French power metallers NIGHTMARE will release their seventh album, "Insurrection", on September 11 via Germany's AFM Records. The CD was recorded at Peek studio in France with Patrick Liotard and at U3multimedia and Indiscreet Studios in Stuttgart, Germany with Achim Köhler (PRIMAL FEAR, EDGUY, MASTERPLAN). The follow-up to 2007's "Genetic Disorder" will contain nine tracks, including a two-part concept song. Part II of the track, entitled "Cosa Nostra..." , will be featured as a bonus cut for Japan and limited editions along with one other song. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Insurrection", "Three Mile Island", "The Gospel Of Judas", "Decameron", "Angels Of Glass" and "Legions Of The Rising Sun".

The "Insurrection" cover art (see here) was created by Swedish artist Pär Olofsson who previously worked on "Genetic Disorder".
Special guest vocalist on the album is Fabrice Emmanuelsson from ELLIPSIS.

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, NIGHTMARE will perform a special headlining show on October 31, 2009 at Salle Edmond Vigne in Fontaine, France with special guests ELLIPSIS, AMON SETHIS and RISE OF DOOM. The concert will be professionally filmed for future DVD release.

NIGHTMARE 2009 is:

Jo Amore - Vocals
Franck Milleliri - Guitar
JC Jess - Guitar
Yves Campion - Bass
David Amore - Drums

MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee's METHODS OF MAYHEM project has inked a worldwide deal with Loud & Proud Records, a Roadrunner Records imprint focusing on established artists. Roadrunner will release the band's sophomore album in early 2010.

Commented Lee: "I'm so f@&*ing pumped!! I've signed with my friends at Roadrunner... What a perfect home for my second METHODS OF MAYHEM record. We're about to do what no team has ever done before... Buckle up and hang on, kids!"

DJ Aero and guitarist Kai Marcus are still onboard for METHODS OF MAYHEM's as-yet-untitled new effort, and Lee's producing partner Scott Humphrey is also said to be involved.

In a recent interview with TuneLab.com, drummer Will Hunt (EVANESCENCE, STATIC-X, DARK NEW DAY, TOMMY LEE) — who played on the new METHODS OF MAYHEM CD — stated about the album, "People are gonna be very surprised when they hear that record. It's very different than anything [Tommy's] done. It's still very cool, there's some very melodic, commercial stuff on it, but the bulk of the record is very heavy, grungy, DEFTONES-sounding stuff. And it's just really cool."

Lee formed METHODS OF MAYHEM in 1999 after he left MÖTLEY CRÜE. The all-star project collaboration with rapper TiLo featured input from LIMP BIZKIT's Fred Durst, THE CRYSTAL METHOD, Kid Rock, Snoop Dogg, and Mix Master Mike. After signing to MCA, METHODS OF MAYHEM issued its self-titled debut LP in late 1999.

A trailer for "Under Blood Red Skies", the newly released DVD from long-running Swedish death metallers DISMEMBER, can be viewed here. Available on Regain Records, the two-disc set includes footage of two separate concerts (one in the Netherlands and the other at last year's Party.San Open Air festival, which was held in Bad Berka, Germany) plus tons of backstage material and bonus features.

The cover artwork for the DVD, which was created by Erik Danielsson (Trident Art), can be viewed here.

The track listing is as follows:

Disc 1:

01. Stillborn Ways
02. Death Conquers All
03. Skinfather
04. Dark Depths
05. Life - Another Shape Of Sorrow
06. Forged With Hate
07. Under A Blood Red Sky
08. Override Of The Overture
09. Soons To Be Dead
10. Bleed For Me
11. And So Is Life
12. Dismembered
13. Skin Her Alive
14. Sickening Art
15. In Death's Sleep

Disc 2:

"Death Metal And More Mental Illness" (documentary)

Commented the band: "We have been working hard as hell on this DVD for so long now and it feels great to finally have it released. We have been filming stuff on every tour (and almost every gig) since 2004, so we have had tons of material to choose from. To break that down to make it fit in a DVD format with interviews with all the band members has been a tough one indeed. But the final outcome will surely be worth all the effort and time we put down in this project. It will be a very honest look into the life of being in DISMEMBER, and it will include a lot of scenes that will make people laugh.

