist
06. Electricity
07. Eternal
08. Moon Light Wave
09. Dedicated To Violator
10. Merry-Go-Round
11. LA+
12. Sai-Ka-No
13. Royal Sky (exclusive digipak bonus track)

Global Music has set a July 4 release date for "Flying In The Face Of Logic", the first solo album from singer/songwriter Kevin Ridley; producer/vocalist with folk-metal pioneers SKYCLAD. The CD contains 14 original tracks, mainly inspired by the singer's native Northeast (England) so fittingly, it features several northern session players — notably Northumbrian pipes player Andy May, Folkworks fiddle player Sophy Ball, and BLITZKRIEG's Dave Anderson on bass — as well as contributions from the current members of SKYCLAD.

Ridley describes the record as a form of continuation from SKYCLAD's "Semblance of Normality". "'Semblance...' was the first album where all the band members involved had roots in Northern England and references were buried within the songs," he said. "It was something I wanted to explore, so 'Flying In The Face Of Logic' became autobiographical and based upon my personal stories of life, love and growing up in the Northeast of England."

After spending 35 years in the music industry, engineering and producing for thrash-metallers VENOM, FORGODSAKE, ANATHEMA, PARIAH and SKYCLAD, Kevin Ridley took the opportunity to emerge from behind the mixing desk and experience the role of a player, rather than producer.

Five years in the making, Ridley described the journey of writing the album as a challenge of learning "how to fly and make my own rules."

"Flying In The Face Of Logic" was produced by Kevin Ridley; recorded at Newcastle's Blast Studio, and mixed by Dario Mollo (GLENN HUGHES, TONY MARTIN, LACUNA COIL).

In related news, SKYCLAD has inked a deal with Global Music for the digital re-release of nearly half of the band's back catalogue. All releases from 1996 to 2006 are now available to download from all major online retailers.

* Irrational Anthems (1996)
* Oui Avant-Garde á Chance (1996)
* The Answer Machine? (1997)
* Vintage Whine (1999)
* Folkémon (2000)
* Another Fine Mess live album (2001)
* Swords of a Thousand Men Single (2001)
* Live at the Dynamo compilation/live album (2002)
* No Daylights... Nor Heel Taps Compilation/Re-Recording (2002)
* A Semblance of Normality (2004)
* Jig-a-Jig limited-edition EP (2006)

SKYCLAD was founded in 1990 by then former SABBAT vocalist Martin Walkyier and SATAN/PARIAH guitarist Steve Ramsey, their aim being to put together the "ultimate pagan metal band." Initial ideas for the band included such extravagances as traditional Robin Hood costumes, although these concepts were soon dropped. SKYCLAD are now considered one of the pioneers of folk metal.

SKYCLAD's current lineup:

Kevin Ridley (vocals, guitar)
Steve Ramsey (lead guitar, acoustic guitar and backing vocals)
Graeme "Bean" English (bass guitar, acoustic and classical guitar)
George Biddle (fiddle, keyboards and piano)
Arron Walton (drums, percussion)

Maryland rockers CLUTCH took part in their first-ever acoustic in-store performance on Saturday, May 28 at Earshot Music & Movies in Greenville, South Carolina. The band's set consisted primarily of selections from its "Basket Of Eggs" project from the "Blast Tyrant" deluxe reissue. The charitable food pantry "Loaves And Fishes" was also on site that afternoon collecting canned food and non-perishables for the region's recent weather-related victims. Earshot and Weathermaker Music set up a large "food basket" inside the retailer and those who donated a canned or non-perishable food item received a free CLUTCH tour poster and were first in line to have it autographed by the band after their acoustic performance.

Fedja of CraveMetal.com recently conducted an interview with bassist Alex Webster of Florida-based death metal veterans CANNIBAL CORPSE. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

CraveMetal.com: You are officially the best-selling death metal band of all time. That's gotta be a great feeling?

Alex: It's definitely cool. We are very grateful to our fans for making that possible. We will continue to work hard in to make music that's worth our fans' hard earned money. We are happy that we're selling well, but we want the quality of our music to be the top priority.

CraveMetal.com: There have been many death metal bands since 1990 when you guys released "Eaten Back to Life". Some are still around today, some called it a day, and new ones are on the rise. How do you feel the death metal scene differs today to what it was back in early 1990s?

