"Infini", the new album from Canadian metal innovators VOIVOD, is available for streaming in its entirety at VoivodInfini.info.

VOIVOD's final album featuring the group's late guitarist, Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, "Infini" was released in the U.S. today (Tuesday, June 23) via Relapse Records. The CD, which was issued in Europe via Nuclear Blast, contains the last thirteen songs written by Piggy and again features bassist Jason "Jasonic" Newsted (ex-METALLICA). Jason played bass on all the songs and mixed the album, which was released as a deluxe, digipack CD and was also issued on vinyl as a double LP.

"Infini" was built from the final songs created by the band with D'Amour. All his original demo guitar tracks appear as they were recorded — with no re-amping and no overdubs; just Piggy as he played the tracks he envisioned in his small bachelor apartment, the amp in the bathroom, capturing his performance with the laptop given to him by Jason.

"Infini" track listing:

01. God Phones
02. From The Cave
03. Earthache
04. Global Warning
05. A Room With A V.U.
06. Destroy After Reading
07. Treasure Chase
08. Krap Radio
09. In Orbit
10. Deathproof
11. Pyramidome
12. Morpheus
13. Volcano

Total running time: 57:57

GOD SEED, the new Norwegian band featuring former GORGOROTH members King (bass; real name: Tom Cato Visnes) and Gaahl (vocals; real name: Kristian Espedal), performed at this year's Hellfest on June 19, 2009 in Clisson, France.

Watch fan-filmed video footage of the band's appearance here and here.

GOD SEED's lineup for the performance consisted of the following musicians:

Gaahl Vocals
King - Bass
Teloch - Guitar
Ice Dale - Guitar
Dani "Garghuf" Robnik - Drums

Gaahl and King recently lost a court battle against guitarist Infernus (real name: Roger Tiegs) over the rights to the GORGOROTH band name.

Speaking to U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine, King stated about the outcome of the legal dispute, "It was a sort of relief. The verdict is not cast in stone, there are aspects towards that decision that are still unclear but we just came to the conclusion that this will drag on forever in court rooms. It will take years to solve this matter if we choose to fight it, so we just decided to let that part of our history die. We don't have time to wait two more years to release albums and continue making music. It's not important that name and that struggle for us. In my mind we would probably still win but on the other hand I don't have two more years of my career waiting on the GORGOROTH name to use that. The new album is already made, I'm not waiting two more years to release that."

Asked how he feels now that his band has announced its new name, King said, "It's actually strange because there's lots of excitement, of course, around it. Because we are starting a new era and changing the name, there's a big symbolic value in doing that — but at the same time it's strange because we've worked under the GORGOROTH banner for so many years. Since dramatically nothing is changing on our part, it's the same thing, me and Gaahl making music and working, so the same things are happening behind the scenes. It's just that we are not using the GORGOROTH name anymore. We will, of course, do some different things in the future; this gives us a lot of new opportunities."

AYREON mastermind Arjen Lucassen's new project, GUILT MACHINE, will release its debut album, titled "On This Perfect Day", via Mascot Records on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland: August 28
Rest of Europe: August 31 August

A U.S. release date has not yet been announced.

The artwork was created by Christophe Dessaigne, a talented new artist whom Arjen discovered (quite by chance) while browsing Flickr. Coincidentally, it turned out that Chris is an AYREON fan, and was thrilled beyond belief when Arjen asked him to do the artwork! The GUILT MACHINE logo and packaging layout were created by Thomas Ewerhard.

"On This Perfect Day" will be released in three different editions:

* Limited-edition 32-page digibook (CD + DVD)
* Special-edition digipack 24-page booklet (CD + DVD)
* Regular-edition jewel case, 24-page booklet (CD only)

Limited-edition digibook track listing:

CD (all editions):

01. Twisted Coil (11:43)
02. Leland Street (8:03)
03. Green and Cream (10:32)
04. Season of Denial (10:22)
05. Over (6:11)
06. Perfection? (10:46)

DVD (limited and special editions only):

Audio bonus tracks:

