A reissue of Swedish metallers LIFELOVER's infamous third album, Konkurs, will be the band's first release on Prophecy Productions.

Originally released in 2008, Konkurs paints a bleak, dystopian vision of modern urban despair with fractured fragments of black metal, indie-pop, post-punk, and shoegaze. Truly a love-it-or-hate-it experience, Lifelover's proudly defiant Konkurs will forever alter your perceptions of what can be done to black metal or even extreme metal in general.

On November 29th, Konkurs will be available in two different editions: as a standard jewelcase and as a digipak 2 CD set, featuring the sought-after Promo 2005, the very first Lifelover material ever recorded.

Stereogum is now streaming 'Invoke The Desolate One', the third track off of LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH's latest album, The Extra Dimensional Wound, released earlier this year. Check it out here.

In other news, Lightning Swords Of Death will play a pre-holiday one-off show in Los Angeles, CA at The Blvd on December 17th. More dates to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Extra Dimensional Wound was recorded in Corona, CA at Trench Studios with Roska from the band producing and John Haddad handling engineering duties, and was mixed and mastered by Sverker "Necro" Widgren at Necromorbus Studios in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Extra Dimensional Wound tracklisting:

'The Extra Dimensional Wound'
'Nihilistic Stench'
'Invoke The Desolate One'
'Zwartgallig'
'Damnation Pentastrike'
'Venter Of The Black Beast'
'Vortricating Into Scars'
'Paths To Chaos'

It began seven years ago when a pact was made within a dilapidated house hidden in Southern California. It was here that Autarch, Roskva and Menno found themselves in agreement that should the occult sciences be applied to music, the results would prove extremely dangerous to their sanity, yet yield spectacular results. Lightning Swords Of Death, as they would name it, would be in itself a meticulously designed hyper-sigil constructed to direct and antagonize the limitless dark energy that lurks within the less navigable chasms of the human mind and the space between spaces.

Enter 2009; Lightning Swords Of Death signed a worldwide deal with Metal Blade Records and continued to push their brand of brazen black metal through their DYI attitude, getting multiple tracks on the PSP game Undead Knights as well as a track featured on the soundtrack for the horror/thriller movie Stepfather (October 2009). Lightning Swords Of Death budding reputation as a relentless and must see black metal act also earned the band a coveted spot on the Evangelia Amerika Tour, headlined by BEHEMOTH and joined by SEPRIC FLESH of Greece, which kicked off in January 2010.

In anticipation of the release of the band's debut Metal Blade album, The Extra Dimensional Wound, the band toured the western and southern US during March 2010 with none other than KREATOR, KATAKLYSM, EVILE and LAZARUS A.D. Lightning Swords Of Death even landed a highly sought after spot opening up the Los Angeles show for legendary black metalers IMMORTAL!

MEMORAIN - the "super-group" formed in 1999 and founded by guitarist Ilias Papadakis. The band's current line-up includes Gene Hoglan (FEAR FACTORY, ex-DARK ANGEL, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD), Steve Digiorgio (SADUS, ex-DEATH, TESTAMENT), Ralph Santolla (OBITUARY, ex-DEICIDE, ICED EARTH, etc) and Chris Valagao (ZIMMERS HOLE, MECHANISM) - have revealed the artwork and tracklisting for Evolution, the upcoming full-length album scheduled for a 2011 release.

Evolution tracklisting:

'Nations On Fire'
'Where Hate Lies'
'The Break'
'Rules Of Engagement'
'Destiny Found'
'A New Era'
'Methods Of The Past'
'Death Shop'
'Circle'
'Power Out'
'Scratching The Surface'
'Misery'


Also to be featured on Memorain's latest album are a few more star-studded guest musicians such as David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Tim "Ripper" Owens (HAIL!, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH), Jeff Waters (ANNIHILATOR), Christian Wentz (FUTURES END), Marc Pattison (Futures End), Laura Christine (DREAMING DEAD) and Carlos E. Perez (ex-C:REAL).

David Ellefson recorded two songs 'A New Era' and 'Rules Of Engagement', as well as co-wrote 'Rules Of Engagement' with Memorain guitar player Ilias Papadakis and Tim "Ripper" Owens. On top of that, Tim "Ripper" Owens recorded vocals on 'Rules Of Engagement' and Laura Christine also contributed a solo on the song 'Destiny Found'.