Alex: The main difference is that the genre is now fully established. In the beginning, it was brand new and still being defined. There were only a handful of bands to draw influence from when we started, now there are hundreds (even thousands) of bands in the death metal scene…new bands have a large body of work to draw inspiration from and build upon. Another difference in the scene today is that information travels much more quickly via the Internet. In the old days we all got our info by word of mouth, on the phone, or through snail mail. I remember waiting weeks for demos to arrive at my house. Now you just Google a band's name and listen to the tracks they've posted online.

CraveMetal.com: What I have always wanted to know is, how do you guys go about naming the tracks? I have always loved the crazy titles.

Alex: A lot of the time we come up with the song titles together at band practice, although sometimes a member will come up with ideas on his own at home. We try to make the titles fit the music — a fast crazy song will have a different sort of title than a slow heavy song.

CraveMetal.com: When can we expect to see next studio album released? Any news or info on new material?

Alex: We'll be recording in September and October, so the album should come out sometime in early 2012. The material will be death metal done the CANNIBAL CORPSE way… no big surprises, just brutality!

NIGHTWISH have issued the following update in regards to Imaginarium, the band's forthcoming new album/movie (the album is currently scheduled to be released early in 2012, followed by the movie after an indefinite time):

"During the last six weeks, the work on Imaginarium has advanced by leaps and bounds. We’ve been so busy with the project there has been precious little time for anything else.

While the band supervises the final mix of the album, location scouting is already underway for the Imaginarium movie. As the name of the movie and the information disclosed so far suggest, these real-world special places are few and far between.

The production crew has also been strengthened by people who have extensive knowledge of post-production technology. This is crucial, because the shoot and post-production are expected to be extremely complex and technically challenging. One of the characters in the movie also needs special attention from the animation department. Without teasing you any further, we can only disclose that this character will surely be remembered by many a Nightwish fan.

Because of the technical challenges and need for more planning, the shooting has been postponed. The movie will nevertheless be completed on time, as the post-production was begun already before the shooting.

There’s obviously a lot of expectations for the movie score. Tuomas is currently working on variations with Petri Alanko, renowned for his prize-winning music for the Alan Wake video game. The score will be based on the songs on the album and their main themes in a way that — like many other things with the Imaginarium movie — is a first in the history of motion pictures.

Imaginarium was also featured at the Cannes Movie Festival, where Solar Films presented their forthcoming films. At the same time, the script went through its biggest and most anticipated overhaul so far, confirming that Imaginarium will in no way be a children’s movie but a dark and foreboding fantasy; a dream world that lacks no surprises.

In a nutshell, like the director of the movie tends to characterize his productions, “well-planned is half done”. The famous sign post on the crossroads leading to Imaginarium is already visible. It says “Imaginarium, X miles”, and underneath it reads in small, red, curving hand-writing: “Soon it’s time to start shooting”."

The first single from Imaginarium, as well as the trailer for the movie, should appear well before the end of the 2011.

STAM1NA has released the track ‘Karhunraudat’ online for streaming at this location until May 31st.

‘Karhunraudat’ is composed by Antti Hyyrynen and Kai-Pekka Kangasmäki and lyrics were written by Antti Hyyrynen. The song was recorded by Emil Lähteenmäki and Teemu Velin, recording of the vocals and mixing were done by Miitri Aaltonen.

‘Karhunraudat’ is off the album Mitä vapaus released by the Finnish section of Amnesty International for celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the organization. It was written about the story of Zelimkhan Murdalov, a 26-year-old student, who has not been seen since 2001, when he was detained in Chechnya in the Russian Federation.

The voice of Zelimkhan Murdalov's sister, can be heard in the beginning of the song.

Mitä vapaus tells stories of 11 people who have risked their lives in order to take a stand for human rights.

Pop Culture Madness conducted an interview with Christian rockers P.O.D. at this year's Rock On The Range festival, which was held May 21-22 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. You can now watch the chat below. Also available is performance footage of a new song, tentatively titled "On Fire".

P.O.D. recently filed a lawsuit against the band's record label, Tennessee-based INO Records, claiming that the company breached its contract by refusing to pay the group a $400,000 advance for its next album.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in Nashville, the group informed the label in November that it was ready to start recording the follow-up to 2008's "When Angels & Serpents Dance". The band claims INO refused to pay the option, explaining that P.O.D. had " 'abandoned' its obligations (to INO) under the agreement."

"When Angels & Serpents Dance" sold 34,000 in the United States in its first week of release in April 2008 to debut at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "Testify", registered a first-week tally of just over 54,000 back in February 2006 to land at No. 9.

"When Angels & Serpents Dance" featured guest appearances from the MARLEY SISTERS, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES singer Mike Muir and HELMET guitarist Page Hamilton.