01. The Stranger Song (L. Cohen) - vocals Jasper (4:53)
02. Michelangelo (J. Campbell) - vocals Arjen (3:23)
03. Fan Messages (8:14)
04. Perfection? - guide vocals Arjen (9:37)
05. Twisted Coil - radio edit (4:17)
06. Pull me out of the Dark - radio edit (Green and Cream) (3:36)
07. Over - radio edit (3:56)

Video:

01. Trailer "On this Perfect Day" (4:33)
02. Making of the Trailer (3:44)
03. Interview with GUILT MACHINE (40:03)

GUILT MACHINE is:

Arjen Lucassen: Instruments, Backing Vocals
Jasper Steverlinck (ARID): Vocals
Chris Maitland (ex-PORCUPINE TREE): Drums
Lori Linstruth (ex-STREAM OF PASSION): Lead Guitar

As AYREON fans have come to expect from Arjen, the music of GUILT MACHINE ranges from dark and heavy to atmospheric and melancholic. But GUILT MACHINE introduces some new twists as well, particularly when it comes to the vocals. Rather than putting together an ensemble cast of vocalists from the prog, rock and metal scene, Arjen has enlisted the talents of a single alternative rock vocalist, Jasper Steverlinck.

How did Arjen get an alternative rock vocalist to switch genres and sing on a prog rock project? "In the beginning, it was hard to convince Jasper to sing on this album, because he comes from a completely different musical background," Arjen said. "He didn't even know what prog was, but we've made a believer out of him! What I admire about Jasper's voice, besides its beautiful clear timbre, is the emotion and credibility he puts into his performance and his enormous range. Because this project features just one singer I needed someone versatile enough to portray all of the different moods, and Jasper didn't disappoint. And he's a really nice and dedicated guy as well!"

For GUILT MACHINE, Arjen also chose to record with a different drummer, Chris Maitland (ex-PORCUPINE TREE). "Chris was the ideal choice this time, having both the power for the heavy sections and the subtle touch needed in the more atmospheric parts," Arjen said.

Rather than the explicit storyline you would expect in an AYREON release, the songs of GUILT MACHINE revolve around a central theme. Instead of looking outward into a world of fantasy or science fiction, the songs look inward, exploring the destructive psychology of guilt, regret and the darkest form of secret — the secrets we hide from ourselves.

"At first I asked my partner and personal manager Lori to quickly write scratch lyrics for one of the songs so I could record some guide vocals," Arjen said. "I was so impressed by what she produced that I asked her to write the lyrics for all the songs. I was unable myself to create the type of darkly enigmatic, open-ended lyrics I wanted for these songs, my specialty being sci-fi lyrics about sinister aliens. She definitely gave the songs an extra dimension with her lyrics, exorcising the demons we both had faced in the past few years. It's also no secret that I've always been a big fan of her melodic guitar style, so she also plays all the guitar solos on this album."

Despite these differences, GUILT MACHINE still has much in common with AYREON. The songs are mainly long, "epic" tracks that feature dynamic contrasts between softer, dreamy sections and powerful, heavy passages. There are intricate harmonies, complex rhythms, soaring melodies, and an eclectic selection of instruments — all what you'd expect from an AYREON release.

"In my view this is my best side project so far," Arjen said. "It comes completely from the heart, for it was written and recorded during a new inspiring phase in my life after my heavy depression. This being an entirely new project there were no expectations whatsoever, which enabled me to just let my inspiration guide me without any (outside) pressure."

"The Curse Of The Antichrist - Live In Agony", the new double live album from German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION, will be released on July 31 via AFM Records. Check out the cover artwork here.

The limited digipack edition of the album will feature the following track listing:

01. The Butcher Strikes Back
02. Curse The Gods
03. Mad Butcher
04. The Alliance Of Hellhoundz
05. D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.
06. Eternal Ban
07. Urge The Greed Of Gain
08. Thrash Till Death
09. Metal Discharge
10. The Damned
11. Cracked Brain
12. Soulcollector
13. Death Trap
14. Unconscious Ruins
15. Life Without Sense
16. The 7 Deadly Sins
17. The Antichrist
18. Thrash Till Death
19. Reject Emotions (three drumkits Wacken Inferno version)
20. Total Desaster
21. Bestial Invasion

DESTRUCTION recently completed the "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. - 25 Years Of Total Destruction" North American trek with KRISIUN and MANTIC RITUAL.