"You'll get to see how we work in the studio and how it is being on tour with its ups and downs. There will be some cool backstage footage and live material from the Masters Of Death tour we did with our good friends ENTOMBED, GRAVE and UNLEASHED, plus tons of other interesting stuff from all around the world. We also filmed last year's gig at the Party.San festival. We did a special set at that night; it was divided into two parts, where the first one contains lots of new material as well as some older classics. In the second part of the set we played the the whole first album from 1991, 'Like An Ever Flowing Stream', for the first time in the history of the band, everything very nicely accompanied by fiery pyrotechnics."

DISMEMBER played a 20th-anniversary show on November 22, 2008 at Debaser Medis in Stockholm, Sweden. The concert featured all the past and present members of DISMEMBER on stage performing songs from all of the band's albums in chronological order, starting off as a trio formation and moving on through DISMEMBER history until the present lineup.

"My Heart Is A Tomb", the new video from Finland's GHOST BRIGADE, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's sophomore album, "Isolation Songs", which is scheduled for release on August 3 in Europe (August 25 in the U.S.) via Season Of Mist Records.

"Isolation Songs" track listing:

01. Suffocated
02. My Heart Is A Tomb
03. Into The Black Light
04. Lost In A Loop
05. 22:22 - Nihil
06. Architect Of New Beginnings
07. Birth
08. Concealed Revulsions
09. Secrets Of The Earth
10. A Storm Inside
11. Liar (first edition bonus track)

A preview of the cover artwork for "Night Is The New Day", the eighth studio album from Swedish masters of melancholy KATATONIA, is available below. The artwork was once again designed by Travis Smith and closes the visual concept for "The Great Cold Distance" phase. 13 tracks were reportedly laid down for the new CD (out of which 11-12 songs will make it onto the final record), with the new material being described by the band as "our most varied, diverse and possibly strongest shit all together on one and the same album."

"Night Is The New Day" is scheduled for release in Europe on October 19 and in the U.S. on October 27 via Peaceville Records.

"Evangelion", the ninth full-length studio album from Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH, is available for streaming in its entirety on the band's MySpace page. Due on August 7 in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records and August 11 in North America through Metal Blade, the CD was mixed at Miloco Studios in London, England by Colin Richardson, who has previously worked with MACHINE HEAD, SLIPKNOT, NAPALM DEATH and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, among many others.

"Evangelion" track listing:

01. Daimonos
02. Shemaforash
03. Ov Fire And The Void
04. Transmigrating Beyond Realms Ov Amenti
05. He Who Breeds Pestilence
06. The Seed Ov I
07. Alas, Lord Is Upon Me
08. Defiling Morality Ov Black God
09. Lucifer

The digipack edition will include a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes footage and expanded artwork. The material on the DVD was shot while the band forged "Evangelion" between January and May of 2009.

Canadian all-girl metal band KITTIE has posted a new song, "Cut Throat" on the group's MySpace page. The track comes off KITTIE's new album, "In The Black", which will be released on September 15 through E1 Music (formerly KOCH Records).

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Kingdom Come
02. My Plague
03. Cut Throat
04. Die My Darling
05. Sorrow I Know
06. Forgive And Forget
07. Now Or Never
08. Falling Down
09. Sleepwalking
10. Whiskey Love Song
11. Ready Aim Riot
12. The Truth

Greg Prato of RollingStone.com recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

RollingStone.com: "Endgame" is certainly one of MEGADETH's most riff-heavy releases.