Interview:

'Time', the title track from the debut album from PARADISE INC., is now available for download at the band's official website.

Paradise Inc. recently released a video that features an acoustic version of the song 'Steel Or Stone', which will be included as a bonus on the Time album.

The video, which presents the German vocalist Carsten "Lizard" Schulz (EVIDENCE ONE, MIDNITE CLUB, ex-DOMAIN), was captured in Tomada Studio and Seegewerk Studio. "It's very cool to work with Paradise Inc.! I am proud the way the band is taking, "said Carsten. "We find interesting to show this video in a different footprint of the original version, and we're pleased with the response, " adds guitarist De Grigo.

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE — the Shreveport, Louisiana quintet now transplanted to Los Angeles, California — will release its new album, "Ruining It For Everybody", on July 26 via Century Media Records.

Every person who pre-orders the new CD at MerchNow will be entered to win one of five prize packs featuring 2 tickets to see IWRESTLEDABEARONCE at a show of their choice on the upcoming "All Stars Tour", a meet-and-greet with the band, and two merch items of their choice at the show. One grand prize winner will be chosen out of these five to win the above plus every "Ruining It For Everybody" pre-sale merch item. Various pre-order CD packages will be available for purchase. The first 100 IWRESTLEDABEARONCE posters purchased as part of a pre-order package will be autographed. In addition, the first 500 pre-orders will receive a custom IWRESTLEDABEARONCE birthday card.

The fearless fivesome — Krysta Cameron (vocals), Steven Bradley (guitar, keyboard, programming, samples), John Ganey (guitar, keyboard, programming, samples), Mike "Rickshaw" Martin (bass) and Mikey Montgomery (drums) — still bludgeons with the best of them. In fact, their psychotic polyrhythmic groove fuels "Ruining It For Everybody". Simultaneously, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE completely embrace their inner RADIOHEAD, elegantly exorcising eerie emotion via singer Krysta Cameron.

Breakneck guitar battery subsides during a haunting chorus on the album's first single, "Karate Nipples". Elsewhere on "Next Visible Delicious", glitchy electronics derail into a vaudevillian death metal delirium. Closing track "Button It Up" ventures into raw, real darkness. IWRESTLEDABEARONCE have ruined heavy music, because no one can compete with them now.

Bradley encapsulates the band's sound this time around. "It's heavier, catchier, and better organized than anything we've done so far. We took a really spastic blend of genres and made it more cohesive."

"The album is another story and chapter in my life," reveals Cameron. "A lot has happened since the release of our debut, and it means a lot to me that I get to express my thoughts, beliefs, and feelings through this album."

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE don't shroud anything in mystery, and they're doing exactly what they want. For Bradley, the album title serves as the ultimate middle finger to expectations, conventions, and the norm. "We do whatever the fuck we want, and that normally ends up pissing people off," he declares. "We like to take elements from every style and genre and ruin them for everybody."

For Cameron, that deconstruction includes delving deeper than your average metal singer. On "Next Visible Delicious", she serves up a warning about the dangers of not thinking for oneself. "People believe anything fed to them if they are told by someone with power that it's truth. Your head will spin trying to rationalize religion, politics, and environment. The song references mother nature becoming fed up with our ways and swallowing us whole. It's a warning of our long-awaited Armageddon. No, not the movie…"

Look for IWRESTLEDABEARONCE to take their one-of-a-kind, fearless live show on the road again starting July 21. First up, they'll join the "All Stars Tour", featuring EMMURE, FOR TODAY, BORN OF OSIRIS, AFTER THE BURIAL, CHELSEA GRIN, ATTILA, ALESANA, BLESS THE FALL, IN THIS MOMENT, THE GHOST INSIDE, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, SLEEPING WITH SIRENS and FOR ALL THOSE SLEEPING. These dates run through August 21 in Las Vegas, with another week of shows expected to be added.

"Ruining It For Everybody" track listing:

01. Next Visible Delicious
02. You Know That Ain't Them Dogs' Real Voices
03. Deodorant Can't Fix Ugly
04. This Head Music Makes My Eyes Rain
05. It Is "Bro" Isn't It?
06. Gold Jacket, Green Jacket
07. Break It Down Camacho
08. Stay to the Right
09. I'm Gonna Shoot
10. Karate Nipples
11. Button It Up

Floridian power metallers SEVEN KINGDOMS has marked June 20th as their first recording date at the legendary Morrisound Studios (SEPULTURA, SAVATAGE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEICIDE, MORBID ANGEL, DEATH) in Tampa, Florida.