"D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.", the new album from DESTRUCTION, last year entered the Media Control chart in the band's home country at position No. 65. The CD was released on August 22, 2008 via AFM Records and features guest appearances by Gary Holt (EXODUS), Jeff Waters (ANNIHILATOR) and Vinnie Moore (UFO).

TWISTED SISTER's 25th anniversary edition of "Stay Hungry", which is due out June 30 on Rhino, is available for streaming in its entirety at VH1.com.

The package includes:

* "Stay Hungry" remastered
* Ten never-before-heard songs originally demoed for "Stay Hungry"
* Five early demos of songs from "Stay Hungry"
* One brand new song
* One rare radio spot using "SMF" as the music bed

"Stay Hungry" bonus tracks:

* "Death From Above"
* "Prime Motivator"
* "Were Not Gonna Take It"
* "Death Run"
* "This One's For You"
* "SMF"
* "We're Coming On"
* "Call My Name"
* "Burn In Hell"
* "Pay The Price"
* "What's Love Without You"
* "Our Voice Will Be Heard"
* "You've Got To Fight"
* "The Price"
* "Stay Hungry"
* "30"

IN THIS MOMENT's video for the band's cover of the BLONDIE classic "Call Me" can be viewed here.

As members of Southern California's IN THIS MOMENT prepare themselves to spend their entire summer as part of this year's Warped Tour lineup, the group returns with a new offering, "The Dream (Ultra-Violet Edition)", which features their version of "Call Me".

Due on June 30, "The Dream (Ultra-Violet Edition)" includes a bonus disc which features "Dying Star" and "Sailing Away", which are two unreleased studio tracks from "The Dream" recording session. It is rounded out by the "Forever" radio edit and "Call Me" instrumental version, alongside a slew of bonus video material.

IN THIS MOMENT kicked off 2009 with a bang embarking on a massive North American trek alongside MUDVAYNE and NONPOINT. The MUDVAYNE run came on the heels of the band's most successful year yet which saw singer Maria Brink landing major cover features in Inked, Revolver and Metal Edge as "The Dream" debuted at No. 70 on The Billboard 200 chart, marking the group's first Billboard entry.

Polish "dark metal" band DARZAMAT has inked a worldwide deal with Germany's Massacre Records. The group's fifth album, "Solfernus' Path", is scheduled for release on August 28 (in Japan, the LP will be released by Spiritual Beast).

Commented vocalist Flauros: "We are more then happy to announce that we have signed a new record deal at Massacre Records. We hope that thanks to the experience of the Massacre Records crew our music will have a chance to reach more people now. We are really looking forward to working with them and promoting the 'Solphernus' Path'". We are also extremely happy to enter the Asian market through Spiritual Beast."

DARZAMAT has tapped Jonas Kljellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY guitarist) of Black Lounge Studios in Avesta, Sweden to mix "Solfernus' Path".

"Solfernus' Path" was recorded in Poland under the supervision of Jaroslaw Toifl, with whom the band had previously worked on 2005's "Transkarpatia" (Metal Mind Productions in Europe, MVD in the USA). There are two great guests on the album: KING DIAMOND's Andy La Rocque (guitar solo in "King of the Burning Anthems") and STONE SOUR's Roy Mayorga (opening intro). The artwork for the new CD was created by MentalPorn.com Agency, which has previously worked with such bands as DEATHSTARS and BEHEMOTH. The album will be mixed by Jonas Kljellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY guitarist) of Black Lounge Studios in Avesta, Sweden.

"Solfernus' Path" track listing:

01. False Sleepwalker
02. Vote for Heresy
I: Devium
03. Pain Collector
04. Final Conjuration
II: Fumus
05. Gloria Inferni
III: Venenum
06. Solfernus Path
07. Lunar Silhouette
08. King of the Burning Anthems
IV: Spectaculum
09. Chimera
10. Mesmeric Seance

Flauros previously stated about the upcoming CD: "For the first time in our band's history, we've decided to create a concept album. It is a certain sort of novelty for us, yet we've had such an idea in our minds for a long time now. The coherent story, which is to be told by both the lyrics and the music, is a hell of a greater challenge than composing ten pieces in the similar stylistics. As the action proceeds, the music must 'react' accordingly and suitably. It is as if a screenplay, which is to attract the viewer in an interesting way."

