Bassist Jan Bünning of German power metallers PARAGON has issued the following update:

"We get asked many times these days when we will have a new album out and when we will do shows again. The problem is: We are still looking for a new guitar player but couldn't find the right one so far. We have some shredders who we will check out the next weeks but we are also still looking.
"So if anybody is interested in joining us, please contact us on MySpace or send an email guitar@paragon-metal.com. You should enjoy stuff like JUDAS PRIEST, (early) MAIDEN, ACCEPT, MERCYFUL FATE, OVERKILL, HELSTAR, AGENT STEEL, METAL CHURCH, SLAYER, CANDLEMASS, MANOWAR and W.A.S.P. and it wold be great if you live in or near Hamburg. We have a deal with Massacre Records, will record our 10th album soon and also will do festivals and other shows next year."

PARAGON's latest album, "Screenslaves", was released in November 2008 via Massacre Records. The CD was produced by Uwe Lullis (ex-GRAVE DIGGER, REBELLION) at Black Solaris Studio in Frankfurt.

Bünning quit PARAGON after the recording of 2007's "Forgotten Prophecies" because of "musical differences" but rejoined the band last year.

During an appearance on this past Monday's (May 24) edition of the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke about the legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW), who passed away on May 16 after a six-month battle with cancer.

"Everybody that's ever met Ronnie, they've got different types of stories," Mustaine said. "We've heard types of stories about his voice and how great he was as a man. And we've heard stories about his different lineups that he's been with.

"One of the things that I remember him most for was 'Sixteenth Century Greensleeves' and 'Man On The Silver Mountain', which was the first record that I'd ever gotten from him with [RAINBOW guitarist Ritchie] Blackmore.

"We had gone out on tour with him when [MEGADETH's] 'So Far, So Good, So What' came out and it was really, really making a statement, because we had broken the Top 200 with thrash metal, and nobody really knew what thrash metal was at the time.

"I remember talking to Ronnie — we were in catering — and I go, 'Hey, Ronnie, I just wanna thank you for taking us out on tour.' He goes, 'Yeah, man. Thanks to you for coming, too.' And I said, 'No. I mean, really. Thanks. It's really cool.' And he goes, 'Look, we could both sit here and give each other handjobs or we could smoke this joint. What do you think?' And I was like, 'Well...' So, needless to say, we smoked a joint and I passed on the handjob."

Former DIO guitarist Tracy "G" Grijalva has posted the following message regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"My condolences for Wendy Dio and all the Dio family for their loss. My prayers are with all of you.

"I worked with Ronnie for six years and it was a truly amazing time.

"Long live Ronnie James Dio, one of the greatest rock vocalists ever!"

Tracy left DIO in 1999 after he claims he was "asked to play in a dual-guitar situation" in Ronnie's band. According to a posting on Tracy's web site, DIO was "looking for more of a Ritchie Blackmore style . . . and wanted [Tracy] to step back and just play rhythm guitar. That's when [Tracy] knew it was time to leave, freeing him to more diligently pursue his home studio projects."

Swedish modern metallers SOILWORK have posted a trailer for the bonus DVD of their upcoming album, "The Panic Broadcast". The clip, which can be viewed below, contains a snippet of the bonus track "Sweet Demise" which will be included with the limited digipack version of the CD.

"The Panic Broadcast" will be released in Europe on July 2 and in North America on July 13 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was mixed at Fascination Street studio in Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren (OPETH, KATATONIA, PARADISE LOST, BLOODBATH).

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Late For The Kill, Early For The Slaughter
02. Two Lives Worth Of Reckoning
03. The Thrill
04. Deliverance Is Mine
05. Night Comes Clean
06. King Of The Threshold
07. Let This River Flow
08. Epitome
09. The Akuma Afterglow
10. Enter Dog Of Pavlov

Century Media Records has set a July 9 European release date (July 13 in the U.S.) for "A Star Crossed Wasteland", the third album from Southern California's IN THIS MOMENT. The CD was recorded at The Wolves Den studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH).

