SONS OF AEON, the new Jyväskylä, Finland-based metal band featuring former SWALLOW THE SUN drummer Pasi Pasanen, has made three songs available for free download via the group's official web site. The drums were recorded at Studio Watercastle in Jyväskylä, Finland by Arttu Sarvanne, while guitars and bass were recorded at SONS OF AEON's home studio and the vocals were handled by Teemu Liekkala. The mixing and mastering was taken care of by Antti Malinen.

The following tracks are available for download:

01. Weakness
02. Seeds Of Destruction
03. Burden

SONS OF AEON is:

Tony Kaikkonen (CODE FOR SILENCE) - Vocals
Tapio Vartiainen - Guitar
Wille Naukkarinen (GHOST BRIGADE) - Guitar
Tommi Kiviniemi (GHOST BRIGADE) - Bass
Pasi Pasanen (PLUTONIUM ORANGE, ex-SWALLOW THE SUN) - Drums

SOULFLY / CAVALERA CONSPIRACY guitarist Marc Rizzo is featured in a new interview with MetalAssault.com, conducted prior to the kick-off show of his latest solo tour. An excerpt is available below.

Q: I read that it is going to be a whole new set list this time. What can the fans expect?

Marc: "Yeah, we'll mix it up. We'll do a lot of songs off of the new record, and we'll also do songs that have vocals on them, and also a couple of cover songs. So it will be a fun set list with all kinds of stuff in it."

Q: These cover songs, is this something you've always done, or have you been doing more of it recently?

Marc: "Yeah, we've always thrown in a couple of covers to try and mix it up. One night we do some Sepultura while sometimes we do SLAYER, Soulfly and whatever else we feel like playing."

Q: As you said, the majority of the show is going to be an instrumental performance. It must be something that you really enjoy doing, because you are the frontman, for a change.

Marc: "Yeah, it's nice to play these largely instrumental sets because instrumental guitar is the stuff I enjoy listening to the most. The likes of JOE SATRIANI, STEVE VAI, GREG HOWE and in general, fusion guitar music."

Dutch black metal band CIRITH GORGOR has issued the following update:

"We will enter the Toneshed Recording Studio in February to record a trilogy, entitled 'Der Untergang', and one new song, entitled 'The Devil's Ancient Disciples'.

"The trilogy will be released as a limited gatefold LP only. 'The Devil's...' will appear on the remastered version of the 'Firestorm Apocalypse...' album, which will be released as a limited two-CD digipack that will also include three tracks from the 'Cirith Gorgor' album ('Total Annihilation', 'The Black Hordes' and 'Warcry Of The Southern Lands') with Nimroth on vocals, plus the previously unreleased 'Demonic Incarnation' promo 2002."

CIRITH GORGOR's last, self-titled album was released in 2007 via Ketzer Records.

Finnish metallers MOONSORROW have unveiled cover art and revealed the release dates for their upcoming album, Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa. Check out the cover art below:

Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa will be released via Soinefarm Records on the following dates:

February
21 - UK
23 - Finland
25 - Germany, Switzerland, Austria
28 - rest of Europe

Irish dark metal masters PRIMORDIALare putting the finishing touches on their seventh studio album, "Redemption At The Puritan's Hand", with producer Chris Fielding (NAPALM DEATH, ELECTRIC WIZARD) for a tentative April release via Metal Blade Records.

"Chris Fielding is awesome, as usual," PRIMORDIAL vocalist Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill told Decibel magazine. "He's learned a few more tricks since we were last there, so it's working out well.

"The album itself sounds vital and full of energy," he continued, "and has some very bleak and morose moments, but also some of the more metal elements we had moved into with 'The Nameless Dead' It's definitely PRIMORDIAL and won't disappoint people."

Several video clips from the studio can be found on the band's official Facebook page.

PRIMORDIAL will embark on a European tour in May/June with support from the U.S. classic metallers WHILE HEAVEN WEPT and the French circle of ALCEST.

