Dutch death metallers GOD DETHRONED recently finished recording their ninth album, "Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross", at the Soundlodge Studios in Leer, Germany.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. The Declaration of War
02. Storm of Steel
03. Fire Storm
04. The Killing is Faceless
05. Under the Sign of the Iron Cross
06. Chaos Reigns at Dawn
07. Through Byzantine Hemispheres
08. The Red Baron
09. On Fields of Death & Desolation

The German black/death/Viking metal band OBSCURITY has just set the release date for their upcoming album Tenkterra at November 12th. The band will release their new album through SMP/Trollzorn Records.

Tenkterra was recorded by Tim Schuldt at 4CN-Studio in Wuppertal (Germany). The mixing and mastering took place in Dead Rat Studio (Aarhus, Denmark) by Jacob Bredahl (ex-HATESPHERE). And all artwork is delivered by Jan Yrlund from Darkgrove Designs (also TÝR, KORPIKLAANI, STRATOVARIUS, SVARYSOT, IMPERIA, SIRENIA, FAANEFJELL). The production was in the hands of Obscurity and Bony (JAPANISCHE KAMPFHÖRSPIELE).

With Tenkterra, Obscurity have created a concept album about the epic Celtic/Germanic history. The concept is based on the region’s self-conception and historically substantiated events in the Bergisches Land. Tenkterra seizes on Celtic and Germanic roots putting them into the context of these events. The concept deals with the time between about 200 B.C. and 800 A.D., thereby spanning a time period of 1000 years. With regards to content the concept comprises the region’s Celtic roots, the Germanic expansion, the battle against the superior Roman Empire and the split-up of the late Germanic peoples by Christianization culminating in the epic war between Franks and Saxons.

The album title is characteristic of the concept and the region. Tenkterra is a composition made up of the words Tenkterer (Engl. tencteri; a Germanic tribe) and Terra (Lat. earth/land) meaning “land of the Tenkterer”. It synonymously stands for the Bergisches Land (region in Germany) and its self-conception which was most strongly shaped by the Tencteri.

Tenkterra tracklisting :

'Keltilwald'
'Tenkterer'
'Keldagau'
'Blut für Blut'
'Raubzug der Sugambrer'
'V Legion'
'Germanicus' Rache'
'Brukterer'
'Grenzland'
'Bergischer Hammer'

Greek extreme metallers SICKENING HORROR have issued the following update:

"Once more there's a change in the drum department in the SICKENING HORROR camp.

"We decided to part ways with Alex Zachos for musical reasons but this time we got the best possible replacement.

"Sometimes the answer is right in front of you, you just have to open your eyes and see!

"Our new drummer is Vasilis Antipatis! Not only Vasilis is George's [guitar, vocals] brother, but himself with George and Ilias [Daras, bass] back in 1999 consisted a band called SERIAL KILLER which was the early form of SICKENING HORROR!

"Vasilis has already performed with us at Mountains of Death Festival past August and it worked out great! So, at the moment we are working on the new songs of the upcoming third album on a totally different level and getting ready for some shows!"

THE OCEAN has completed work on its new album, "Anthropocentric", at Studio Mecanique in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, the same facility where the band's previous effort, "Heliocentric", was recorded and mixed. The new CD was mastered on August 25 by Svante Forsbäck in Helsinki.

Musically, "Anthropocentric" feels somehow heavier than "Heliocentric". "The sound is more dense and maybe a tad more raw, which suits the songs perfectly", comments guitar player Jonathan Nido. The album covers a similar sonic and dynamic range as "Heliocentric", also including a number of calm, acoustic moments — but these are for the most part orchestrated with guitars, and not so much with piano and string section. The focus is on the heavy songs. "The album is a pretty big production, and still has a very earthy, organic feel to it", says Staps. "We have spent a great deal of time on the basic sound this time around, drums, bass, guitars and vocals… and at this stage I am pretty confident that this will pay off in the end!"

As far as the concepts behind "Anthropocentric" are concerned, the focus is on man and his place in the universe: at the center, as many fundamental Christians still claim today, or more likely a dust particle in its periphery? All lyrics are circling around this question. "'Anthropocentric' will continue the critique of Christianity, inspired by the questions that Dostoyevsky asked and some of the answers that Friedrich Nietzsche and Richard Dawkins gave," says Staps.