Mustaine: Making this record, there was a lot of different facets. When I was writing this, I had a lot of material that I had saved over the years, and a lot of stuff that had been really fast, riffy, and exciting, but just not as melodic as where we were during the '90s. I was assembling the songs and thinking about the possibilities of Shawn [Drover, drums]. When we got in here to start doing a record, I was thinking, "God, these guys have so much potential, what are we going to do?" And I started to really push the envelope, and write songs that were really super aggressive, and had a lot of guitar playing. It was almost self-indulgent with the guitar soloing. I realized, "Dave, you're not a guitar player for making songs for the radio. You had a couple of songs that you were successful with the radio, but that ain't your style, come on."

RollingStone.com: To set the record straight, did you or original MEGADETH bassist Dave Ellefson write the bass line to "Peace Sells"?

Mustaine: Me.

RollingStone.com: What do you remember about the writing of that song?

Mustaine: I was homeless at the time, and I was living in a rehearsal place in Vernon, California. I was seeing a girl, Diana — there were a lot of songs I wrote about her. I actually wrote the lyrics to that song on the wall, in that building. I didn't have any paper in the studio, but I had a Sharpie, so I just wrote on the wall. Whoever inherited our rehearsal room after I moved out, saw the original lyrics to "Peace Sells" on the wall. They probably painted right over it and didn't even know it.

RollingStone.com: As far as you know, is it true that on the last METALLICA tour Cliff Burton was on before he died, the band was planning on firing Lars Ulrich at the tour's end?

Mustaine: That's what Scott [Ian, ANTHRAX guitarist] told me. He said that when METALLICA got home, that James [Hetfield], Cliff [Burton] and Kirk [Hammett] were going to fire Lars.

The complete track listing has been revealed for "Design Your Universe", the new album from Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers EPICA. Due in Europe on October 16 via Nuclear Blast Records, the follow-up to 2007's "The Divine Conspiracy" was recorded at Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany with producer Sascha Paeth.

"Design Your Universe" track listing:

01. Samadhi (prelude)
02. Resign to Surrender (A New Age Dawns - Part IV)
03. Unleashed
04. Martyr of the Free Word
05. Our Destiny
06. Kingdom of Heaven (A New Age Dawns - Part V)
07. The Price of Freedom (interlude)
08. Burn to a Cinder
09. Tides of Time
10. Deconstruct
11. Semblance of Liberty
12. White Waters
13. Design Your Universe (A New Age Dawns - Part VI)

The cover artwork for "Design Your Universe" can be viewed here (artwork by Stefan Heilemann).

"Masquerade", the new album from veteran Massachusetts metallers MELIAH RAGE, has had its release date pushed back to August 25 (via Screaming Ferret/Metro City Records) from the previously announced July 28. The CD was recorded at The Outpost in Stoughton, Massachusetts and was mastered at the end of November by producer Rich Spillberg (WARGASM), who has worked with everyone from STEEL ASSASSIN to JOSH GROBAN. According to the group, "The music on the record is much faster and heavier than the past few records and will feature a guest appearance by METAL CHURCH frontman Ronny Munroe."

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Lost Or Found (7:57)
02. Chosen (6:15)
03. History Will Tell (6:47)
04. Dreamer (5:09)
05. Seeker (6:58)
06. Hour Glass (5:06)
07. Masquerade (6:00)
08. Last Rites (4:56) (feat. Ronny Munroe)
09. Whatever It Takes (7:32)

Check out the cover artwork here.

Reunited Norwegian black metallers IMMORTAL will release their new album, "All Shall Fall", in North America on October 6 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD, which will be issued in Europe on September 25, was recorded at Grieghallen and Abyss studios in Norway and Sweden, respectively.

"All Shall Fall" track listing:

01. All Shall Fall
02. The Rise Of Darkness
03. Hordes To War
04. Norden On Fire
05. Arctic Swarm
06. Mount North
07. Unearthly Kingdom

Check out the cover artwork here.