The third in the reissue series from PRIMORDIAL, "Spirit The Earth Aflame", came out in July 2010 via Metal Blade Records. The LP was originally released in 2000 and was now re-released as a two-disc digipack.

PRIMORDIAL released its first-ever DVD, "All Empires Fall", in the U.S. on March 16, 2010 via Metal Blade Records.

Resurrected U.S. gore legends AUTOPSY will enter Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California in early February with producer Adam Munoz to begin recording their new album, "Macabre Eternal", for a spring release via Peaceville Records.

We've got more [material] written than we need," drummer/vocalist Chris Reifert told Decibel magazine, "so we're going to pack as much into the album as we can without it being too much. We'd like to think we saved the best stuff for the album."

AUTOPSY had previously decided to make an official comeback after working together on two songs for the special 20th-anniversary edition of debut album, "Severed Survival", in late 2008; the band having originally split before the release of its fourth album, "Shitfun", in 1995. A five-song EP, "The Tomb Within", came out last September and saw the original trio of Chris Reifert, Danny Coralles and Eric Cutler joined on bass by Joe Trevisano (ex-ABSCESS).

"I usually cringe when I hear 'reunion' or 'reformed' or whatever," Reifert told Decibel. "It usually means people are out of ideas. We really have no interest in reliving the past. That's what was cool about the songs just coming to us instead of our trying to force it. We can't tour, and if we could, we still wouldn't want to. But as long as we enjoy recording, we're going to stay at it. It's not a one-off or a two-off or whatever. Right now, there's a lot of energy in the band, and it's not going away anytime soon. We have a few things to take care of, for sure."

Century Media Records, the Finnish Metal Expo, and other metal media have joined forces to search for the Suomi Metal Star 2011.

About 240 Finnish bands signed in for the qualifying and 12 were selected for a public online voting that closed on New Year’s Eve. The 4 finalist bands to play at the Finnish Metal Expo in Helsinki Saturday 19.02.2011 are AVATHAR, ODDLAND, ABLAZER, and ARTIFICIAL HEART.

All 4 bands will play 2 songs live at the Finnish Metal Expo at the Cable Factory, Helsinki, Finland on Saturday, February 19th between 4 - 6 PM.

A jury consisting of Matti Riekki (Chief Editor, Inferno), Jerry Kurunen (Imperiumi.net), Jouni Markkanen (Helsinki Metal Meeting, Tuska Open Air), Jens Prueter (Head Of A&R, Century Media Records Ltd.), Louise Brown (Editor, Terrorizer) and Henri Sorvali (musician, FINNTROLL, MOONSORROW) will pick the best of the four bands to win a worldwide record deal with Century Media Records Ltd.

VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash told ARTISTdirect.com that the band has "moved leaps and bounds" in its search for a new lead singer. The group has been without a vocalist since dismissing Scott Weiland in April 2008. Following a new round of auditions last fall, the band seems to have zeroed in on one potential candidate.

Drummer Matt Sorum gave The Pulse Of Radio a few hints about the singer that the band is, in Sorum's own words, "dating." "[The] guy that we're liking right now is a known guy," he said. "A very strong guy, too. And it seems to, at this point, in my opinion, metaphorically, it makes perfect sense because... a little younger, a little stronger, a little bit heavier rock 'n' roll than we are, that's all I can say, but in a way we want to come out stronger. The older you get, the stronger you have to be, the harder you have to work."

Reuters has issued the following report from Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato:

PINK FLOYD and its long time record label EMI have signed a new five-year deal and ended their legal dispute, the company said on Tuesday.

The development will come as a relief to the label, which has lost high-profile acts including QUEEN, THE ROLLING STONES, PAUL MCCARTNEY and RADIOHEAD since EMI was taken over by private equity firm Terra Firma in 2007.

Terra Firma boss Guy Hands also lost a court case in New York last year in which he accused Citigroup Inc of tricking him into overpaying for EMI.