"A Star-Crossed Wasteland" track listing:

01. The Gun Show
02. Just Drive
03. The Promise
04. Standing Alone
05. A Star-Crossed Wasteland
06. Blazin'
07. The Road
08. Iron Army
09. The Last Cowboy
10. World In Flames

Reactivated Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada-based technical death metal band GORGUTS is currently working on a new album for a tentative early 2011 release.

Guitarist/vocalist Luc Lemay previously told BLABBERMOUTH.NET about the group's new material, "I couldn't be happier with the result of this collaboration along with three of the most talented musicians in the metal scene. John, Colin [Marston, bass; DYSRHYTHMIA, BEHOLD... THE ARCTOPUS, BYLA, KRALLICE, INDRICOTHERE] and Kevin [Hufnagel, guitar; DYSRHYTHMIA, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, BYLA, EUCLID STREET, THE FIFTH SEASON, GREY DIVISION BLUE] have been fantastic and amazingly creative with their instruments for the new compositions.

"Don't expect this record to sound like a previous GORGUTS album."

A "demo montage" of some of the new GORGUTS material is available for streaming using the audio player below.

GORGUTS' current lineup is as follows:

* Luc Lemay (NEGATIVA) - Vocals, Guitar
* Kevin Hufnagel (DYSRHYTHMIA, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, BYLA, EUCLID STREET, THE FIFTH SEASON, GREY DIVISION BLUE) - Guitar
* Colin Marston (DYSRHYTHMIA, BEHOLD... THE ARCTOPUS, BYLA, KRALLICE, INDRICOTHERE) - Bass
* John Longstreth (DIM MAK, ORIGIN, THE RED CHORD, SKINLESS, POSSESSION, ANGELCORPSE) - Drums

Back in November 2006, Metal Mind Productions reissued the classic GORGUTS albums "Considered Dead" and "Erosion of Sanity". Both CDs came in new digipack editions on golden discs, digitally remastered using 24-bit technology, and were limited to a hand-numbered 2,000 copies. Each title included two demo tracks as a bonus.

GORGUTS' last studio album, "From Wisdom to Hate", was released in 2001.

OTEP frontwoman Otep Shamaya has released the following statement regarding the passing of SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray:

"One of my earliest memories of Paul was our first tour of Ozzfest together — watching him mow down a 10-foot-high fence in a 'borrowed' golf cart and that famous deviant, yet innocent grin of his as he scampered back to his bus. And then I witnessed his wonderful insanity on stage.

"It is painful to write about Paul in the past tense. But he was, as the inscription on Jim Morrison's headstone reads 'kata ton daimona eautou,' true to his own spirit.

"Part mystic, part madman, Paul was a savagely beautiful human being, an incredible writer, musician, and performer, and an amazing friend.

"For those of us he touched through friendship or by his incredible music, there is some anger and outrage at this loss, the senselessness of it, but most of all, it is the heavy drapes of sadness that devours us.

"Another candle fades into the night; another shadow ascends into the light.

"Rest in power, my friend. Shake the walls of paradise for us."

Swedish metallers IN FLAMES have released the following statement regarding the passing of SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray:

"When we found out about Paul's death, we were shocked. We had the privilege of getting to know him as early as 2000 and he was always a stand-up guy. He will be missed dearly!

"Our thoughts go out to Paul's family, friends and fellow band members.

"Rest in peace, Paul."

Metal Blade Records will release the "Rising From The Grave" box set from legendary Texas metallers HELSTAR, featuring remastered versions of the "A Distant Thunder" and "Nosferatu" albums. The package will also include the brand new DVD "Twas The Night Of A Hellish Xmas".

The first authorized live video recording by HELSTAR, the DVD was recorded at the Backstage Club in Houston, Texas on December 25, 1989 and it features original HELSTAR members James Rivera on vocals along with Larry Barragan and Jerry Abarca. It was mastered by Ty Tabor (KING'S X) and James Rivera.