He continued, "The story contained on the record takes place in a mysthical set, indeed, which is created by the mansion of countess Josephine von Kuchmeister, the inspiration for which was the Villa Caro in Gliwice and the palace in Plawniowice. The action of 'Solfernus' Path' takes place at the beginning of XXth century. The main character is a medicine student who undergoes a spiritual transformation. He goes beyond the carnal world and he notices the 'other side.' Everything is dressed in fairy-like climate, full of the occult 'keys.' Nothing is obvious, nothing here is predictable.

"The title Solfernus is of course not the main character of the story, but it's eminence grise. The character of Solfernus derives from the play 'Dalliance with Devil' written by the Czech dramatist Jan Drda. It is only a tiny inspiration, an impuls where one should not seek any similarities. Drda's play is grotesque and humorous, while our story is of a completely different character, much closer to Stefan Grabinski's horror short stories than to the ones of the Czech playwright."

DARZAMAT released its first-ever live DVD, entitled "Live Profanity (Visiting the Graves of Heretics)", in North America in August 2007 via Metal Mind Productions (the DVD was released in Europe a month earleir). The disc was recorded at the 21st edition of the Metalmania Festival, which took place on March 24, 2007 in Katowice, Poland, and contains material comprised mostly of songs from the band's latest album, "Transkarpatia". Also included is the group's surprise performance of the song "Diabelski Dom" by the cult Polish metal band KAT, featuring a guest appearance by KAT leader Roman Kostrzewski. The DVD also includes additional footage from the Winternachtstraum Festival, which took place in February 2007 in Arnsberg, Germany, two unreleased tracks, video clips, and an interview with Flauros and Nera.

Danish extreme metallers ILLDISPOSED have set "To Those Who Walk Behind Us" as the title of their new album, due on August 28 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded at AB Studio in Aarhus, Denmark and was mixed at Fredman Studio in Sweden with Fredrik Nordström. 11 tracks will appear on the new ILLDISPOSED LP (out of a total of 16 that were completed during the songwriting sessions), which will be available as a jewel case CD, limited digipack with bonus material and strictly limited box set with exclusive t-shirt. The group says, "We guarantee you won't be disappointed!"

The cover artwork for "To Those Who Walk Behind Us", which was created by by René Asmussen (EVERGREY), can be viewed here.

Long-running German metallers PARADOX will release their fifth album, "Riot Squad", on October 26, 2009 via AFM Records. Songtitles set to appear on the the follow-up to last year's "Electrify" include:

* "Suburban Riot Squad"
* "Hollow Peace"
* "Timegrain"
* "Evolution Reset"
* "Riptide"
* "Nothingness"
* "Rise In Rank"
* "Psychofficial"
* "Planet Terror"
* "No Place To Survive"
* "Dream Hero"

A demo version of the track "No Place To Survive" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

"Riot Squad" is being produced by Charly Steinhauer.

PARADOX is:

Charly Steinhauer (vocals, guitar)
Kai Pasemann (guit)
Olly Keller (bass)
Roland Jahoda (drums)

Norwegian doom metallers SYRACH have posted a new song, "Curse The Souls", on their MySpace page. The track comes off the band's sophomore album, "A Dark Burial", which will be released via Napalm Records on the following dates:

July 22 – Finland, Spain
July 24 - Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, France, Italy, Sweden
July 27 - Rest of Europe
July 28 - USA, Canada

The CD was produced by Bjørnar Nilsen and features artwork (see below) by Martin Kvamme, who has previously worked with FANTOMAS, Mike Patton, DARKTHRONE and lots of other artists. "We really think [the cover art] fits the music and album title," the band says in a statement.

"A Dark Burial" (cover) 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 recently announced the addition of session guitarist Gjeddo (a.k.a. Gjermund; ENCHANTING DARKNESS) to the group's ranks.