At the base of the album are three songs with the titles "The Grand Inquisitor I, II and III". These songs have been inspired by the chapter of the same title in Fjodor Dostoyevsky's novel "The Brothers Karamasov": a conversation between the brothers Ivan, an atheist, and Alyoscha, a monk. Ivan tells Alyoscha the story of a Second Coming of Christ in 16th century Sevilla. According to this parable, Jesus is arrested by the Catholic inquisition. The grand inquisitor who interrogates Jesus casts a new light on the legend of the temptation of Christ: he reproaches Jesus with having betrayed humanity and having deprived man of salvation by giving him freedom. The conversation between Ivan and Alyoscha mirrors, to some degree, the conversation between the grand inquisitor and Christ and raises more questions than it answers. "This long dialogue, which for the most part is rather a monologue of Ivan, is so complex and recondite that one could easily find inspiration for 10 concept albums about Christianity in it," explains Staps.

Only six guest musicians appear on the album, all classical musicians, most of whom can be heard on the CD's final cut. "Anthropocentric" is an effort by THE OCEAN's consolidated nucleus. "It is the first album where all members have actively partaken in the songwriting," says Staps.

"Anthropocentric" track listing:

01. Anthropocentric
02. The Grand Inquisitor I: Karamazov Baseness
03. She Was The Universe
04. For He That Wavereth…
05. The Grand Inquisitor II: Roots & Locusts
06. The Grand Inquisitor III: A Tiny Grain of Faith
07. Sewers Of The Soul
08. Wille Zum Untergang
09. Heaven TV
10. The Almightiness Contradiction
11. The Grand Inquisitor IV: Exclusion From Redemption

UK rockers STATUS QUO will release a brand new version of their classic hit ‘In The Army Now’ on September 27th, through Universal / UMTV.

The original track is approaching its 25th anniversary. All profits from this updated and lyrically-reworked version will be donated equally to the British Forces Foundation and Help For Heroes charities. The former boosts the morale of servicemen and women on the frontline and in operational theatres all over the world, primarily through high quality entertainment, and the latter provides direct, practical support for injured service personnel.

Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi comments: "It seemed like the right time to do this. This release is intended to show our support for the Allied Forces around the world, but in particular, of course, the British Armed Forces. We want people to celebrate what they do, say thank you and also support these vital charities."

Recorded just weeks ago at the Vestry Hall of the London College of Music, the track was, once again, produced by Pip Williams. This 2010 recording also features male and female backing singers from the Corps of Army Music. This release comes ahead of the brand new Status Quo studio album slated for release in summer 2011.

The video was recorded at the Kiwi Barracks of the 4-Rifles regiment and on location at the National Tank Museum and is crammed with hilarious footage of the band being put through their paces on the drill square, getting behind the wheel of some seriously heavy military hardware, and much more. The video is an unalloyed triumph and a testament to the work of the British Army. The band were so enamoured by the Sergeant Major who took charge of them that they asked him to deliver the classic "Stand Up And Fight!" line on the single.

SEVENTH VOID — the new band featuring TYPE O NEGATIVE guitarist Kenny Hickey and drummer Johnny Kelly — has inked a deal with Napalm Records. The group's debut album, "Heaven Is Gone", will be made available in Europe at the end of November.

Commented Johnny Kelly: "It's been a long time coming! I'm thrilled that we are finally getting 'Heaven Is Gone' released everywhere! I'm looking forward to working with Napalm on this as well as the next SEVENTH VOID release in 2011! I'm even more stoked about the band finally doing a European tour! I'm really looking forward to the upcoming run with MONSTER MAGNET. It's gonna be a blast!"

"Heaven Is Gone" was released in the United States on April 21, 2009 via Vinnie Paul's (PANTERA, HELLYEAH) Big Vin Records. The CD sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. It debuted at No. 21 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.

"We sent [Vinnie] one song," Hickey told DallasObserver.com, "and he really liked it. So we never really took it anywhere else. We wanted someone who believed in it. And Vinnie does."

"From the moment I first heard them, I full-on loved it," Vinnie said. "It's a new band, but when other people hear it, they'll know too. It's just an old-school sound with a new attitude. Something different than all the LINKIN PARKs and HOLLYWOOD UNDEADs out there right now."