Guitarist Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka of the Polish extreme metallers DECAPITATED has tapped Austrian drummer Kerim "Krimh" Lechner (of THORNS OF IVY) as the replacement for Witold "Vitek" Kieltyka, who died on November 2, 2007 in a Russian hospital from injuries sustained in a road collision. DECAPITATED singer Covan (real name: Adrian Kowanek) was also hurt in the accident, which involved the band's tour bus and a truck carrying wood in Gomel, on the Russia/Belarus border.

Vogg previously stated about his decision to carry on with the group, "I was thinking about that for a long time and it's really hard decision for me, but I have decided to continue this band and keep DECAPITATED alive. I know it will be not the same anymore but I want to try, and I'm sure Witek and Covan [DECAPITATED singer Adrian Kowanek, who was also hurt in the accident] will support me and will be happy about that."

The cover artwork for "The Omnipresent Curse", the second full-length album from Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based band VENGEFUL, can be viewed here. The group says, "It was once again painted by our longtime partner Martin Lacroix (AUGURY, HUMANOID)."

Due on August 15, "The Omnipresent Curse" features the following track listing:

01. Forsaken
02. Beholder
03. Anguish
04. Detention
05. Lapsus
06. Nightmare
07. Sanctioned
08. Transcending

A medley comprised of all the songs on "The Omnipresent Curse" is available for download as an M3 audio file at this location.

VENGEFUL's latest EP, "Tempted By Nightmares", came out in 2008.

VENGEFUL recently announced the addition of Emmanuel Pronovost (guitar), Olivier Pinard (bass) and Phil Truesdell (drums) to the group's ranks.

"Tempted By Nightmares" featured two songs ('Detention' and 'Nightmare') from the upcoming album while "Tempted" and "Sentenced" are re-recordings from 2007's "Karma" CD. "Silence" is from the band's "Tragedy Lies Ahead" demo.

VENGEFUL's debut album, "Karma", was released in 2007 via Disconcert Music.

According to a press release, VENGEFUL "plays death metal that is fuelled by pure hatred and deep anger, accompanied by a firm sense of song structure and dynamic. . . Their music shows influences from pioneers such as GORGUTS, IMMOLATION, NILE and CRYPTOPSY."

DESTRUCTION frontman Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer joined fellow German metallers RAGE on stage at this year's installment of the Masters Of Rock festival — which was held July 9-12, 2009 in Vizovice, Czech Republic — to perform the song "Prayers Of Steel". Watch video footage of his appearance here.

RAGE will be joined by the following special guests for their 25th-anniversary performance at this year's Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place July 30 - August 1, 2009 in Wacken, Germany:

Jen Majura (RAGE/BLIND GUARDIAN guest vocalist)
Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer (DESTRUCTION)
Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN)
Eric Hecht (Eric Fish; SUBWAY TO SALLY)
Jörg Michael (STRATOVARIUS)

RAGE's "Gib Dich Nie Auf" EP was released on January 16 as part of a box set including the band's latest album, "Carved In Stone". The EP is also available separately via Nuclear Blast mailorder.

"Carved in Stone" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 24 back in March 2008.

The cover artwork for "Deflorate", the new album from the Michigan-based melodic death metal band THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, can be viewed here. The CD is scheduled for release on September 15 via Metal Blade Records. The album's first single, "A Selection Unnatural", is now available for streaming exclusively on RevolverMag.com.

Vocalist Trevor Strnad stated about the "A Selection Unnatural" song, "I was watching some crazy shit on birth defects on the health channel and I wanted to try to recreate the feelings of horror and repulsion that people react with when seeing these kinds of unfortunate images. 'A Selection Unnatural' is meant to be a science-fiction shocker about the short life of a terribly deformed mutant of a child. From the moment he is born he is kept in labs and is regarded as a living medical marvel, poked and prodded by scientific minds wondering how such a being could come to be. How could such a thing occur in nature? Is he a human being like you and I? I was trying to find a balance between completely describing the creature and leaving a bit up to the imagination and let the listener decide exactly what it would look like. The person telling the story is meant to sound disgusted, a voice of sheer cruelty and indifference to the child's life. He wonders what the boy's purpose was on this earth, scoffing at his plight. The title is obviously a play on Darwin's theory of natural selection."

