Swedish death/thrash metallers CONSTRUCDEAD will release their fourth album, "Endless Echo", on August 21 via via Black Lodge Records. The CD was recorded at Not Quite Studio with producers Klas Ideberg and Peter Wildoer of DARKANE. According to a press release, the 12-song album features "more of everything — blast beats, melodies, chrunching heavy bass and the most extreme vocals from the band so far.

"Endless Echo" track listing:

01. Sedated Morning
02. My Haven
03. Endless Echoes
04. A Goddess Breaches Through Me
05. Disfigured Beauty
06. Mephisto
07. No Exit
08. Transfixed
09. Tragic Kingdom
10. Spiritual Shift
11. The One Beside Me
12. Cataclysm

The limited first edition comes with an exclusive CONSTRUCDEAD patch.

Swedish black metallers VALKYRJA entered Necromorbus Studios (WATAIN, DESTRÖYER 666, RAZOR OF OCCAM) in Stockholm on June 22 with producer Tore Stjerna to begin recording their second album.

Commented the band: "The procedure will span throughout the summer and be available in pressed form in late 2009/early 2010 through Metal Blade Records — if no greater harm is done to the schedule. As for now there are no further details available. Nothing more will be written until everything is completed and an entry including all information and alike will follow."

In other news, VALKYRJA's debut album, "The Invocation Of Demise", will be reissued on July 20 via Metal Blade Records with a new booklet and front cover. The LP was recorded at Necromorbus Studios in March/April 2007.

"The Invocation Of Demise" track listing:

01. Origin Reversed!
02. As Everything Rupture
03. Plague Death
04. The Vigil
05. Twilight Revelation
06. On Stillborn Wings
07. Sinister Obsession
08. Purification And Demise
09. Frostland

Female-fronted metallers HOLYHELL have posted audio samples of most of the songs that appear on their debut album, which has just been released via MANOWAR's Magic Circle Music label.

Already prominent players in the metal scene, HOLYHELL's "Apocalypse" EP landed on the German chart after selling over six thousand copies in a matter of weeks by virtue of the band's live performances alone. Motivated by the response from metal fans worldwide, HOLYHELL went back into the studio and committed to delivering the best their multifaceted talents could produce for their first complete album. In addition to "Eclipse", "Apocalypse", "Last Vision" and "Resurrection", it will contain nine new tracks of incredibly powerful music guaranteed to please the most discerning metal fans.

"Holyhell" (cover) track listing:

01. Wings Of Light
02. Prophecy
03. Revelations
04. Eclipse
05. The Fall
06. Angel Of Darkness
07. Holy Water
08. Mephisto
09. Gates Of Hell
10. Resurrection
11. Last Vision
12. Apocalypse
13. Armageddon

Consisting of new female vocal sensation Maria Breon, a classically trained singer possessing a unique and powerful voice; shred lord Joe Stump, an acclaimed heavy metal guitar virtuoso who has already made his mark in the world of power metal; Francisco Palomo, the newest keyboard prodigy on the rock and metal scene; bassist Jay Rigney, one of the Boston area's top studio musicians; and ex-MANOWAR drummer Rhino; HOLYHELL mixes elements of classic metal and hard rock with orchestral arrangements and haunting gothic melodies, making HOLYHELL a tour de force of powerful, heavy music.

French metal/gothic band AD INFERNA, which features SETH mainman/vocalist Arkames, has completed work on its new album, "Trance N Dance", for a September 29 release. The CD was recorded and mixed by Xort (ANOREXIA NERVOSA) at the Drudenhaus Studio.

"Trance N Dance" track listing:

01. Fade to Grey (VISAGE cover)
02. Métamorphose
03. Rédemption
04. SM for SM
05. Suicide Girl
06. Transcender l'Extase
07. Vertige
08. You as my Own Drug
09. Vertige (Beborn Beton RMX)
10. Vertige (Combichrist "Nok" RMX)
11. Transcender l'Extase (Soman RMX)
12. Rédemption (Reaper "Bum Bum" RMX)

AD INFERNA's debut album, "L'Empire des Sens", was released in 2002 via Silverdust Records.