Rounded out by bassist Hank Hell (INHUMAN) and guitarist Matt Brown (ex-SUPERMASSIV), SEVENTH VOID continues TYPE O's tradition of slow, heavy riffs and existential lyrics, but with a slightly sludgier, "stonier" flavor.

"Shades Of Black", another new song from up-and-coming Aalborg, Denmark-based thrashers ESSENCE, is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The track comes off the band's upcoming debut album, "Lost in Violence", which is tentatively due before the end of the year via an as-yet-undetermined record label. The CD was recorded at Medley Studios (ARTILLERY, PRINCE, RADIOHEAD, MARY J. BLIGE, KELLY CLARKSON, THE CARDIGANS) in Copenhagen and was produced and mixed by Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Dave Mustaine, Mike Tramp). The mastering duties were handled by Nikolaj Vinten at Vinten Mastering (COLDPLAY, D-A-D, DIZZY MIZZ LIZZY). The cover artwork was created by Justin Osbourn from Slash Design (ABORTED, SUICIDE SILENCE, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, MAROON, SKELETONWITCH) and can be viewed below.

"Lost in Violence" track listing:

01. Allegiance
02. Unlimited Chaos
03. Pestilence
04. Blood Culture
05. Night's Destruction
06. Oblivion
07. Shades of Black
08. Trace of Terror
09. Lost in Violence
10. Aggressive Attack

Polish black metallers NON OPUS DEI have just released their sixth album, "Eternal Circle", via Witching Hour Productions. The "30-minute extreme black metal punch in the face" features nine songs "filled with anger, passion and electrifying atmosphere," according to a press release.

The recording sessions for "Eternal Circle" started at Bat Studio in Olsztyn where drums were laid down under the supervision of Szymon Czech (NYIA, THIRD DEGREE), who produced the whole album. Later the band moved to his private studio to record the guitar tracks. The recordings were completed at Studio X before the band returned to Szymon's studio for the mixing and mastering.

"Eternal Circle" was made available as a special digipack edition with a 40-page hand-sewn booklet containing visual aspects of the album. One of the graphic elements of the booklet is absinthe wormwood — due to its magical attributes. "Eternal Circle" was also released as a 12-inch transparent vinyl with special insert, limited to 500 units. The artwork and design was handled by Bartek Rogalewicz.

"Eternal Circle" track listing:

01. Woda Dla Umarlych
02. The Prisioner Of The Worlds
03. Demon Nietzschego
04. Dark Nebula
05. Przystrojona Sloncem
06. Death Hussar Legions
07. Point Zero
08. Galaxy In Her
09. Until The Wheel Stops

RoadrunnerRecords.com recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH about the band's "In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall" DVD. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Q: Tell us how you came to this idea to celebrate your 20-year career…

Mikael: Well, it doesn't feel like we've been around for 20 years, really, but 20 years is a long time, especially when you see it on paper; it makes us feel old! But we have been around for 20 years and we wanted to celebrate it somehow, because we never really celebrated anything in those 20 years — we never had a release party, we never had anything. We talked about doing a show or something, and we'd been looking at playing the Royal Albert Hall at some point in our career, and for me it was just something we'd talked about, not something that would become a reality at all. But we did it, and that was the first show we booked, then all of a sudden this party of ours became a big thing. We didn't want to go into the Royal Albert Hall without having played a few shows before, so we booked a few shows around the world at similar venues — well, we tried to get similar venues but it's almost impossible because [the Royal Albert Hall] is so beautiful. We played at the Cirkus in Stockholm, that was the first show, and then at an old movie theatre (called Lichtburg) in Essen, Germany, then we did the Albert Hall show. We did New York, Los Angeles, and we played at the Bataclan Club in Paris, which is a very nice place. Basically, we wanted to be prepared for the Royal Albert Hall because we knew we were going to film it and record it, so we wanted it to sound good. But that was it, we set up six shows around the world to celebrate 20 years, simple as that.

Q: What was your reasoning for including "Blackwater Park" in its entirety in the set?