"Pink Floyd are one of the most important and influential bands of all time and I know I speak for everyone at EMI when I say that it is a privilege to have the opportunity to work with them," EMI Group CEO Roger Faxon said in a statement. "We're looking forward to continuing to help the band reach new and existing fans through their incredible body of work."

The English rockers, who signed to EMI more than 40 years ago, are most famous for influential and acclaimed albums The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall.

According to EMI, they have sold over 200 million albums worldwide, and in the United States alone, 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon has sold 45 million copies and is the country's third best-selling album ever.

Last year Pink Floyd and EMI were embroiled in a legal battle over the label's right to "unbundle" their albums and sell individual tracks online.

"All legal disputes between the band and the company have been settled as a result of this new deal," EMI added in its statement.

Sadly we have to announce that John Jowitt is leaving IQ after 19 years playing with the band. In that time John has become a great friend and a real asset to the IQ family and we’ll miss him very much.
John says:
“I'm very sad to say that although playing with IQ has been a dream come true, after 19 years with the band I love, last month's Christmas gig at the O2 was my last show with IQ, and I'm leaving the band. I've had a great time, met lots of wonderful people, travelled the world, but it's time to move on. I'd like to confirm that this is my decision, and also that it has no relationship to me playing with any other band.
I'd like to wish all the best to IQ, for what I'm sure will continue to be a great future; I'd like to thank the crew and past band members for all their help, camaraderie and hard work, and most of all, I'd like to thank everyone who's come along to the shows over the years and supported us.
So, onwards and upwards. See you January 29th at the Peel!”

Legendary hard rock singer Joe Lynn Turner (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) is featured on the new album from THE JAN HOLBERG PROJECT, "Sense Of Time", which is being released in Norway on March 28 via Nordic Records.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Sense Of Time
02. Mesmerized
03. Sorry
04. Heart Of Summer
05. Wild Eyes
06. The Meadow (instrumental)
07. Invincible
08. Vision Of Lust
09. Come Rain Come Shine
10. Mother Nature (instrumental)

Five songs from the CD can be streamed at NordicRecords.no.

The musicians on the album are:

* Jan E. Holberg - Bass
* Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) - Vocals
* Gulli Briem (MEZZOFORTE, EARTH AFFAIR) - Drums
* Eythor Gunnarsson (MEZZOFORTE) - Keyboards
* Skalg Mikaelson Raaen (SAMBANDET, ESPEN LIND) - Guitar
* Bente Smaavik (BLONDE ON BLONDE, PERFECT CRIME) - Backing Vocals

Maryland rockers CLUTCH will tour North America with the legendary band MOTÖRHEAD and special guest VALIENT THORR. The trek kicks January 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the House of Blues and wraps on March 11 ending in Los Angeles, California at Club Nokia LA Live. In addition to the shows with MOTÖRHEAD, CLUTCH has announced a string of headlining shows. All the dates can be found at this location.

In other news, Weathermaker Music and CLUTCH are putting the finishing touches on what is sure to be a must-have for any CLUTCH fan, a deluxe double-disc reissue of the classic CLUTCH album "Blast Tyrant". Due on March 29, this limited-edition release includes 25 total songs, over 97 minutes of music, brand new artwork and is available for the fan-friendly price of $15.98. The bonus disc features ten tracks, six of which were found untouched in the deepest realms of the CLUTCH/Weathermaker vault as well as four brand new recordings!

The track listing is as follows:

Disc One:

01. Mercury
02. Profits of Doom
03. The Mob Goes Wild
04. Cypress Grove
05. Promoter (Of Earthbound Causes)
06. The Regulator
07. Worm Drink
08. Army of Bono
09. Spleen Merchant
10. (In The Wake Of) The Swollen Goat
11. Weather Maker
12. Subtle Hustle
13. Ghost
14. La Curandera
15. WYSIWYG

Disc Two (unreleased acoustic and electric studio recordings):

01. Boxcar Shorty's Confession
02. Tight Like That
03. Basket of Eggs
04. The Regulator
05. Drink to the Dead
06. Cattle Car
07. Walpole Man
08. Promoter
09. La Curandera
10. Steve Doocy