The surviving members of the long-defunct Finnish band SENTENCED have issued a new statement regarding the passing of the group's former guitarist and main songwriter, Miika Tenkula, who was found dead at his home on February 19, 2009. He was 34 years old.

The statement reads as follows: "To stop rumours about Miika Tenkula's cause of death, his family wishes to state the following: Miika had a genetic heart condition and died from a sudden attack at his home on February 18, 2009. For those wondering where Miika is buried, his grave can be found at the Kirkkosaari cemetery in his hometown Muhos, Finland."

"Keelhauled", the new video from the Scottish folk/power metal band ALESTORM, can be viewed below. The song comes off the group's latest album, "Black Sails At Midnight", which sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. (Note: Internet/digital sales **ARE** included in the SoundScan totals.) The CD landed at position No. 87 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.

"Black Sails At Midnight" track listing:

01. The Quest
02. Leviathan
03. That Famous Ol' Spiced
04. Keelhauled
05. To The End Of Our Days
06. Black Sails at Midnight
07. No Quarter
08. Pirate Song
09. Chronicles of Vengeance
10. Wolves of the Sea

Roadrunner Records has uploaded video footage of DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy revealing and discussing his "top five metal bands of all time." Watch the seven-minute clip below.

Portnoy's top five metal bands of all time are as follows:

01. BLACK SABBATH
02. IRON MAIDEN
03. METALLICA
04. SLAYER
05. OPETH

According to Hits Daily Double, the companion web site of music industry tip sheet HITS, the new album from DREAM THEATER, entitled "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", is on track to sell between 35,000 and 40,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

Swiss hard rockers GOTTHARD will release their new album, "Need To Believe", on September 4 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The CD will feature the following track listing:

01. Shangri-La
02. Unspoken Words
03. Need To Believe
04. Unconditional Faith
05. I Don't Mind
06. Break Away
07. Don't Let Me Know
08. Right From Wrong
09. I Know, You Know
10. Rebel Soul
11. Tears To Cry

Additionally, there will be a high-quality box version including a special gimmick and the bonus track "Ain't Enough".

Commented singer Steve Lee: "[The cover artwork, which can be viewed below] shows the philosophy of GOTTHARD: 'Believe in yourself and do your own thing, even if you think it is impossible sometimes. Like it seems impossible to press water out of a stone. 'Need To Believe', because faith is essential."

GOTTHARD will contribute a brand new song to the soundtrack of the upcoming film about the spectacular life of German boxing legend Max Schmeling. The movie will be directed by Uwe Boll ("Postal", "Swords Of The King") and will be in theaters in April 2010.

German boxing star Henry Maske will portray Schmeling in the film.

"A movie like this needs a strong rock song," Uwe Boll explains. "The music by GOTTHARD perfectly fits. When I first heard their songs, I was immediately convinced."

M.A.N — the group formed out of the ashes of Sweden's TRANSPORT LEAGUE (featuring former MNEMIC frontman Tony Jelencovich) — has posted the video for its cover version of BOB MARLEY's "Get Up, Stand Up". The clip, which can be viewed here, was shot on June 14 in Gothenburg, Sweden at Redbergsteatern. The band says, "The video is kinda black and it has a good twist. Thanks to the good crowd for great moshing."

M.A.N will enter Grand Recordings in Gothenburg, Sweden on September 18 with producer Carlos Sepulveda and engineer Svein Jensen to begin laying down the drum and bass tracks for its third album. The guitars will be recorded at Belly of the Whale studio and vocals at Grand Recordings once again.

The preliminary track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Mock At My Motion
02. Dead Set
03. Logocide
04. Falling
05. Don't Wake Up
06. Apocalypse
07. Identical Abuse
08. Slave Program
09. Last Light Drains
10. Zero Status
11. Vivid

M.A.N's sophomore album, "Peacenemy", was released in Europe in March 2008 (April in North America) via Tief Druck Musik. The CD was recorded at Grand Recordings in Gothenburg, Sweden with producer/engineer Svein Jensen and was mastered by Göran Finnberg at Mastering Room. It features a guest appearance by Burton C. Bell of FEAR FACTORY and ACENSION OF THE WATCHERS on the track "My Own Sickness".