"Deflorate" track listing:

01. Black Valor
02. Necropolis
03. A Selection Unnatural
04. Denounced, Disgraced
05. Christ Deformed
06. Death Panorama
07. Throne Of Lunacy
08. Eyes Of Thousand
09. That Which Erodes The Most Tender
10. I Will Return

Metal Mark of SkullsNBones.com conducted an interview with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER on July 24, 2009 at the Atlanta, Georgia stop of this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Watch the seven-minute chat below.

"Majesty", the brand new DVD from THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, sold 2,900 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Top Music Videos chart.

Released on May 12 via Metal Blade, "Majesty" is a first-ever look into the group's relentless touring lifestyle and a "side-splitting peek into the hard-working band's humor-laced brand of daily life [that] will have you smelling the funk of the van from coast to coast and keep you coming back for more. Brimming with bone-crushing live performances and hilarious after show antics, 'Majesty' is your ticket to ride. Witness the real history as told by the band! Behold the ravenous legions of fans! Learn the secrets of the ape! What you hold in your hands is the ultimate BLACK DAHLIA experience… now shut up and get in the van!"

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER's last album, "Nocturnal", was released on September 18, 2007 via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2005's "Miasma" was recorded with Eric Rachel (who mixed "Miasma") and was mixed by Jason Suecof.

"Meddler", the new video from the Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Christian metalcore quintet AUGUST BURNS RED, can be viewed here. Also available is the band's latest European tour video blog.

"Constellations", the third full-length album from AUGUST BURNS RED, debuted at an impressive No. 24 on The Billboard 200. Released on July 14, the LP also landed at No. 8 on Current Rock Albums, No. 2 on Top Hard Music Albums (less than 300 units behind NICKLEBACK!) and No. 2 on the Christian Market chart.

With sales of 20,401 copies in its first week, "Constellations" more than doubled the first-week numbers of its predecessor, 2007's "Messengers", which debuted in The Billboard 200 at No. 81 and went on to sell well over 80,000 copies.

"Constellations" also hit the No. 1 New Music Release spot iTunes the day it was released, and entered the Top 100 at No. 6, nestled between a MICHAEL JACKSON best-of album and the movie soundtrack for a certain wizard named Harry. "We thought we set the bar pretty high for this release, but we never envisioned 'Constellations' coming out of the gates the way it has," said guitarist JB Brubaker. "It's so awesome to have such supportive and enthusiastic listeners!"

The visual themes for "Constellations" echo the band's career-long fascination with spirituality and destiny.

"'Constellations' is about directing our attention towards heaven, trusting that God will direct our steps, regardless of our circumstance," said drummer Matt Greiner. "The kites in the artwork represent our own intelligence and innovation. So often we trust our own abilities to guide us through life, but the 'wind' of life will send our kites soaring every which way."

AUGUST BURNS RED is currently on a U.S. headlining tour with support acts BLESSTHEFALL, ENTER SHIKARI (July 10-27), ALL SHALL PERISH (July 28-August 8) and IWRESTLEDABEARONCE. The tour, which thus far has included sold-out shows from Baltimore's Recher Theatre to Chicago's House of Blues, extends through August 8, and due to fan demand includes two-night stands at Pomona, California's Glasshouse and Lancaster, Pennsylvania's Chameleon Club. ABR then heads to Australia for a two-week run with native sons PARKWAY DRIVE and then back to Europe for an extended run through mid-November.

Joe Bosso of MusicRadar.com recently conducted an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King. During the chat, which is available for streaming and/or download at this location, King discusses the making of the band's new album, "World Painted Blood"; his B.C. Rich signature series guitars; and he even answers some of the readers' questions.