Swedish death metallers INSISION have posted a video teaser for their upcoming EP, "End Of All", due later in the year via the U.S. label Sevared Records. The CD was recorded at Off Beat Studio in Stockholm with engineer Anders Erikssonand features the following track listing:

01. Expire
02. Curvature
03. Descend
04. Beckoning
05. Ex Oblivione

INSISION said in a statement, "It has been brutal and fun working with this new material and we're all excited about the release. We felt a need to get it out there while writing our next full-length album, mainly for the fans supporting us down the years as it has been just too fucking long since our last release. But now finally, we're here. This time it's going to be a five-track release, giving you four completely new killer tracks, the fifth bonus track being a remake of a song from our early days. It's just a brutal beating, a package delivering brutal and aggressive death metal, the INSISION way, of course!! This one will break your necks for sure!!"

Commented Sevared Records in a statement: "Sevared Records is very honored to sign the mighty INSISION!! I personally have been a huge fan of this incredible band since the first mini-CD. I'm extremely excited to release the new mini-CD and the following full-length CD, I know these brutal death metal veterans will crush every fan of brutal death metal skulls in!! And finally get the recognition of brutality they deserve!!"

INSISION recently parted ways with guitarist Magnus Martinsson due to his "involvement and focus on other bands and projects" and recruited death metal/jazz-influenced axeman Tobias Alpadie as a session member.

INSISION's third album, "Ikon", was released in Europe on September 26, 2007 via Dental Records.

Bassist Daniel Ekeroth left INSISION in May 2009 and was replaced by Joel Andersson, who previously played with IMMERSED IN BLOOD.

INSISION is:

Carl Birath - Vocals
Roger Johansson - Guitar
Tobias Alpadie - Session Guitar
Joel Andersson - Bass
Marcus Jonsson - Drums

Swedish death metal masters DERANGED will enter Berno Studio in Malmö, Sweden in February to begin recording their eighth full-length album, "Cut, Carve, Rip, Serve", to be released via Sevared Records.

Songtitles set to appear on the CD (among others):

* Workshed Slaughter
* Slay And Grind
* Limbless Slave
* Savage Hacksaw Castration
* Depraved And Zombified
* Blood On Pale Hands
* Razorsharp Decapitation

Sonic Unyon Metal will reissue "Concealed", the first album from the progressive death metal outfit AUGURY, on March 8. Originally released in 2004 via Galy Records, this updated version features a fully remastered recording of the album, also expanded to include two bonus tracks from the band's 2006 demo. This definitive edition will also be packaged in a new digipak format, designed by Sven de Caluwé of ABORTED.

Formed in Montreal, Quebec at the end of 2001, AUGURY immediately made an impact in the Canadian death metal scene with its technical/classically inspired progressive death metal attack. The unit entered the studio with Yannick St-Amand (MARTYR, UNEXPECT) in 2004 to record their "Concealed" debut. The record was mixed by Jean-Francois Dagenais (KATAKLYSM, MISERY INDEX) and then set loose upon the anxious public. After the release of "Concealed", AUGURY signed with Nuclear Blast Records, who in 2009 unveiled the band's critically acclaimed 2009 album "Fragmentary Evidence", further cementing the band's name into the upper ranks of the progressive death scene.

"Concealed" reissue track listing:

01. Beatus
02. ...Ever Know Peace Again
03. Cosmic Migration
04. Nocebo
05. Alien Shores
06. In Russian Dolls Universes
07. Becoming God
08. The Lair Of Purity
09. From Eden Estranged
10. ...As Sea Devours Land
11. Skyless (bonus track; 2006 demo)
12. Faith Puppeteers (bonus track; 2006 demo)

Riverside, California-based progressive death metallers ARKAIK are currently hard at work on their sophomore effort which will be titled Metamorphignition.