"Death...The Brutal Way", the new video from the reformed Dutch death metal outfit ASPHYX — Martin van Drunen (vocals), Wannes Gubbels (bass/vocals), Paul Baayens (guitar) and Bob Bagchus (drums) — can be viewed below. The clip was helmed by Oliver Barth of Visions In Fear.

"Death...The Brutal Way" is the title track of ASPHYX's comeback album, which was released in Europe on June 22 via Century Media Records (September 1 in the U.S. via Ibex Moon Records). The CD was recorded at the Sonic Assault studio and engineered by Frank Klein Douwel (who is also the band's live sound engineer). Mixing duties were handled Dan Swanö (NIGHTINGALE, EDGE OF SANITY and BLOODBATH fame) at Unisound in Sweden.

The "Death...The Brutal Way" cover artwork was created by Mick Koopman (HAIL OF BULLETS, DEAD HEAD) and can be viewed below.

The limited-edition version of "Death...The Brutal Way" contains additional slipcase packaging as well as a bonus DVD featuring the band's entire, unforgettable reunion show from 2007's Party.San festival in Bad Berka, Germany.

"Live at Party.San Open Air Festival 2007" bonus DVD track listing:

01. Vermin
02. M.S. Bismarck
03. Serenade In Lead
04. The Sickening Dwell
05. Food For The Ignorant
06. The Krusher
07. Wasteland Of Terror
08. Asphyx (Forgotten War)
09. Pages In Blood
10. The Rack
11. Last One On Earth

"Prey to Anguish", the new video from the German extreme metal outfit NEAERA, can be viewed below. The clip was filmed on May 29 at the band's CD-release show at Sputnikhalle in Münster, Germany. The song comes off the band's fourth album, "Omnicide - Creation Unleashed", which recently entered the Media Control chart in the band's home country at position at No. 51. The CD was recorded at the Rape Of Harmonies studio with producer Alexander Dietz. The artwork, which was once again created by Terje Johnsen, can be viewed below. The mixing and mastering was handled by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, SHADOWS FALL, WHITECHAPEL).

"Omnicide - Creation Unleashed" track listing:

01. I Loathe
02. Prey to Anguish
03. The Wretched of the Earth
04. Grave New World
05. Age of Hunger
06. Caesura
07. Omnicide
08. In Near Ruins
09. The Nothing Doctrine
10. I am the Rape

The limited first edition was released as a double digipack, including an exclusive cover version of CROWBAR's "The Lasting Dose" and a bonus DVD with a band documentary.

Commented the band: "The documentary follows the band from the early beginnings to where we are at now. It includes loads of footage from our private archives as well as live clips from the different stages of our career and statements from the musicians of NEAERA as well as from other bands we're friends with."

"Sail Around The World", a new song from Swedish epic/melodic metallers NARNIA, is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The track comes off the band's sixth album, titled "Course Of A Generation", which is scheduled for a July 24 European release via Massacre Records. The CD will mark the debut of the band's new lead singer, Germán Pascual (MIND'S EYE, MENDEZ), who replaced Christian Liljegren last year. The cover artwork (see below) was created by Carlos Barbosa from Artiside, Brazil and the logo was redesigned by Rainer Mittelstädt of InLine Design in Germany.

"Course Of A Generation" was mixed by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman (IN FLAMES, SOILWORK, ARCH ENEMY, DIMMU BORGIR) in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Sail Around The World
02. When The Stars Are Falling
03. Course Of A Generation
04. Scared
05. Kings Will Come
06. Rain
07. Armageddon
08. One Way To Freedom
09. Miles Away
10. Behind The Curtain

Anglo-Australian hard rockers AC/DC made Forbes magazine's list of Top-Earning Musicians list of the year, with MADONNA, CELINE DION and BEYONCÉ taking the top three spots.

Says Forbes: "The Aussie rock band fronted by aging schoolboy Angus Young tied for No. 5 on this year's list of top earners thanks to their seemingly relentless popularity. Their fall 2008 effort, 'Black Ice', was the band's first album in eight years. Sales of 'Ice' combined with international catalog sales made AC/DC the No. 1 catalog artist of 2008. As well, their domestic tour grossed $38 million in 2008."