Guitarist Reichborn (a.k.a. Noralf Venås) left SYRACH in February "due to lack of motivation."

SYRACH's debut album, "Days of Wrath", was produced by Herbrand Larsen from ENSLAVED and was released on November 2, 2007 in Europe and November 6, 2007 in North America via Napalm Records. The CD cover artwork is the painting "Christs" from MY DYING BRIDE vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe.

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.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's self-titled fourth album is available for streaming in its entirety on the band's MySpace page. Due on June 30 via Roadrunner Records, the CD was produced by Brendan O'Brien (AC/DC, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and co-produced by guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz.

"This album will be the death of me," vocalist Howard Jones recently told RollingStone.com. "There was nothing comfortable about it for any of us," he said of making the record, most of which took place in Atlanta under the watchful eye of superproducer Brendan O'Brien (BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, AC/DC, PEARL JAM), marking the first time KILLSWITCH guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz has stepped aside for an outside producer.

"We're known for being a pretty positive band — we're almost a self-help band," Jones said. "I feel like Tony Robbins or something. We're known for anthems, but this time I really tried to write from a different place. I've got enough to draw on to write some stuff that can be dark. Maybe there's still a hint of positivity in it, but there are some songs on there that are not positive at all."

Festivals2Go.com conducted an interview with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Joel Stroetzel at this year's Rock am Ring festival, which was held June 5-7 in Nürburgring, Germany. Watch the chat at this location.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will team up with IN FLAMES for a co-headlining tour of Canada in Sepember. Support on the trek will come from PROTEST THE HERO and BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will spend the summer touring as a main-stage attraction on the second annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

The first pre-production sample from THE ORDER OF APOLLYON, the new black/death metal project featuring current/former members of ABORTED, AKERCOCKE and CRADLE OF FILTH, has been posted on the band's MySpace page.

THE ORDER OF APOLLYON's debut album, "The Flesh", is tentatively due in early 2010.

THE ORDER OF APOLLYON is:

BST (ABORTED, AOSOTH) - Guitar, Vocals
Daniel Wilding (ABORTED) - Drums
James McIlroy (CRADLE OF FILTH, CHAOSANCT, MATRON) - Guitar
Peter Benjamin (AKERCOCKE) - Bass

The first video teaser from THE ORDER OF APOLLYON can be viewed here.

Chicago, Illinois-based heavy rock band SOIL has set "Picture Perfect" as the title of its new album, tentatively due in September in Europe via Germany's AFM Records and in North America through Driven Music Group — the Phoenix, Arizona-based music label and entertainment company created by former KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. The CD is being recorded at Groovemaster Recording Studios in Chicago with Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, 3 DOORS DOWN, STAIND, FINGER ELEVEN). Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Like It Is", "Temptation", "Surrounded", and "Picture Perfect".

SOIL's last CD, "True Self", was released in May 2006 via DRT Entertainment. The follow-up to 2004's "Redefine" was recorded and mixed at Bomb Shelter studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Ulrich Wild (STATIC-X, TAPROOT).

A new DEVILDRIVER track entitled "Back With A Vengeance" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The song comes off the Santa Barbara, California metallers' fourth full-length album, "Pray For Villains", which is scheduled for release on July 14 via Roadrunner Records. The effort — which will also be made available as a special-edition CD/DVD package featuring three bonus tracks, a behind-the-scenes DVD and expanded artwork — was recorded at Edge of the Earth studios in Los Angeles with producer Logan Mader (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, GOJIRA, DIVINE HERESY).

"Bury Me Alive", the first song from THE FALLEN — the new band featuring original EVANESCENCE members Ben Moody (guitar) and John LeCompt (guitar) and Rocky Gray (drums) along with "American Idol" powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson — is available for free download at WeAreTheFallen.com (e-mail sign-up required). It can also be streamed here.

THE FALLEN's lineup is rounded out by bassist Marty O'Brien, whose recording and touring credits include DISTURBED, KELLY CLARKSON, STATIC-X, METHODS OF MAYHEM and TOMMY LEE.