Mikael: The reason is it's a popular record. We'd been a band for 10 years when we did "Blackwater Park" but we'd never really had anything going for us, to be honest, until we did that album. The simple reason is that this is the tenth anniversary of our most popular record, many of the songs on that album are well-known OPETH songs, like "The Drapery Falls", "Bleak", "Harvest" and the song "Blackwater Park", so it felt obvious. We were talking about doing an album "[front] to back," and it's quite fashionable for bands to do that — we'd done it before as well — so when we talked about it, we didn't even discuss [which album we'd play]. We just said, "We need to rehearse all those 'Blackwater Park' songs then!" It just felt obvious.

Q: How did you choose the other songs in your set — what has become the second disc of the set?

Mikael: I guess it was difficult, but we weren't on tour for "Watershed" anymore, so we didn't have to plug that album any more than the others, it was just celebrating our career as a band. Our songs are quite long so we couldn't really choose more than one song from each record for the second set. "Forest of October", which is the first song we played, fragments of that song were the first things I ever wrote for OPETH. It's a fun song to play, it's a but naïve, because it's so old now, but I love that song. It's really raw and it really goes back to the very beginning of the band. The second song was "Advent", the opening track from the "Morning Rise" record, and one of the more well-known songs from that album. I think it's still a good song and I think we made it sound as it did back in the day. That's basically how we chose the songs — songs that we like to play and to some extent songs that we thought people would want to hear, but you obviously have to leave a lot of material out with a thing like this, it can never be complete. We did think about playing "Black Rose Immortal", but there's parts in there that I don't really like, I can't really relate to it anymore. People want to hear that song because it's the longest song we ever recorded, but it's not the best song ever, it's just the longest, so we went with other stuff. I think "The Moor" from "Still Life" is a song people love to hear, it's very difficult to play, and we haven't played it all that much. I think we made it sound really good.

SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR guitarist Jim Root was asked by the Artisan News Service (see video below) if the recent death of SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray has changed his mindset as to what his priority is between SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR. "No, not really," he replied. "It's tough to say. Everything is so recent."

He continued, "Are we talking about doing another album with SLIPKNOT? No. Are we gonna do one? Possibly. I mean, right now SLIPKNOT doesn't have a bass player, so how can we think about doing another record with no bass player? Maybe our bass player is already somebody that's in the band, I don't know. Could Mick [Thomson, guitar] or me or anybody cover that duty if we were to write? Sure. On the other side of that coin, we haven't had the luxury to do two albums in a row with STONE SOUR.

"Everything happens for a reason. Maybe this is our chance to go and do another record [with STONE SOUR] and give SLIPKNOT a little more time to think about the future and what we wanna do. Anything could happen."

Regarding how Gray's passing has affected the way he lives his life, Root said, "I'm trying to live a little bit more in the here and now rather than six months to a year ahead of myself, which is what I've been doing for the past ten years. I'm always living at least a year ahead of where I'm really at, and that can really lead you to some negative thoughts and some bad vibes. I'm just kind of more, like, I'm gonna take every day as it comes and that's gonna be good enough for me."

Gray's body was found on May 24 in a hotel room in a Des Moines, Iowa suburb. A coroner ruled that the 38-year-old musician died of an accidental overdose of morphine.

"Empty Eyes And Blackened Hearts", the new Achilles Villiotis-directed video from Greek doom metallers SORROWS PATH, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "The Rough Path Of Nihilism", which is scheduled for release on October 29 via Rock It Up Records. The CD was recorded at Fragile Studios in Athens with producer Vangelis Yalamas. The artwork and photography for the album were handled by Seth Siro Anton.

SORROWS PATH is:

Stavros Giannakos: Bass
Angelos Ioannidis: Vocals
Fotis Mountouris: Drums
Kostas Salomidis: Guitar
Giannis Tziligkakis: Guitar

DRAGSTRIP, the Los Angeles-based hard rock band featuring former TANK drummer Gary "Bulldog" Taylor, has released its debut album, "A Heartbeat Away From Disaster", via Riff City Records.

DRAGSTRIP is fronted by U.K. vocalist and showman Kevan Overend, who is described in a press release as "a true rock and roll star (remember those?) in the vein of Freddie Mercury and Marc Bolan." Rounding out the band's current lineup are guitarist/vocalist Tommy Norton (formerly of SPACE AGE PLAYBOYS) and bassist Brian Dobbs.