Forbes Top Earning Musicians list:

01. MADONNA $110 million
02. CELINE DION $100 million
03. BEYONCE KNOWLES $87 million
04. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN $70 million
05. KENNY CHESNEY $65 million
06. (tie) COLDPLAY $60 million
06. (tie) RASCAL FLATTS $60 million
06. (tie) AC/DC $60 million
09. THE EAGLES $55 million
10. TOBY KEITH $52 million
11. BON JOVI $50 million
12. DAVE MATTHEWS BAND $45 million

Fan-filmed video footage of MEGADETH performing a brand new track entitled "Headcrusher" last night (Wednesday, June 24) at the General Motors Place (commonly known as GM Place) in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada can be viewed below (courtesy of "groo74").

MEGADETH and SLAYER kicked off the "Canadian Carnage" tour in Vancouver by playing in front of about 6,000 people at the 12,285-capacity venue (17,000 for basketball/hockey events), with MACHINE HEAD and SUICIDE SILENCE opening the show.

MEGADETH's setlist was as follows:

01. Sleepwalker
02. Wake Up Dead
03. Hangar 18
04. Skin O' My Teeth
05. Rattlehead
06. Kick The Chair
07. In My Darkest Hour
08. She-Wolf
09. Headcrusher
10. Symphony Of Destruction
11. Peace Sells
12. Holy Wars...The Punishment Due

Members of VAN HALEN, QUEEN, POISON, SHINEDOWN and VELVET REVOLVER have issued statements regarding the passing of pop music legend Michael Jackson, who died earlier today (Thursday, June 25) at age 50.

CNN.com reports that Michael collapsed at his residence in the Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles, California, about noon Pacific time, suffering cardiac arrest, according to brother Randy Jackson. He died at UCLA Medical Center.

Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office said an autopsy would probably be done on the singer Friday, with results expected that afternoon.

VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen: "I am really shocked; as I'm sure the world is, to hear the news. I had the pleasure of working with Michael on 'Beat It' back in '83 — one of my fondest memories in my career. Michael will be missed and may he rest in peace."

QUEEN guitarist Brian May: "Hard to know what to say — what to feel. I find myself wondering what might have happened on his tour... The number of dates in the U.K. that he had committed to was insane. I did have a feeling it was impossible, but I was so shocked to hear that he went so suddenly. Very sad. Of course, I still think of him as a boy — he used to come and see us (QUEEN) play when we were on tour in the States, and he and Freddie [Mercury] became close friends, close enough to record a couple of tracks together at Michael's house. Tracks which have never seen the light of day. Michael was the boy star of the JACKSON FIVE, and always the most screamed at. I remember in their show, they tried very hard to make all the brothers equal in the presentation, but it was abundantly obvious that all most of the girl fans really wanted to see was little Michael. It was Michael who heard our track 'Another One Bites the Dust' when he came to see us on 'The Game' tour ... and told us we were mad if we didn't release it as a single." [Read more of May's thoughts at BrianMay.com]

POISON drummer Rikki Rockett: "Michael Jackson — huge loss!!! The words genius and musical are used in the same sentence too often. Not in the case of Michael Jackson. His musical expression will never be topped and his inspiration will live forever. R.I.P."

SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers: "Sitting in a dressing room in Calgary, Canada I am more saddened than I can remember in maybe the last five years. Call the guy whatever you want... judge his actions, judge his judgments, and judge the man any way in any language you want. But Michael Jackson was the best. There was no one better. There never will be anyone better. People don’t try anymore. You can take any pretty loser who can't sing who has a good smile and sells records and make him a star. Just look at ANYONE on the charts today. Today we lost a part of music history, a legend, and the greatest pop music artist there ever will be. The things Michael created on 'Thriller', 'Off The Wall' and 'Bad' will never be matched. By anyone ever. Michael Jackson was the best. People believed in Michael Jackson who didn't believe in Jesus. And that, my friends, is a legend. God bless Michael Jackson's music, his soul, and his legend. That can never be replaced. Rest in peace, sir. God bless your soul."

VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash (Slash played guitar on two Michael Jackson singles, "Black or White" and "Give In to Me"): "Really sad news about Michael. He was a talent from on high."

OVER THE RAINBOW will return to Russia and post-Soviet territories in September/October for another headlining tour. Confirmed dates are as follows (venue details to be announced):

Sep. 15 - Krasnodar
Sep. 17 - Rostov-on-Don
Sep. 19 - Tumen
Sep. 21 - Perm
Sep. 23 - Samara
Sep. 27 - Omsk
Sep. 29 - Irkutsk
Oct. 01 - Krasnoyarsk
Oct. 03 - Novosibirsk,
Oct. 05 - Moscow

EX DEO — the band led by KATAKLYSM frontman Maurizio Iacono — has enlisted bassist Dano Apekian from Montreal, Quebec's melodic death metal outfit ASHES OF EDEN.

Commented Maurizio: "We knew that Francois Mongrain (MARTYR) couldn't make it on some tours with EX DEO even before we asked him to perform on [EX DEO's debut] album ['Romulus']... We needed a person that could be there when called upon for touring. Dano has good stage experience and will serve Rome's conquest proudly!"

"Romulus" was released in Europe on June 19 and will be made available in North America on June 30 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded with producer (and KATAKLYSM guitarist) Jean-Francois Dagenais (MISERY INDEX, DESPISED ICON, MALEVOLENT CREATION).

Added Maurizio: "I would also like to also dismiss any claim that EX DEO is part of any Christian based band or beliefs. These are false allegations of people who have obviously not educated themselves with history. Rome was part of Polytheism beliefs; in other words, it was pagan, the belief in multiple gods, not Christianity until Emperor Constantine declared the Christian religion legal in Rome. That was the biggest mistake they ever made; it was the start of the fall of Rome and its ideals of free thinking, and for those who dismiss these things as something of the 'past,' well let me tell you that you live in the results of those past events and your way of thinking is based on it, and all the freedoms you take for granted. HAIL ROME!"

Nergal (BEHEMOTH), Karl Sanders (NILE) and Obsidian C (KEEP OF KALESSIN) will make special guest appearances on "Romulus". Nergal will appear in the song "Storm The Gates Of Alesia", singing a very famous Caesar quote; Sanders laid down a ripping solo in the song "The Final War (The Battle Of Actium)" which deals with Antony and Cleopatra's defiance of Octivian in Egypt, and Obsidian C lends a majestic and melodic solo to the track "Cruor Nostri Abbas".

"Romulus" track listing:

01. Romulus
02. Storm the Gates of Alesia
03. Cry Havoc
04. In Her Dark Embrace
05. Invictus
06. The Final War (Battle of Actium)
07. Legio XIII
08. Blood, Courage and The God's That Walk The Earth
09. Cruor Nostri Abbas
10. Surrender The Sun
11. The Pantheon (Jupiter's Reign)

EX DEO will make its live debut this September/October on the special edition of Europe's biggest pagan/folk metal tour, Paganfest. Co-headlining throughout will be Finland's KORPIKLAANI and Germany's DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER. Additional support will come from Sweden's UNLEASHED, United Kingdom's ALESTORM and New Jersey's thrashing pirates SWASHBUCKLE. Special appearances will be made by Finland's MOONSORROW and Norway's EINHERJER on select dates.

A pair of handwritten lyric notebooks (see photo here) by late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott, dating from the late 1970s, was among an array of 300 musical items that went under the hammer at a Christie's pop memorabilia auction on June 22 in New York.

A description of the item reads as follows: "A pair of notebooks containing handwritten lyrics by AC/DC lead singer and lyricist Bon Scott, composed by Scott during his time with the band from 1974 through his death in 1980. The notebooks contain 25 handwritten song lyrics, comprising songs found on the band's first three albums, including 'High Voltage', 'T.N.T.' and 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap'. Written in various colored marker, it also includes a drawing of a woman and humorous notes, including on the inside cover of one of the notebooks."