When asked about the reports that SLAYER once threw KILLSWITCH ENGAGE off one of its tours, King said "We actually didn't get able to. I tried. Because I'd never seen 'em live, and then I saw them live at some, I don't know, maybe at Kerrang! Awards over in Europe. And I'm just offended by the silliness that goes on on stage [on the part of] the guitar player [Adam Dutkiewicz]. He puts his foot in his mouth all the time and he says stupid shit, and I just didn't think that side show should be on my stage. So I pulled the plug on the spot, but on that particular Jägermeister tour, we didn't have any product and they did, so Jäger kind of insisted, and I went... They're all friends of mine, so I said, 'OK, I'll deal with it.' Still don't like it."

In the February 2008 issue of Sweden's Close-Up magazine, SOULFLY/ex-SEPULTURA frontman Max Cavalera described the experience of seeing a KILLSWITCH ENGAGE live show. "I went to see LAMB OF GOD in that States and they were alright, but KILLSWITCH ENGAGE opened and it was the gayest show I've ever seen," he said. "I was like, I'm not part of this scene, it's fucking gay.' They were acting like they were U2 and I was like, 'Hmm….' The attitude was so ridiculous. I don't know these guys, they're on my label [Roadrunner] and all, but it was completely disappointing and gay. Like really lame, such a lame band live, everything about the whole attitude. LAMB OF GOD came out and destroyed them and I don't even like LAMB OF GOD that much, but they were so much better coming after KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. I was like, 'If that's what the scene is about, hey fuck it, it ain't got nothing to do with me.'"

Austrian symphonic metallers VISIONS OF ATLANTIS have issued the following update:

"It's [true], Joanna Nieniewska [vocals] was forced to leave the band a few weeks ago! The reason is a health problem which should not be specified more detailed, but makes it impossible for her to complete a whole show on stage without risk. But because of the grown big friendship within the band during the last months, the band is not willing her to leave totally and so we came to the point that at least Joanna has to be on the road with us when she can't sing with the band anymore and so in future she'll be on tour with us, helping us backstage and doing other important things to bring her support and energy into the band, although it's another way now!

"There are no other reasons besides that, although we already had to read different stories on the Internet which are simply not true. As long as you can't read it on the official VISIONS OF ATLANTIS homepage or MySpace, it's absolutely not official and does not come directly from the band or the nearest band environment!

"But now to the good news: The good news besides all that is, that we were able to find an absolute suitable substitute for Joanna within the extremely short time! Her name is Maxi Nil [pictured below]; she's from Greece and she has already worked with MOONSPELL, for instance, and brings fresh energy and enthusiasm into the band! She was very fast in practicing the material for the shows on Metalcamp and with Tarja Turunen and we are already looking forward happily in doing future shows and tours with her!

"Because of all those things, the recordings for the new VISIONS OF ATLANTIS album are delayed a bit at the moment, but we did much work between the live shows now and so we're very optimistic to finish pre-production very soon. Afterwards we'll finally enter the studio to record our fourth album.

"We hope that you all welcome Maxi Nil warmly as the newest member of VISIONS OF ATLANTIS and that you can understand us and our decision, which is the best for everyone involved!"

For more information on Maxi Nil, visit her MySpace page.

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS in 2007 parted ways with the group's Minnesota-based vocalist, Melissa Ferlaak, and her now-husband, guitarist Wolfgang "Wops" Koch, due to "musical differences." As a result, the band's previously announced participation in the KAMELOT European tour was cancelled. Koch has since been replaced by the returning guitarist Werner Fiedler, who was responsible for much of the songwriting on the group's first two records.

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS's latest album, "Trinity", was released in May 2007 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded at Dreamscape Studios and was mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland. The CD's cover artwork was created by Anthony Clarkson, who has previously worked with BLIND GUARDIAN, HYPOCRISY and EXODUS, among others.

"Coast", the new video from the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Konrad Palkeiwcz. The song comes off "Ki", the first in a series of albums from acclaimed Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, STEVE VAI, LAMB OF GOD, DARKEST HOUR, GWAR) to be made available under the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT moniker, which was released in Europe on May 25 and in North America on June 16 via InsideOut Music. The CD sold around 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It landed at position No. 69 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.