Commented guitarist Camden Cruz: "We are heading in to Morrisound to track the intro to the album. It will only take a few hours but we are planning on playing a few tracks (along with the intro) from our new material on our headlining show in Atlanta on the Uniting The Powers Of Metal Tour. Atlanta was our favorite stop on the BIND GUARDIAN tour and its going to be awesome to give them a little something extra when we stop there, and we want to make sure its done right. Thanks to all our fans for chipping in to our recording fund at Morrisound Studios and we hope that all though small, this will be the first glorious taste of a very, very big year for us!"

On December 13th, 2009, German rockers AXXIS celebrated their 20 Year Anniversary Show with fans and friends in the venue Zeche Bochum. Over four hours, Axxis offered their guests, fans and friends an outstanding show. Band and fans turned the stuffed Zeche into a madhouse. They will release their first ever DVD featuring content from that night, entitled 20 Years Of Axxis, on June 3rd.

The package features the following content:

-- from the fans, for the fans
-- 3 hour live show on DVD
-- total of 33 songs from 20 years of Axxis
-- including previously unreleased songs
-- many special guests
-- interviews with fans and friends
-- guitar raffle
-- special audio CD cut
-- special bonus material
-- subtitles in English, French and Spanish

Swedish death/black metal band GRIEF OF EMERALD will release its fourth album, "The Devils Deep", on June 3 through Non Serviam Records. The first CD to feature the group's current lineup sees GRIEF OF EMERALD "increase[ing] the power by adding some new intricate songs, boosting harmonies with haunting keyboards, tight double-bass drumming, backed by a massive guitar sound and haunting vocals, plus superb packaging," according to a press release.

Commented drummer Carl Karlsson: "After our last tour [Christ Crushing Tour with SKYFORGER, SEAR BLISS, BESTIAL MOCKERY and OBTEST], GRIEF OF EMERALD was confronted with lineup problems once again when the bass player and the guitarist left the band. The band fell into a slumber as we tried to find competent musicians to work with, some local shows were done to try out new members but not until 2008 the lineup was complete again and the plans of a new record was spawned. A demo called 'Holocaust' was made as well as some live shows around Sweden to attract record companies and after careful consideration a deal was made with Non Serviam Records."

"Holographic Sight", the new video from California metallers THE HUMAN ABSTRACT, can be viewed below. The song comes off THE HUMAN ABSTRACT's third full-length album, "Digital Veil", which sold around 3,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 177 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 5 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

THE HUMAN ABSTRACT recently parted ways with guitarist Andrew Tapley. He wrote in a post on his Facebook page, "This wasn't decided by me; however, there are no hard feelings."

Tapley joined THE HUMAN ABSTRACT in 2007 and played on the band's sophomore full-length album, "Midheaven", which came out in August 2008 via Hopeless Records. He is also featured on "Digital Veil".

nish thrashers HATESPHERE have announced the addition of bassist Jimmy Nedergaard (GOB SQUAD) to the group's ranks.

Commented Nedergaard: "I've been a fan of HATESPHERE for a long time, so, of course, I had to audition. Both their music and the energy they put in their work appeals to me, and our future plans for HATESPHERE are the same, so it seems obvious to me, to work and play with these guys."

Added HATESPHERE in a statement: "Finding a new bass player showed not to be as easy, as we had hoped but our patience luckily paid off. Being a metalhead but coming from a punk rock background, Jimmy fits our profile perfectly. He knows what he is going into, he shares our visions with the band, he has tried something different than metal but still has it deep in his heart, and last but not least he's a great guy. Fitting in personally means a lot to us, so Jimmy's age and experience has made him the perfect choice. We have already played our first live show with him, partied with him and involved him in the writing process of the new songs, so he has had a busy start — just as we want it."

Fan-filmed video footage of SYSTEM OF A DOWN's May 24, 2011 concert at Forum in Inglewood, California can be viewed below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Prison Song
02. B.Y.O.B.
03. Know
04. Needles
05. Deer Dance
06. Attack
07. Radio/Video
08. Hypnotize
09. Question!
10. Suggestions
11. Psycho
12. Chop Suey!
13. Lonely Day
14. Soldier Side - Intro
15. Soldier Side
16. Bounce
17. Kill Rock 'n Roll
18. Lost in Hollywood
19. Forest
20. Science
21. Holy Mountains
22. Aerials
23. Tentative
24. Cigaro
25. Suite-Pee
26. War?
27. Toxicity
28. P.L.U.C.K.
29. Sartarabad
30. Sugar