"Twas The Night Of A Hellish Xmas" track listing:

01. Swirling Madness
02. The King is Dead
03. Evil Reign
04. Abandon Ship
05. Baptized in Blood
06. To Sleep Per Chance to Scream
07. Harker's Tale
08. The Cursed Has Passed Away
09. Scorcher
10. Angel of Death

Finnish blacklend death metallers COPROLITH's debut full-length album, Cold Grief Relief, will be released on June 17th through Violent Journey Records. The album was recorded at Cut Circle Studio by Roland Nordström and mixed by Jonas Eriksson at Second Floor Studio. Check out the studio diary short film below.

The new songs 'Drowned', 'Dead Endless' and 'Point Zero' from the upcoming album are available on Coprolith's official MySpace page.

Coprolith's album release gig will be held at Bar Soho in Porvoo, Finland on June 19th.

Coprolith is also confirmed to play Metalcamp 2010 in Tolmin, Slovenia. More tour dates will follow soon.

In April 2010 it was announced that SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray had joined HAIL!, the supergroup featuring mainstays Tim "Ripper" Owens (BEYOND FEAR, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH), David Ellefson (MEGADETH) and Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA). He was supposed to replace the group's original member, David Ellefson, who was unable to take part in HAIL!'s upcoming touring activities due to his renewed collaboration with MEGADETH.

As previously reported, Gray was found dead in an Iowa hotel room early Monday morning (May 24). He was 38.

Owens has released the following statement to D.X. Ferris of the Cleveland Scene regarding Gray's passing:

"I would like to send my condolences to [Gray's] family. "I played three or four times on stage with Paul and crossed paths a few other times throughout the years. He was always a great guy to be around and a great talent! I was looking forward to doing this HAIL! run with Paul on bass. Once again, let's pray for his family and keep them in our thoughts in their time of need."

Australian metallers LORD have release a video of their tongue-in-cheek cover of KYLIE MINOGUE's 'On A Night Like This'. This video was shot in Brisbane with acclaimed director Rhys Day and edited at SLS Studios.

Commented frontman, LT: "We had a great time making this video and working with Rhys and his crew. Will, who played Kylie, was absolutely amazing - he played the character so straight-faced, we spent a good amount of the shoot rolling around on the floor laughing. This was just one of several clips we'll be unveiling in the near future, so keep an eye on the Lord website for news."

FIREWIND mastermind and current OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. has issued the following update:

"I know it's been a few silent months, but this time we decided to be pretty quiet about the recording process of [FIREWIND's] new album.

"Anyways, before we go into revealing more info, we recently did a very fun project which was to be a part of Metal Hammer U.K.'s tribute CD to JUDAS PRIEST!

"We actually recorded everything for that cover song in our home studios and then passed over the files to Fredrik Nordström [at] Studio Fredman in Sweden for the mix. This also marks our first recording with our new drummer, Michael Ehre [ULI JON ROTH, KEE MARCELLO], and the end result is killer (in our humble opinion), as we got to cover one of metal's most classic songs, 'Breaking The Law'!

"As for our new album, it's scheduled for a release sometime this fall and the name of it is 'Days Of Defiance'. We'll soon check back and reveal more info, song names, etc."

SPV/Steamhammer has announced the signing of U.S. metallers VIRGIN STEELE. The worldwide deal includes the release of a new studio album, which is due by the end of October 2010, and the reissue of the band's entire back catalogue — from "Noble Savage" onwards. The back catalogue will be made available throughout 2011, with faithfully restored covers and booklets, bonus tracks and liner notes.

Commented Olly Hahn, A&R at Steamhammer: "It's an honor for me and the label that David DeFeis [vocals] decided to make his march to the olymp with us. The band deserve to stay on top of the metal genre and we are more than willing to pave the way together with the band!"

DeFeis added: "We are honored & proud to announce that we have just signed a new recording contract with the Hannover, Germany-based label Steamhammer/SPV Records. The incredible dedication and commitment to our genre and the understanding of what VIRGIN STEELE is really all about convinced us that this was the true home for the band. In a way, we have actually come full circle, because when 'Noble Savage' came out, it was in fact released on Steamhammer/SPV, so it is a kind of homecoming for us.