Jeff Waters recorded the main guitar solo on 'A New Era', while Carlos E. Perez laid down guitar solo for 'Methods Of The Past' and with both Christian Wentz and Marc Pattison contributing guitar solos on 'Scratching The Surface'.

Melodic hard rockers TAKARA performed their first live show last night (October 30th) at Paladinos Club in Los Angeles, California. Check out fan-filmed footage of the song 'Miles Away' off their album Perception Of Reality, below.

Takara's line-up featured:

Neal Grusky - guitar
Carl Demarco - bass
Gene McEwen - drums
Jaime Kelli - vocals

German metallers WOLFCHANT have issued the following update:

"Michael “Nortwin” Seifert (REBELLION) will join Wolfchant as a full member for the clean vocals. He already rocked the stage with us for some shows. We are glad to unleash Call Of The Black Winds together. Attached you can take a look at the cover art."

A previous update from Wolfchant states: "After five years, Derrmorh leaves the band for the time being. He’s heading straight to the USA to spend one semester there for his studies. We say thank you for the great time we had together and we wish him all the best as well as success for his future. As a consequence, we would like to introduce Ragnar as our new guitarist .

Furthermore, we are working very hard on our new album which is going to be called Call Of The Black Winds. We will enter Markus Stock’s Klangschmiede E (EMPYRIUM, THE VISION BLEAK, ELUVEITIE) in November to record our new songs."

HELRUNAR werden am 31.12.2010 ihr neues Album "Sól" in drei Versionen veröffentlichen, zu denen Prophecy Productions folgende Infos mitteilt:


1. "Sól I – Der Dorn im Nebel" [Digipak-CD]; der erste Teil des Konzeptalbums enthält klassischen und direkt gehaltenen Pagan Black Metal, während textlich der Kampf des Individuums gegen und um sich selbst zum Thema erklärt wird.



2. "Sól II – Zweige der Erinnerung" [Digipak-CD]; der zweite Teil des Konzeptalbums. Begleitet von experimentellen und atmosphärisch vielschichtigeren Pagan-Black-Metal-Klängen, gerät hier der Kampf des Individuums gegen die Gesellschaft in den Fokus.



3. Sól [2CD-Artbook-Edition]: Die als Hauptwerk zu begreifende Artbook-Edition von "Sól" versammelt beide Werke und enthält auf ca. 50 großformatigen Buchseiten die um die Dimension eines klassischen Dramas erweiterten Liedtexte, exklusive Illustrationen sowie ein Geleitwort Skald Draugirs.

Die reaktivierten US-Brutal/Gore-Deather GORGASM werden Ende März 2011 ihre neue Scheibe, "Orgy Of Murder", über Brutal Bands veröffentlichen. Anbei die Trackliste:

01. Bloodlust
02. Dirty Cunt Beatdown
03. Axe To Mouth
04. Infection Induced Erection
05. Decapitation Sodomy
06. Exhibit Of Repugnance
07. Cum Inside The Carcass
08. Third Degree Taste
09. Erotic Dislimbing
10. Scourge Of The Christians
11. Silence Follows Dismemberment

Canadian death metal plague bearers MITOCHONDRION have completed work on their new album, Parasignosis.

Making quite an impression and becoming a force within the death metal underground with their self-released now out of print Archaeaeon debut from 2008 where the band introduced the death metal underground with their brand of time-stretching vitriolic complex brutal ambient death metal. The band would inevitably gain the reputation as one of Canada’s most devastating and creative death metal bands today.

Meticulously planned, initiated, and constructed in the most obsessive of manners over the last several years, Parasignosis is epic death metal chaos manifested.