"This all happened by accident," Smithson — who sang EVANESCENCE's "Bring Me to Life" during the 2008 Idols Live tour— told USA Today. She's friends with Moody's housemate, Monique Morrison. "I met him once or twice (at the house) before the band thing," said Smithson, who had been working on a solo project.

The new group's name alludes to EVANESCENCE's 2003 major-label debut album, "Fallen", which has sold 7 million copies in the USA.

Smithson doesn't see herself as replacing EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee. "Amy let the boys go," she told USA Today. "We just started a new band, called THE FALLEN. It's got really nothing to do with EVANESCENCE." THE FALLEN initially may perform a few EVANESCENCE songs live, she says, "but we're pretty much focused on new music. You have an amazing writing team here, and amazing musicians.

"Our voices are completely different," she said of Lee. "This music is, obviously, the players from EVANESCENCE, but Marty's bringing a different flavor from what he does. I'm bringing a different flavor from what I do, and Ben has completely explored many different genres over the last few years. It's not EVANESCENCE anymore. It's huge. It's big, big, big songs that I can wail my ass off on, because that's what I love to do."

ILLDISPOSED's two out-of-print albums which were originally made available on Roadrunner Records — "1-800 Vindication" (2004) and "Burn Me Wicked" (2006) — will be re-released on Massacre Records on August 28. Both discs will include bonus tracks.

In other news, ILLDISPOSED has inked a new publishing deal with Warner Chappell. The band was previously partnered with EMI Music Publishing.

ILLDISPOSED entered AB Studio in Aarhus, Denmark earlier this spring to begin recording its new album, tentatively titled "Songs Of Hate And Depression", for an August 28 release via Massacre Records. The CD was mixed at Fredman Studio in Sweden with Fredrik Nordström.

11 tracks will appear on the new ILLDISPOSED LP (out of a total of 16 that were completed during the songwriting sessions), which will be available as a jewel case CD, limited digipack with bonus material and strictly limited box set with exclusive t-shirt. The group says, "We guarantee you won't be disappointed!"

"The Prestige", the latest album from ILLDISPOSED, was released in North America on July 29, 2008 via Locomotive Records. The CD, which entered the album chart in the band's home country at position No. 44, was mixed at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden with Fredrik Nordström and features cover artwork by Mattias Norén.

Six songs from SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser's just-released solo album, "Hubris I & II" — "Breast Feeding", "Virgulandia", "Domenicana", "Lava Sky", "Hubris" and "A Million Judas Iscariotes" — are available for streaming on his MySpace page.

Kisser performed two songs from "Hubris I & II", on Brazil's Radiola TV last week. Watch video footage of the performance below.

"Hubris I & II" was released on June 15 via Holland's Mascot Records. A two-disc set, the self-produced effort was recorded in part at A Voz do Brasil studio in São Paulo, Brazil.

Kisser previously stated about the album, "I'm very pleased with the result and I'm excited to hear it all done. It was a long process, a learning process and a great experience. It's a musical journey trough the influences I had for last 15 years of my life and at the same time it's very different from everything I did so far."

"Hubris" comes from Greek word "hybris," which means "excessive pride, wanton violence."

German female-fronted symphonic dark gothic metal band ATARGATIS has announced the addition of Latvian guitarist Artur Vladinovskij to the group's ranks. ATARGATIS says in a statement, "We are pleased that in Artur we have found a professional, committed and highly amiable musician who is surely a great enrichment for the band."

Vladinovskij will make his live debut with ATARGATIS on September 5 at the Nocturnal Culture Festival in Deutzen, Germany.

ATARGATIS has commenced the songwriting sessions for its third album, tentatively due late 2009/early 2010 via Massacre Records.

ATARGATIS' latest CD, "Nova", features a guest appearance by Matthias Hechler (Matze) from the German gothic metal heroes CREMATORY. Released on November 16, 2007 via Massacre Records, the CD was recorded and produced at the Helion Studios (DARKSEED, EQUILIBRIUM) in Munich, Germany.

The new lineup of the Dutch/Norwegian rock band THE GATHERING made its live debut this past weekend with a pair of shows in Holland — June 19 at De Nieuwe Nor in Heerlen and June 20 at P3 in Purmerend.