"We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with SPV, and in fact we are planning on issuing the new album this coming autumn.

"BY THE GODS... there is a ton of work to do!"

According to TMZ.com, the hotel employee who discovered the body of SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray on Monday (May 24) told the 911 operator he noticed a hypodermic needle and a bottle of pills in the musician's hotel room when he found the body.

In the 911 call, which can be heard at TMZ.com, the employee — a maintenance worker at the Iowa hotel — tells the operator that he suspects Paul died of a "drug overdose" and that it appeared that Paul had been in the room for "a while."

The employee also told the 911 operator that Paul's mother had called the hotel earlier in the day because she couldn't get hold of her son.

As previously reported, an autopsy of Paul Gray has revealed no cause of death, Urbandale, Iowa police said Tuesday afternoon.

According to Des Moines Register, the cause of death is still under investigation, and the Polk County Medical Examiner is awaiting the results of toxicology testing.

Dr. Gregory Schmunk said it could be four to six weeks before all of the test results are complete and the cause of death can be determined, according to police.

The autopsy reportedly did confirm that there was no evidence of foul play or trauma, and that Gray had been dead for several hours before his body was discovered.

Gray was arrested in Iowa in 2003 on drug possession charges when police found small amounts of marijuana, two syringes and a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine after he was involved in a wreck with another motorist.

Season Of Mist will release Streams Inwards, the third album from new signees, Chilean doomsters MAR DE GRISES, on August 30th.

Bassist Rodrigo comments on the title: "The name Streams Inwards reflects the idea that emotion is the connection between us and the world that surrounds us, between our most intense feelings and the universe. All of us, all of this, everything is part of an endless sea. It is about how all the elements around us build and nourish our most sincere emotions - good, bad, whatever...

Our previous album, Draining The Waterheart, referred to some similar process: the liberation of these same streams. The new title shares that same concept, but in a broader way. Wherein the mix of these simple and transcendent elements define our most pure nature, to feel and create."

Colorado's ALLEGAEON has unveiled the cover art for its Metal Blade Records debut, "Fragments Of Form And Function". The art was created by none other than Colin Marks, who is known for his intense artwork for the likes of SCAR SYMMETRY, NEVERMORE and STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, among others.

ALLEGAEON's full-length debut, "Fragments" was produced by Dave Otero (CEPHALIC CARNAGE) at Flatline Audio in January 2010.

Commented vocalist Ezra Haynes: "The concept of 'Fragments Of Form And Function' is in one way or another science related theories. Some of the topics we touch base on are cryonics, stem cell research, evolution, pharmaceutical structure and so on."

"Fragments Of Form And Function" track listing:

01. The Cleansing
02. The Renewal
03. Across The Folded Line
04. The God Particle
05. Biomech - Vals No. 666
06. From Seed To Throne
07. Atrophy Of Hippocrates
08. Point Of Disfigurement
09. A Cosmic Question
10. Accelerated Evolution

Metal Blade Records has set a July 5 European release date (July 2 in Germany) for the third in the reissue series from Irish pagan masters PRIMORDIAL. "Spirit The Earth Aflame" was originally released in 2000 and will now be re-released as a two-disc digipack.

"Spirit The Earth Aflame" track listing:

01. Spirit The Earth Aflame
02. Gods To The Godless
03. The Soul Must Sleep
04. The Burning Season
05. Glorious Dawn
06. The Cruel Sea
07. Children Of The Harvest

Bonus disc track listing:

01. The Darkest Flame
02. In Graciousness (live)
03. A Blacker Art (live)
04. Total Destruction (BATHORY cover - live)
05. Inside The Eye Of Algond (ROTTING CHRIST cover - live)
06. To Enter Pagan
07. The Calling
08. Among The Lazarae
09. Soul Must Sleep (live)

Neurot Recordings has announced the reissue of one of the most groundbreaking releases in the ever-expanding lineage of icons NEUROSIS, "Enemy Of The Sun".