To be released January of 2011 through Profound Lore Records, tracklisting for Parasignosis goes as follows:

'Plague Evockation (Pestilentiam Intus Vocamus, Voluntatem Absolvimus Part I)
'Lex Ego Exitium (Pestilentiam Intus Vocamus, Voluntatem Absolvimus Part II)
'Tetravirulence (Pestilentiam Intus Vocamus, Voluntatem Absolvimus Part III)
'Trials
'Rift/Apex
'Parasignosis
'Banishment (Undecaphosphoric)
'Kathenotheism
'–'
'–'
'Ambient Outro'

'Trials'

Dutch death metallers SINISTER will release their new album, "Legacy of Ashes", on December 17 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded at Soundlodge studios in Rhauderfehn, Germany with producer Jörg Uken (GOD DETHRONED, OBSCENITY). The band states, "Expect the most brutal and fast SINISTER album ever."

01. Herd Of Damnation (intro)
02. Into The Blind World '
03. The Enemy Of My Enemy
04. Anatomie Of A Catastrophe
05. The Sin Of Sodomy
06. Legacy Of Ashes
07. The Hornet's Nest
08. Righteous Indignations
09. The Living Sacrifice

The limited-edition digipack will include four exclusive bonus tracks.

British black metallers THE MEADS OF ASPHODEL will release their new opus, The Murder Of Jesus The Jew, through Candlelight Records on November 15th.

A new e-card supporting the release can be found at this location.

The tracklisting:

'Boiled In Hell Broth And Grave Dust' (Intro)
'My Psychotic Sand Deity'
'Apocalypse Of Lazarus'
'Addicted To God'
'Stiller Of Tempests'
'Man From Kerioth'
'Dark Gethsemane'
'Jew Killer'
'Genesis Of Death'
'From Eagle To Cross'
'Apostle Of The Uncircumcised'
'A Canticle For The Lost Amputees Of Aelia Capitolina Who Have Been Trampled Under The Lion Shod Hooves Of Salivating Hell Rams And Impaled On The Shimmering Tusks Of Salvation Within The Abandoned Tabernacle Of A Bronze Age Myth'

NEUROSIS have confirmed more live actions for the weeks crossing over into the new year, in addition to the several other live appearances announced previously. It kicks off on December 3rd, as Neurosis take part in the Nightmare Before Christmas Festival in Minehead, England, an event curated by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, followed by the band's first London show in years on December 6th.

Newly confirmed stateside Neurosis performances on the West Coast have been confirmed later in December, rounding out the year with two shows in Seattle on December 30th and 31st, with support from WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM and BLACK BREATH on the 30th, and LUDICRA, YOB and BROTHERS OF THE SONIC CLOTH on the 31st.

Two weeks later they've staged a two-day assault in San Francisco, prepared to pound their original hometown area with two dates at the incredible Great American Music Hall January 15th and 16th, with opening support from labelmates U.S. CHRISTMAS; main support on the 15th will be from YOB, and on the 16th from SAVIOURS.

Neurosis are also already scheduled to headline 2011's annual Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore at the end of May, alongside CORONER, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, DEATH BREATH, DOOM, EXHORDER, GOATSNAKE, IMPALED NAZARENE, LOCK UP, MARDUK, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, VOIVOD and countless others.

Confirmed Neurosis 2010/2011 live shows:

December
3 - 5 - Nightmare Before Christmas Festival - Minehead, UK
6 - Koko - London, UK
30 - Neumo's - Seattle, WA (with Wolves In The Throne Room, Black Breath)
31 - Neumo's - Seattle, WA (with Ludicra, YOB, Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth)

January
15 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA (with YOB, U.S. Christmas)
16 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA (with Saviours, U.S. Christmas)

May
27 - 29 - Maryland Deathfest 2011 - Baltimore, MD

In addition to this outburst of live appearances on two continents, Neurosis will continue to reignite contemporary audiences re-exposing the band's roots with another classic album reissue. Following the reissue of their Enemy Of The Sun album - re-released alongside their Live At Roadburn 2007 album this past August - the band will re-unleash another one of their seminal, early releases... the almighty, incredibly freaky 1993 Souls At Zero LP, again through their own Neurot Recordings. The reissue will land sometime in the first quarter of 2011, with a final release date and more info to be announced shortly.

Floga Records has announced the release of catalog vinyl reissues from legendary Greek metallers ROTTING CHRIST. They are as follows:

A Dead Poem (1997) plus Bonus Track LP on Red Transparent Vinyl (available in mid-November)

Genesis (2002) plus Bonus Track LP (available at Christmas 2010)

Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers (1996) plus Bonus Track LP (available at Christmas 2010)

All releases will be on 350 Gr. noble highly gloss laminated with gatefold cover - colored wax vinyl.