Lyrics include:

Notebook 1:

* She's Got Balls
* Soul Stripper
* Little Lover
* Love Song
* Stick Around
* Soul Stripper
* You Ain't Got A Hold On Me
* High Voltage Rock 'N' Roll!
* Live Wire!
* Long Way To The Top
* I'm A Rocker
* Rock 'N' Roll Singer
* T.N.T.

Notebook 2:

* She's Got The Jack! (Recorded Version)
* She's Got The Jack! (Stage Version)
* Millionaire
* Problem Child
* Dirty Deeds
* Gaol Break
* Squeeler
* Big Balls
* RIP
* Ride On
* There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'

According to Reuters, Kurt Cobain's Sears bass guitar sold for $43,750, while a classic black leather motorcycle jacket signed by members of NIRVANA and SOUNDGARDEN fetched $12,500, more than half again its high pre-sale estimate.

Scott's handwritten lyric notebooks went for $35,000.

In total, the auction brought in more than $650,000, including the auction house's commission.

Swedish black metallers SHINING have inked a deal with Norway's Indie Recordings for the release of two full-length albums and the first-ever DVD from the band.

Commented SHINING frontman and creator Niklas Kvarforth: "SHINING has reached a stage now where we have a considerable following that is growing rapidly all the time, and I believe we have reached a new maturity with our music, expanding beyond what people expect from us, and we expect to go even further. It was, therefore, time to notch things up in respect of labels. We liked what Indie have been doing for their other bands, and we felt that SHINING would be comfortable in a relationship with them."

SHINING — along with several other bands — recently pulled out of the Unholy Fest in the Czech Republic because the festival organizers allegedly failed to fulfil their contractual obligations to the artists. SHINING's next festival appearance is scheduled for the Party.San Open Air festival on August 7.

"VI / Klagopsalmer", the sixth studio album from SHINING, was released on June 15 via Osmose Productions. It was made available on CD, gatefold double LP, limited colored LP and picture disc LP. The effort was recorded at The Slaughterhouse studios with producer Rickard Bengtsson.

"Hit The Rails", the new video from veteran Japanese metallers LOUDNESS, can be viewed here. The song comes off the band's
latest album, "The Everlasting", which came out on May 27 via Tokuma Japan Communications.

The track listing for the CD (along with three samples) is as follows:

01. Hit The Rails (audio)
02. Flame Of Rock (audio)
03. I Wonder
04. The Everlasting (audio)
05. Life Goes On
06. Let It Rock
07. Crystal Moon
08. Change
09. Rock Into The Night
10. I'm In Pain
11. Thunder Burn
12. Desperate Religion

Check out the cover artwork here.

LOUDNESS's recent tour of Japan focused exclusively on songs from the band's first four albums — "The Birthday Eve" (1981), "Devil Soldier" (1982), "Law Of Devil's Land" (1983) and "Disillusion" (1984).

LOUDNESS drummer Munetaka Higuchi passed away on November 30, 2008 following a seven-month battle with liver cancer. He was 49 years old. Higuchi was also the drummer of the rock band LAZY, going by the nickname of Davy. The group disbanded in 1981 and Higuchi co-founded LOUDNESS the same year. LAZY reunited in 1998. Higuchi was also active as a producer, handling artists such as Mari Hamada.

Swedish black metallers MARDUK have set "Wormwood" as the title of their eleventh album, tentatively due before the end of the year via Regain Records. The CD is being recorded at Endarker Studios in Norrköping, Sweden with engineer/producer Magnus Devo Andersson. The album's release will be followed by a world tour, dubbed "Funeral Nation 2009/2010", which will kick off in Europe.

MARDUK's latest CD, "Rom 5:12", was released in North America in May 2007 via Regain/Koch.

MARDUK was formed by guitarist Morgan Steinmeyer Håkansson with the goal of becoming the "most blasphemous band in the world." The group's musical style started out as straight-forward, death metal-influenced black metal, but as the years went by progressed into a fast and intense form of black metal.