According to a press release, "their intention is to create a more mature and rhythmically balanced album that expands on their already fierce musical style. It will be an evolution in which the brutality and technical ferocity will not be lost, merely accompanied by other musical elements to add depth to the sound. The music on the album will be intertwined with a story to engage listeners and take them on an abstract journey into the transcendental nature of humanity and the cosmos. We plan to head into the studio towards the end of the year.The artwork will be handled by the graphic master Tony Koehl. So expect a cinematically sonic and thought provoking next album."

AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler — who has spent the last few months preparing for his first season as a judge on "American Idol" — tells RollingStone.com that's he's anxious to reunite with his bandmates and resume work a new studio album. "I'm trying to rally the guys together," he says. "We're having trouble getting Joe [Perry, guitar]. I don't know where he is, but just come down to L.A. at the end of January sometime. I've had enough downtime."

Tyler thinks he and Perry can find common ground. "We just have to get together and put the shit together," he says. "That's all. We're all musicians, and what does that say for itself? We're like peripheral visionaries. We don't see what's in front of us more often than not. We see what's off to the sides. I just need to get them all together and put it together to be a band that is. That's all."

Video footage of VAN HALEN bass player Wolfgang Van Halen sitting in on drums for the song "One Day Remains" during ALTER BRIDGE's January 4, 2011 concert at the House of Blues in Hollywood, California can be viewed below. According to The Pulse Of Radio, Wolfgang's father Eddie Van Halen watched the performance from the side of the stage. Although later reports said that Eddie had been thinking about playing as well, he chose not to perform at the event.

Later, for the encore of "Rise Today", the band was joined by GUNS N' ROSES/VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash. ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy also sings in Slash's touring band, with whom he'll hit the road later this month for an opening slot on Ozzy Osbourne's tour.

ALTER BRIDGE has been on the road behind its latest album, "AB III", which features the Top Five rock radio track "Isolation".

The band's 2008 concert DVD, "Live From Amsterdam", will be released on Blu-ray next Tuesday (January 11). Filmed in 2008 during the band's world tour behind its "Blackbird" album, the disc features 18 songs performed live in addition to a documentary on the band and photo gallery.

Bassist Brian Wheat (pictured below) of Californian rockers TESLA has released the following statement:

"It is a very sad day. I've just found out that one of my all-time bass heroes, Phil Kennemore [of Y&T] has passed away.

"I always enjoyed him and his sense of humor. And the way he played the bass, even though he always gave me shit for using a pick.

"I am so sad I didn't get to see him before he went.

"I did have a great long conversation with him when he first got sick.

"I love you, Phil.

"Love is real, my brother bass player."

Washington D.C.-based metallers DARKEST HOUR have completed work on their new album, "The Human Romance", for a February 22, 2011 release via eOne Music. The CD was recorded at a North Carolina studio with producer (and SOILWORK guitarist) Peter Wichers.

Check out the cover artwork below.

This time around, the DARKEST HOUR songs were composed a bit differently than was the case in the past. Guitarist Mike Schleibaum explains, "We have been working on these tunes ever since we left the studio last April.

"'The Eternal Return' was written during a very dark, bleak time for the band and I think that record matches that in both tone and character. Our vision was for it to be an in-your-face, no-frills aggressive assault. The new material shares in that aggression and pushes DARKEST HOUR beyond the unknown."

Wichers previously helmed such acclaimed albums as ALL THAT REMAINS' "The Fall of Ideals" and SOILWORK's latest effort, "The Panic Broadcast".

THE BRONX CASKET CO., the side project of OVERKILL bassist D.D. Verni and SEVEN WITCHES guitarist Jack Frost, will release its new album, "Antihero", on January 25 via eOne Music.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Antihero
02. Bonesaw
03. You Look Like Hell
04. Sally
05. I Never Loved You Anyway
06. Holy Mother
07. I Am No One
08. Memphis Scarecrow
09. Selling My Soul
10. Death On Two Legs
11. Let Me Be Your Nightmare
12. NYC (Devil's Playground)
13. Alive!
14. My Way