Each release will be strictly limited to 500 copies, with the first 100 copies signed by Sakis Tolis (vocals, guitar) himself.

After an absence of more than twenty years, US traditional heavy metal act SLEEPY HOLLOW recently reunited with its original line-up; Bob Mitchell (vocals), Steve Stegg (guitars), Steve Brink (bass guitars) and Tommy Wassman (drums).

The band now check in with the following update:

"The band are currenlty in it's writing stages for their comeback album. Thus far, five songs have been drafted for completion. Much of the material will be demoed and tracked as the procedure moves along.

When all is said and done, there will be a total of ten songs for the album. The title of the comeback album will be called Skull Thirteen. The album is set for release sometime in 2011 through German vinyl specialists High Roller Records.

There are also plans for some live shows for 2011 in support the bands new album. Further details will be forthcoming. Stay tuned."

German beer lovers and cult thrashers TANKARD will release their fourteenth studio album, "Vol(l)ume 14", on December, 17 via AFM Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Time Warp
02. Rules For Fools
03. Fat Snatchers (The Hippo Effect)
04. Black Plague (BP)
05. Somewhere In Nowhere
06. The Agency
07. Brain Piercing Öf Death
08. Beck's In The City
09. Condemnation
10. Weekend Warriors

The limited-edition digipak version of the album will include a bonus DVD containing footage of TANKARD's performance at last year's Headbangers Open Air festival, which took place July 23-25, 2009 in in Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany.

QUEEN and Universal Music Group have signed an exclusive, long-term agreement on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking group's formation, in 1971.

With worldwide album sales of more than 170 million, No. 1 albums, singles and DVDs the world over, inductions into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall OF Fame, a star on the Hollywood Walk OF Fame, over 700 concerts performed in every corner of the world including their historic appearance at Live Aid, and a Guinness Book Of World Records award for the most successful U.K. album chart act in history, QUEEN represents one of the most remarkable, compelling stories in popular culture.

Their music milestones include "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "We Are The Champions", "We Will Rock You", "Radio Ga Ga", and "Another One Bites The Dust". The new agreement with Universal Music covers the world outside North America, and the music of QUEEN will appear through Island Records from January 1, 2011. Thus, the band joins some of the greatest names in popular music under the palm tree of the legendary label's iconic logo. Brian May of QUEEN said, "We are very excited, after all this time, to be embarking on a new phase of our career — with a new record company — with new ideas, and new dreams". Universal Music Group (UMG) co-CEO Lucian Grainge said: "QUEEN rewrote the rock & roll rule book 40 years ago, and you can count at least three generations of artists who are under their influence. So now we're under their influence at Universal Music, and looking forward to writing chapters together for the new rule book". UMG International COO Max Hole commented, "A band of QUEEN's stature, and a catalogue with such appeal, present an immense opportunity for a new creative approach. We aim to apply fresh thinking and innovation to the marketing and promotion of this great body of work. Ted Cockle, Darcus Beese and their team at Island Records are the perfect match, and everyone can't wait to get started".

During the course of the anniversary year, Island will remaster and repackage, with additional content, each of QUEEN's 15 studio albums. The first five will be made available in March: "Queen", "Queen II", "Sheer Heart Attack", "A Night At The Opera" and "A Day At The Races".

After four decades, the collective work of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon continues to resonate around the globe, inspiring a host of diverse artists from LADY GAGA (who took her name from QUEEN's "Radio Ga Ga"), Axl Rose and Katy Perry through to Dave Grohl.

Two decades after the death of their phenomenal and flamboyant singer, Freddie Mercury remains an icon beyond measure. The 40th anniversary celebrations begin with a major QUEEN exhibition in London, "Stormtroopers in Stilettos", opening in late February. This will be followed by a BBC TV documentary and the production of a major Hollywood film about the band, starring Sacha Baron Cohen as Freddie Mercury. Acclaimed script writer Peter Morgan ("The Queen", "Frost/Nixon") is working on the project, which is being produced by GK Films, Robert de Niro's Tribeca Productions and Queen Films.