With NEUROSIS' earlier releases — 1987's "Pain Of Mind", and even 1990's "The Word As Law" — the band's jagged and eerie blend of metallic, hypnotic, post-gutter punk was instantly recognized as wholly unique, yet it took multiple releases for the then-Bay Area unit to infinitely define its sound, forcing the world to listen, then run for cover. NEUROSIS' 1992 full-length, "Souls At Zero", showcased the band branching off into much more expanded songwriting, giving birth to much longer hymns, infusing them with tribal rhythms and slow-building post-doom bastardization, then breaking massive new ground for the metal world.

But it was their follow-up in 1993, the crushing "Enemy Of The Sun" LP, that would be the album to take the pulsing, hypnotizing monoliths NEUROSIS was crafting down to much darker, and much, much heavier territory for the rest of the band's still-growing roster of masterpieces. Still to this day, critics and fans of heavy and experimental metal hold this release to be one of the harshest, spine-chilling, mind-warping releases in history, and countless acts have cited "Enemy..." as "the one that changed everything" for them.

The eight tracks on the release was one of the most massively cavernous, crushing records the world had experienced. A mesmerizing, pressurizing, dirge-driven display of brutal riffing, thick with haunting samples, layered, anguished vocal tracks, raging multiple-member percussion contributions, and some of the most mammoth buildups ever, "Enemy Of The Sun" was an album that left a sense of anguish in your soul long after the record was over.

Neurot Recordings is proud to celebrate the 25th anniversary of NEUROSIS, and once again issue this classic album to the masses.

2010's reissue of "Enemy Of The Sun" bears a fully redesigned package by visionary artist, NEUROSIS live visual master Josh Graham, and will be made available worldwide on August 30, 2010.

"Enemy Of The Sun" reissue track listing:

01. Lost
02. Raze The Stray
03. Burning Flesh In Year Of Pig
04. Cold Ascending
05. Lexicon
06. Enemy OF The Sun
07. The Time Of The Beast
08. Cleanse
09. Takehnase (demo version)
10. Cleanse II (live in Oberhausen)

Vocalist Jeffrey Nothing (a.k.a. Jeffrey Hatrix) of the Ohio-based alternative metal band MUSHROOMHEAD was interviewed by Nic and Big J on the May 23 edition of "The Morning After" show, which airs on the Boise, Idaho radio station KQXR 100.3 The X Rocks. The chat, which took place at the fourth annual Rock On The Range in Columbus, Ohio, can be viewed below.

In a March 2010 interview with the "Iron City Rocks" podcast, Jeffrey Nothing revealed that the working title of MUSHROOMHEAD's new album is"Slaughterhouse Road". The band recently finished mixing the CD for a tentative late August/early September release via Megaforce. Produced by co-founding member and drummer Steve "Skinny" Felton, the album promises to be the band's "most violent- and epic-sounding to date!"

"Volume 2", the latest DVD from MUSHROOMHEAD, sold 2,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 7 on the Top Music Videos chart.

The follow-up to the band's 2005 DVD release "Volume 1", "Volume 2" (Filthy Hands/Megaforce) features two-and-a-half hours of pure mayhem, including exclusive never-before-seen content, live footage from the past three years on the group's "Savior Sorrow" tour, and music videos (including "Headbanger's Ball" 2007 "Video Of The Year" "1200", "Simple Survival", and the band's brand new video "Save Us"). Other extras include video commentary, behind-the-scenes footage and band antics.

Das neueste Mitglied der Napalm Familie ist die schwedische Formation NOX AUREA, die sich mit Leib und Seele der dunklen Kraft des Doom Metals verschrieben hat. Fans können sich schon jetzt auf düstere Symphonien freuen! Das neue Album "Ascending In Triumph" kommt am 2. Juli 2010 in den Handel. Die Band hat jetzt Audio Samples auf MySpace zum probehören online gestellt.

01. Ascending in Triumph
02. The Loss and Endeavour of Divinity
03. The Shadowless Plains
04. Mother Aletheia Chapter 2
05. The Delight of Autumn Passion
06. My Voyage Through Galactic Aeons
07. To the Grave I Belong
08. Emendare