DRAGSTRIP's influences come from "the great heritage of '70s British hard rock . . . when rock stars had no apologies and were not politically correct. Bands such as THIN LIZZY, UFO, AC/DC and, of course, LED ZEPPELIN."

"A Heartbeat Away From Disaster" track listing:

01. Thanks For The Memories
02. Saturday Night (See My Baby Jive)
03. (You're My) Main Man
04. Chase
05. Ain't Nobody
06. The Game
07. Last Goodbye
08. She's Alright
09. My Little Love
10. Sophia's Song
11. What I Need

Legendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio will have a monument dedicated to him in the Bulgarian Black-sea coastal town of Kavarna. The statue will be placed in the city's central park, as part of the soon-to-be built "Walk of Rock," a project approved by the City Council four years ago.

According to Radio Bulgaria, the decision to erect the monument was taken by the municipal administration, with the most active proponents being Kavarna Mayor Tzonko Tzonev as well as leading journalists, musicians and singers.

A replica of the monument was displayed during the three-day Kavarna Rock Fest in July and a plaster model of the statue has since been created, marking the final stage of the preparation for its construction.

The actual statue will be 1.5 meters in height (approximately four feet and eleven inches) and will be combined with large stones taken from the sea.

The artists behind the project are sculptors Alexander Petrov and Krasimir Krastev - Lomsky, while the painting is being handled by Ivan Stratiev.

Dio was reportedly one of the very first heavy rock icons to play Kavarna. In fact, he played in Bulgaria no less than five times and took an active part in the campaign for liberating the Bulgarian nurses held in prison in Libya for eight years.

According to Standart News, the mayor of Kavarna, Tzonko Tzonev, has managed to turn his life-long hobby — rock music — into a successful and profitable project and thus pours funds into the treasury of Kavarna Municipality. Thanks to Tzonev's efforts, some of the greatest rock musicians of all times have come and performed in the small coastal town of Kavarna.

Ronnie James Dio was one of rock's most respected and talented frontmen, renowned for his instantly recognizable vocals, lyrics and stagecraft. On May 16, 2010, Ronnie succumbed to stomach cancer at the age of 67 and the world of hard rock lost one of its greatest talents.

Frontiers Records has set a November 5 European release date for the "No Quarter" CD and "In The Flesh" DVD from Swedish heard rockers THE POODLES.

Having developed a reputation as first-class entertainers with the release of three acclaimed studio albums and over 350 shows in Europe in the past few years, not counting gold and platinum record awards in their home country, THE POODLES close the first chapter of their musical adventure and set their sails for the next step.

As a tribute to the first years on the road, THE POODLES are offering their fans a live package — including a CD and a DVD — recorded during the "Clash Of The Elements" tour in 2009.

"The high point for us as a band is any time we go on stage," says guitar player Henrik Bergqvist. "This may sound like somewhat of a cliché, but it is no less true. It doesn't matter if we play a crowd of 10,000 people at Graspop or in front of a handful on a rainy November Monday in Copenhagen, those are the moments we relish and live for. We've had so many special moments on stage over the past couple of years that it seems impossible to single even a few of them out. Having said this, some special moments can certainly be seen on the live DVD and heard on the live CD."

"We are very proud of how the live CD and live DVD turned out and we feel that they really shows what the band is like on stage," continues Bergqvist. "Being able to watch a DVD of your favorite band is great and there are a few really nice ones out there, but the connection that takes place between the band and the crowd during live shows cannot be formatted to the screen. You can catch a glimpse of it, but to experience a band live will always be different from listening to or viewing a recording of that band. Have a look and see for yourselves, though!"

Aptly titled "In The Flesh", the DVD is an in-depth look at THE POODLES, featuring interviews with all bandmembers, behind-the stage footage and promotional clips for the "Clash Of The Elements" album. The live CD, plus the previously unreleased song "Lullaby For Jimmy" as a CD exclusive, shows that behind the look and the words there is a solid band playing great music!

Henrik concludes: "The future plans for THE POODLES is closely connected to the band's cooperation with Frontiers Records. The band expects to play for an ever-expanding audience as a result of it and take the mission of heavy metal to virgin lands. We want to see our beloved fans again on the road and make new friends too. The future is bright for us, and that's good because we already wear shades!"