In a world of increasing conformity and musical banality, Devin Townsend is among the few real personalities who have character, charisma and surprising innovative creativity. As a solo artist and producer, leader of the (by now disbanded) STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, with whom he played Ozzfest and the main stage at the Download festival, and vocalist on Steve Vai's album "Sex And Religion", Townsend has always inspired fans and critics alike.

"Ki" track listing:

01. A Monday
02. Coast
03. Disruptr
04. Gato
05. Terminal
06. Heaven Send
07. Ain't Never Gonna Win...
08. Winter
09. Trainfire
10. Lady Helen
11. Ki
12. Quiet Riot
13. Demon League

Comments Townsend: "'Ki' is the first in a series of four albums under the moniker 'DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT.' Each album is essentially a different band or collection of session musicians playing my music. They were chosen based on what the theme of the album is and the vibe that the album is trying to project. The album 'Ki' is very specific in this quartet of albums in that it controls its anger throughout, barring one song — 'Heaven Send' — and really is an exercise in having little to prove."

Devin adds, "'Ki' is a subtle, severe album. A challenge in some ways. As the 'intro' to the story (the story being the four records) it needs to set the stage. The point to the music is that the whisper is louder than the roar in many ways. 'Ki' is (on the surface) quiet and unassuming. Whenever it begins to lose its temper, it stops. It does not let it go, it is avoiding that temptation, as that sort of anger is really gratifying but ultimately just leaves me unhappy. 'Ki' is about control, and although it is not an overtly 'heavy' album, it is heavy thematically. On these four records, it starts with 'Ki', which is essentially a cross section of all the albums, but the idea is that it is not here to impose itself. It just does it's thing. Like a little a.m radio playing in the corner.

"Many folks have been waiting to see what I do next after SYL and 'Ziltoid', so after careful consideration, I wanted the first record to be quiet and subtle, however fear not chaos fans... the next two records in the quartet are progressively heavier, and the third album, 'Deconstruction', is the heaviest music I've ever created. So with 'Ki', I wanted to make it a bit of an appetizer. I know myself, that as I get older, a steady diet of chaotic music does little more than give me a headache. So with 'Ki', I wanted to re-introduce myself in a way that says, 'I can make chaos like you've never heard, but for starters, please get comfortable.' The common ground to my previous releases would be my voice, but even my guitar playing has changed. I use primarily a clean tone now (no distortion) and in terms of the sonics, I have used very little compression and it is not mastered very loud. The term 'Ki' loosely means 'life force' and, therefore, in almost the antithesis to my previous albums, there is no real editing or triggers on the drums. Much of the music was recorded 'live off the floor.' I wanted to preserve the energy flow without worrying so much about mistakes."

METALLICA played "The Ecstasy of Gold" live for the first time ever last night (Tuesday, July 28) at the Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed here.

"The Ecstasy of Gold" is the song from the classic film "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" which has been opening METALLICA live shows since 1983.

METALLICA's cover of "The Ecstasy of Gold" was released in February 2007 via Sony Classical as part of a tribute to composer Ennio Morricone, also featuring some of the greatest names from the worlds of contemporary pop, rock, jazz, and classical music.

Czech Republic-based technical death metal quartet PANDEMIA has entered Stage One studios in Borgentreich, Germany in July with producer Andy Classen (DEW-SCENTED, CALLENISH CIRCLE, TANKARD, OCCULT) to begin recording its fourth album, entitled "Feet Off Anger" (sic), for a November release via War Anthem Records.

Check out pictures from the studio at this location.

PANDEMIA was formed in 1995 by Matthew, Alex, Jarda and Pavel. They have released three full-length albums and and one DVD and have toured with U.D.O., NEVERMORE, SOILWORK, THERION, INCANTATION and many more.

Bassist Ørjan "Hjarandr" Setvik will play his final show with Norwegian doom metallers SYRACH at the release party for the band's sophomore album, "A Dark Burial", on Friday, July 31 in Bergen, Holland. According to the group, "Hjarandr decided to leave the band now because he wanted to focus on his interest in food and will now try to get a degree as a chef.