Fan-filmed video footage of both concerts can be viewed here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

THE GATHERING's new album, "The West Pole", was released in North America on June 2 via Season of Mist. The CD was issued in most of Europe on May 4 via the band's own label, Psychonaut Records. More information is available here.

"The West Pole" marks the recording debut of THE GATHERING's new singer, Silje Wergeland from the Norwegian band OCTAVIA SPERATI. Drummer Hans Rutten says, "Silje has been the singer of OCTAVIA SPERATI for eight years, including several other projects. She did a superb job [on 'The West Pole']. This album also includes two very talented guest singers: the Dutch Anne van den Hoogen and Mexican Marcela Bovio (from STREAM OF PASSION), and some other guest musicians."

Hans continued, "What can we say about 'The West Pole'? It's a very vital, atmospheric and extravert rock orientated album, with all the quality and power THE GATHERING is so famous for, also with many new elements. The sound is guitar driven, alive and urgent; a strong and beautifully coloured album with haunting female vocals. It's produced by guitar player René Rutten and mixed and mastered by Zlaya Hadzich (who also did the production of 'Souvenirs') and René."

"The West Pole" track listing:

01. When Trust Becomes Sound
02. Treasure
03. All You Are
04. You Promised Me A Symphony
05. The West Pole
06. Capital Of Nowhere
07. No Bird Call
08. Pale Traces
09. No One Spoke
10. Constant Run

Singer Anneke van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since launched a project called AGUA DE ANNIQUE, which released an album called "Air" in October 2007.

Hot on the heels of the release of their critically acclaimed album "Into The Night", Swedish metallers ENFORCER unleash a preview of things to come with a new demo track from their upcoming album, tentatively scheduled for release mid-2010. The song, entitled "Roll The Dice", is available for streaming at the band's MySpace profile.

Having just completed their European tour with fellow Swedes PORTRAIT followed by performances at Sweden Rock and Muskelrock festivals, ENFORCER is scheduled to appear at Germany's Headbangers Open Air festival before embarking on a full U.S. tour alongside Canadian metal mongers CAULDRON starting on September 15. Upon returning to their home soil in late 2009, ENFORCER will enter the studio to lay down the tracks for its sophomore full-length album.

Summoning the classic metal sounds of IRON MAIDEN and MERCYFUL FATE, ENFORCER delivers melody, hooks and vocal range not heard since the golden days of heavy metal.

Germany's DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER's new live CD, "Adrenalin" (cover), will be given away for free with the September 2009 issue of Metal Hammer magazine (street date: August 19). The full-length album was recorded during the band's fall 2008 Reiterfestspiele tour in Germany and Russia and is comes with a complete booklet, rare pictures, and liner notes.

DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER fans who do not reside in Germany can order the magazine directly at www.metal-hammer.de.

DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER recently parted ways with guitarist Lady Cat-Man and replaced her with Ady.

DIO's "Killing The Dragon" album from 2002 is being released this month on limited-edition vinyl with a gatefold pop-up cover via Night Of The Vinyl Dead. Only 500 hand-numbered copies are being manufactured.

"Killing The Dragon" was originally released by Spitfire Records.

The track listing is as follows:

Side A:

01. Killing The Dragon
02. Along Comes A Spider
03. Scream
04. Better In The Dark
05. Rock 'N' Roll

Side B:

01. Push
02. Guilty
03. Throw Away Children
04. Before The Fall
05. Cold Feet

For more information, go to this location.

DIO's "The Very Beast of Dio" was officially certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 11, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of 500,000 copies.

Issued in October 2000, "The Very Beast of Dio" is the second greatest-hits collection CD — and the first to be released in the U.S. — from the Ronnie James Dio-fronted band.

DIO's last release was the "Holy Diver Live" CD, featuring a performance of the classic "Holy Diver" album in its entirety, from start to finish, recorded live for the very first time in 2005 in front of a sold-out London crowd. It also includes, among others, "Heaven & Hell", "Sign of the Southern Cross" and "Mob Rules" from vocalist Ronnie James Dio's BLACK SABBATH days, "Tarot Woman", "Man on the Silver Mountain" and "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll" from the RAINBOW era and "We Rock" from his solo career.