"No Quarter" CD track listing:

01. Too Much Of Everything
02. Caroline
03. Seven Seas
04. Metal Will Stand Tall
05. Like No Tomorrow
06. One Out Of Ten
07. Lullaby For Jimmy
08. Drum Solo
09. Echoes From The Past
10. Thunderball
11. I Rule The Night
12. Night Of Passion
13. Flesh & Blood
14. Line Of Fire

"In The Flesh" DVD table of contents:

* Movie: Introduction
* Stockholm, Party & Fun
* About The Poodles
* Metal Standing Tall
* The Director & Crew
* Being On Top
* Jakob
* Henrik
* Pontus
* Kicken
* The First Five Rows
* Tribute To The Fans
* End Credits

Concert:

* Too Much Of Everything
* Caroline
* Seven Seas
* Metal Will Stand Tall
* Like No Tomorrow
* One Out Of Ten
* Echoes From The Past
* Thunderball
* I Rule The Night
* Night Of Passion
* Flesh & Blood
* Line Of Fire

Extras:

* Like No Tomorrow (Video)
* I Rule The Night (Video)
* In The Flesh (Video)
* Warrior (The Movie Trailer)
* Majestic Film And Metal Warriors

The DVD will be released in NTSC region free format with screen 16:9 and mix in 2.0. There will also be a limited release of a luxury packaging including the "No Quarter" CD and "In The Flesh" DVD as a luxury digipak edition.

Swedish technical death metallers SPAWN OF POSSESSION have parted ways with vocalist Matthew Chalk (PSYCROPTIC) and have been rejoined by Dennis Röndum.

Commented the band: "Yes, Dennis is back in the band, where he belongs.

"We would like to thank Chalky for the time he was a part of the band, He helped us bring SPAWN OF POSSESSION back to life for a moment and without him we could not have done the Australian tour. So we are thankful for everything he did for us and wish him the best of luck."

Added Dennis: "I've been quite disconnected from the band for a long time now so when [Jonas] Bryssling [guitar] got in touch with me, it felt kind of surreal. But nonetheless amazing when he started to describe his visions for the next SPAWN OF POSSESSION record and that he wanted me to handle the vocals for it. Now, mind you, it's been over four years of silence between us and we parted on a somewhat bad note, but that's in the past. The focus is now on the new material, which Bryssling has invited me to get involved with and after listening to the temp tracks, all I can say is that I'm in for a serious ride.

"Although my presence has been lacking in the scene I've been busy writing and recording with my new band. It's still all under wraps but hopefully I'll be able to share it with you in a not-too-distant future. With that said, I'm really excited to be back in the SPAWN OF POSSESSION camp and I can't wait to join the others to complete what I believe will be a masterpiece of unparalleled proportions."

British death metal band IGNOMINIOUS INCARCERATION has decided to change its name to THE SOULLESS. The group, which hails from Bath, England, has just finished writing its sophomore album, the follow-up to 2009's "Of Winter Born".

Commented the group: "The band started in the pits of hell that was Sam's basement. We were just playing heavy music and having fun.

"When we decided on the name IGNOMINIOUS INCARCERATION, we never anticipated the level we would get to. Had we known, I'm sure we would have chosen a simpler name.

"The band started to get gigs and we started to take the band way more seriously as we discovered how much fun we could have.

"We did our first tour with TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED and this was when we were first approached by Earache Records. This was a real turning point for the band and we realised we could make something of it. We debated changing the name whilst recording 'Of Winter Born', but chose to stick with it. We don't regret doing this as it is what represented the band at the time.

"Over the last couple of years since 'Of Winter Born', we have matured as people as well as a band. When we came to write the second album, we decided we wanted to do something different from the last one. Not a huge alteration in style, but more a progression of what we enjoy most and feel we can write the best. This then led to the discussion of our name. Obviously the name is very long and hard to pronounce. As a band, you're trying to promote yourselves and get your music to the people. We wanted a new name which was easy to remember and say, and to get ourselves out there. With the change in music, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to change our name as well. This almost 're-launching' of the band has given us new life and we are so motivated towards the new project.