MALFEITOR, the Italian black metal band featuring bassist/vocalist M. Fabban (ABORYM), will release its second full-length album, "Incubus", on August 31 via Poland's Agonia Records. The follow-up to 2007's "Unio Mystica Maxima" was recorded in part at Le Serpent Rouge Studio in Rome and contains "nine disturbing hymns of unspeakable darkness and qliphotic introspection through the Left Hand Path, and a sonic post-V.I.T.R.I.O.L. sigil filled with deadly antisaturnian chtonian vibrations," according to a press release. The effort will also be made available as a digipack and gatefold LP.

"Incubus" (cover) track listing:

01. Down with Me
02. Into the Qliphot of Golachab
03. Mysterious,Mystical, Majestic
04. Promethean Fire
05. Typhonian Gods
06. Dark Saturnian Chaos
07. The Other Half
08. Void of Voids
09. Incubus
10. Antisaturno (Thùnapsù)

The song "Incubus" is now available for streaming at this location.

MALFEITOR recently announced that drummer Atum is no longer a member of the band. The new drummer's identity will be revealed during the coming weeks.

The band is currently rehearsing for "Incubus" promotional gigs that are being scheduled for September 2009.

MALFEITOR's lineup :

M. Fabban - Vocals
Munholy - Guitars
Hell-IO-Kabbalus - Guitars

"Unio Mystica Maxima" was released in September 2007 on CD and vinyl LP via Scarlet Records.

EVANESCENCE frontwoman Amy Lee has released a statement in response to media reports surrounding the announcement that the band's former guitarist/songwriter Ben Moody has launched a new project called THE FALLEN. Lee says, "There's some pretty weird stuff flying around right now and I'd like to clear up some confusion in the press.

"As our fans already know, Ben Moody left EVANESCENCE in 2003. EVANESCENCE came out with a follow-up to 'Fallen' in 2006. It was called 'The Open Door' and it debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts and reached platinum status in just over a month. 'The Open Door' has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.

"We're currently working on new material that I'm extremely excited about. I believe that to make great music you have to give yourself the freedom to evolve. I don't see the point in making the same record twice, so I always want to challenge myself to make something better, stronger, and more interesting than before. That takes time, but it's worth the wait for me. Hopefully, it will be for the fans too.

"Look out for new music next year..."

In addition to Moody, THE FALLEN features fellow ex-EVANESCENCE bandmates John LeCompt (guitar) and Rocky Gray (drums) alongside "American Idol" runner-up Carly Smithson and bassist Marty O'Brien, whose recording and touring credits include DISTURBED, KELLY CLARKSON, STATIC-X, METHODS OF MAYHEM and TOMMY LEE.

Moody left EVANESCENCE shortly after "Fallen", citing creative differences with Amy Lee. LeCompt and Gray followed in 2007.

Orlando, Florida-based power metal band SEVEN KINGDOMS will enter Tampa's Morrisound Studios in late July to record its sophomore album. The CD will mark the recording debut of new singer Sabrina Valentine and will include guest appearances by Wade Black (CRIMSON GLORY, LEATHERWOLF) and Glen Alvelais (FORBIDDEN, TESTAMENT).

The projected track listing for the album is as follows:

01. Intro
02. Somewhere Far Away
03. The Ones Who Breath The Flame
04. Open The Gates
05. Vengeance by the Sons of a King
06. A Murder Never Dead
07. Wolf in Sheeps Clothes
08. Eyes to the North
09. Into the Darkness
10. Thunder of the Hammer
11. Seven Kingdoms (feat. Wade Black, Glen Alvelais)

Commented guitarist Camden Cruz: "We have been hard at work for the last year writing, playing, and saving money for this album. Recording a major label-quality record completely self-funded is definitely a huge accomplishment for any band. We have had numerous four-to-five-hour 'marathon practices' just to get tight for the studio. I'm sure all of you will be thoroughly impressed with the writing and quality of the new CD. There are also TONS of things going on other than the record. We have a short three-or-four-date run-up to Georgia in September where we play with THEOCRACY, thanks to Pathfinder Promotions. They will be taking care of all of our out-of-state booking from here on out. We are also in the works of getting a huge power metal festival down here in Florida called the Florida Power Fest on November 14. I have several bands booked already for it. I can't announce the headliners just yet, but let's just say they are very well known and the show is just going to blow up!"