"Hjarandr spent about seven years with us and has been a great tribute to our ranks. We have had some great times together and been through a lot. We are sorry to let this great man of doom go, but his mind is set and we have to respect this. We'll be sure to get some beers together in the future anyway.

"We are at the same time proud to announce his replacement in Øystein K. Øystein played with us on our European tour in October and is a very good bass player and friend of us, so we are very glad to have him on board our ship."

"A Dark Burial" was released last week via Napalm Records. The CD was produced by Bjørnar Nilsen and features artwork (see here) by Martin Kvamme, who has previously worked with FANTOMAS, Mike Patton, DARKTHRONE and lots of other artists.

"A Dark Burial" track listing:

01. Curse The Souls
02. The River's Rage
03. A Dark Burial
04. A Mourners Kiss
05. In Darkness I Sigh
06. Ouroboros

SYRACH was formed in 1993 in Kalandseidet, near Bergen, Norway — a region known to have spawned bands like IMMORTAL and BURZUM, to name a few.

After months of intense songwriting, German black metallers DARK FORTRESS entered V. Santura's Woodshed Studio a couple of days ago to start laying down the drum tracks for their sixth, as-yet-untitled album. The follow-up to 2008's acclaimed "Eidolon" is scheduled to be released in early 2010 via Century Media Records.

Commented V. Santura: "The recordings are going very smooth so far and the drums sound just fantastic. Seraph is doing a really great job. This time we are aiming for a more natural and dynamic sound in order to keep all musical details, a certain raw dirt and personality that most modern productions lack of. Our upcoming album is going to be very diverse and probably the heaviest material we ever wrote."

DARK FORTRESS's fifth full-length album, "Eidolon", was released in most of Europe in February 2008 via Century Media Records

An e-card "Eidolon", can be accessed at this location.

"Eidolon" is the band's first effort with new vocalist Morean, who is also responsible for the intricate lyrical concept.

In its nine chapters the album describes the initiation, dehumanization and unearthly rebirth of a transcending soul by mirror magic and astral projection.

An "Eidolon" is a Greek concept of an astral double of a living being or a "mirror." The concept describes a magic mirror ritual as while a person is in a trance, the surface of the mirror is used as a gate to enter a new dimension.

A one-and-a-half-minute trailer for BEHEMOTH's "Ov Fire And The Void" video can be viewed here. The clip was shot in Wroclaw with director Dariusz Szermanowicz and Grupa 13.

"Ov Fire And The Void" comes off BEHEMOTH's ninth full-length studio album, "Evangelion", which is scheduled for release on August 7 in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records and August 11 in North America through Metal Blade. The CD was mixed at Miloco Studios in London, England by Colin Richardson, who has previously worked with MACHINE HEAD, SLIPKNOT, NAPALM DEATH and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, among many others.

"Evangelion" track listing:

01. Daimonos
02. Shemaforash
03. Ov Fire And The Void
04. Transmigrating Beyond Realms Ov Amenti
05. He Who Breeds Pestilence
06. The Seed Ov I
07. Alas, Lord Is Upon Me
08. Defiling Morality Ov Black God
09. Lucifer

The digipack edition will include a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes footage and expanded artwork.

The track "Ov Fire And The Void" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

BEHEMOTH is currently on the road as part of the second annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. The band is performing on the Hot Topic stage alongside CANNIBAL CORPSE, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, JOB FOR A COWBOY and WHITECHAPEL.

British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST will release their new album, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us", on September 28, 2009 in Europe and October 6, 2009 in the U.S. via Century Media Records. The highly anticipated follow-up to 2007's "In Requiem" was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. As Horizons End
02. I Remain
03. First Light
04. Frailty
05. Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us
06. The Rise Of Denial
07. Living With Scars
08. Last Regret
09. Universal Dream
10. In Truth

The track "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.