"As for the name-choosing itself, this was no easy task! As we were changing the name, we had to be 100% happy with it this time. We found it really hard to find a name bang-on-the-money. In the end, we wrote down thousands of names and set ourselves a deadline to pick the best one. We all liked 'THE SOULLESS,' which was in fact a working title for a new song.

"We feel the name has a dark, edgy feel to it, but is not instantly recognisable as metal and it's easy to say! We feel this represents us a lot better, as well as our new music.

"We have a lot of plans for THE SOULLESS; the new album is written and we will be going into the studio very soon. Everything we do in the next few months will be filmed so we can keep you updated. We did a pre-production demo track, which we are going to put online soon to show you a glimpse of the new material we have been talking about. When we finish in the studio, we will be recording our first official video. We are really excited to get back on the road again as the newly evolved band, THE SOULLESS."

Reactivated late '80s/early '90s technical-thrash metallers BELIEVER recently entered the studio to begin recording their new album for a tentative early 2011 release. Guitarist/vocalist Kurt Bachman writes in an online posting, "The recording is going well for and the guitars, bass, drums are complete. We're working on vocals, keys and leads to finish this up over the next several weeks.

"Must say that we're excited about this one and hope you are also.

"Once we get a definitive release date we will let you know, but it will most likely be in the spring of 2011.

"We're hoping that this one is less pirated also so we can continue to do this for years to come."

Liverpool, UK-based LEAFBLADE, the side-project of guitarist/singer Danny Cavanagh from ANATHEMA, have issued the following update:

"It's been a while since the last update, but now the autumn is here, and its time to move forward once again.

First of all, let's start by introducing our new member Kevin Murphy as our new bass player. This is a very skilled bassplayer that will add alot to the Leafblade sound.

For the new album, it is currently being mixed in Devon, and the results should be ready shortly. We don't know yet what regards a releasedate, but we will keep you posted.

The album totally rocks, and has a production that really compliments the music."

WE ARE THE FALLEN — the group formed by EVANESCENCE co-founder Ben Moody (guitar) and other former members (LeCompt and Gray) along with "American Idol" powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson and bassist Marty O'Brien (DISTURBED, KELLY CLARKSON, STATIC-X, METHODS OF MAYHEM,TOMMY LEE) — will release a new single, "Tear The World Down", in October.

Commented the band: "Recently we asked fans to guess which song would be our next single by submitting their own cover artwork for that song. The winner is Kelly Tobias from Cincinnati, Ohio. Not only did Kelly guess the correct song, but she also submitted this great cover art [see below]."

"Tear The World Down" is the title track of WE ARE THE FALLEN's debut album, which was made available on May 11 via Universal Republic Records. The CD sold 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 33 on The Billboard 200 chart.

In a new interview with online portal De Re, FORBIDDEN / ex-NEVERMORE guitarist Steve Smyth is asked about his future plans. The following is his response:

"Well, Forbidden has a new album coming out on October 22nd in Europe, October 25th the rest of the world, and we're heading out on a North American tour starting November 4th at Jaxx in Springfield, Virgina, and going straight on from there until mid-December. Then my signature guitar from BC Rich will debut at Winter NAMM 2011, which I am really looking forward to finally having this guitar see the light of day! It's been 2 years in the making, and it's ready now.

Soewhere in between this, we will be recording the follow-up album to my instrumental band's debut, THE ESSENESS PROJECT, and also shopping for a deal and a drummer for my new UK-based metal band, featuring myself, vocalist Mikkel Sandager (ex-MERCENARY), Jamie Hunt and Jon Collins (ex-BIOMECHANICAL) on guitar and bass. Band to be named, so stay tuned!"

UK rockers PURE REASON REVOLUTION's third album, Hammer And Anvil, will be released in Germany / Austria / Switzerland on October 15th, and throughout Europe on October 18th via Superball Music / EMI as a standard jewel case and as a limited digipak + bonus DVD featuring a live concert in London 2010.




To give you an idea what to expect on the upcoming album, you can download 'Black Mourning', a free and previously unreleased new track now. To download 'Black Mourning' for free before the official album release, all you have to do is to visit this location and post on your Twitter or Facebook profile, that you downloaded PRRs new song. Just click on Download and follow the instructions.