"Locust", the debut video from ARKAEA — the new band featuring FEAR FACTORY members Christian Olde Wolbers (guitar) and Raymond Herrera (drums) — can be viewed here. (Note: Video stream may not be available to some non-U.S. residents.) The clip, which will receive its "Headbangers Ball" premiere this Saturday night (June 20-21) at 2:00 a.m. on MTV2, was filmed in downtown Los Angeles.

Commented Herrera: "'Locust' was our first pick for a music video and as the opening track for the [upcoming ARKAEA] album because it really sets the tempo of the album and is a strong track that shows a great introduction to what ARKAEA is all about. We knew that we needed to come out swinging and 'Locust' definitely offers that punch."

ARKAEA will release its debut album, "Years In The Darkness", in Europe through Century Media Records on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, Italy: Friday, July 17
Spain, Portugal: Tuesday, July 21
Sweden, Finland, Hungary: Wednesday, July 22
U.K., France, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Rest Of Europe: Monday, July 20

"Years In The Darkness" is scheduled for release in the U.S. on July 14 via E1 Music (formerly KOCH Records). The CD was produced by Christian Olde Wolbers and ARKAEA and mixed by legendary producer Terry Date, best known for his work with the DEFTONES, SLIPKNOT, WHITE ZOMBIE, SOUNDGARDEN and PANTERA. The album was mastered at Sterling Sound by Ted Jensen, who mastered FEAR FACTORY's gold-certified 1998 release "Obsolete".

Singer Jon Howard (THREAT SIGNAL) describes ARKAEA's familiar-yet-innovative sound: "Chris and Ray have been writing together for many years, so the music does have a lot of FEAR FACTORY elements. However, we've been open to trying different things. It basically fuses what I have been doing vocally in THREAT SIGNAL with driving FEAR FACTORY rhythms, along with some of our own experimentation. The idea behind the project is to be heavy, but maintain melody at the same time. We have crazy riffs, but some grooving choruses as well. It's a great mix."

Howard has been a part of the FEAR FACTORY family ever since Wolbers served as producer for THREAT SIGNAL's debut, "Under Reprisal". Given that connection, the chemistry was there the instant the band started jamming. Howard has managed to push himself as a singer with the help of the veteran musicians. "I always try to do new things and experiment with my voice, and this project has been challenging," said Howard. "It always takes a little time to get comfortable working with new people and a new style of music, but I got over that really fast with Christian and Raymond, and I feel very comfortable where we're going right now."

"Years In The Darkness" track listing:

01. Locust
02. Beneath the Shades of Grey
03. Years in the Darkness
04. Gone Tomorrow
05. Awakening
06. Black Ocean
07. Break the Silence
08. Lucid Dreams
09. My Redemption
10. War Within
11. The World As One
12. Rise Today
13. Away From the Sun

A "macabre" online game to promote "No Time To Bleed", the forthcoming sophomore album from California deathcore masters SUICIDE SILENCE, has been launched at this location.

"No Time To Bleed" will be made available on June 30 in a number of different versions (for a limited time only). Among these includes the standard CD version, an LP version (limited to 2,000 pieces), the exclusive Hot Topic edition featuring the standard album with a bonus "Live in Paris" CD (track listing below), the "Maximum Bloodshed" addition ("Maximum Bloodshed" box set with bonus DVD, bonus studio track "Misleading Milligrams", five collector cards, fold-out poster and mail-in t-shirt offer [limited to 10,000 copies]) and the iTunes version with has the exclusive bonus cover track of the hit ALICE IN CHAINS song "Them Bones".

German melodic folk/death metallers SUIDAKRA have issued the following update:

"We played our first show here in China a few days ago (June 14) in Shenyang. Everything started perfectly as there were a lot more people than we expected and everybody obviously enjoyed our performance. Unfortunately, the crowd barriers in front of the stage were not prepared for a decent metal concert and they broke down during the second song. It took some time until the police and security could fix it, but then we were able to continue. Just two songs later, people in the audience got hurt by the crowd movement, so together with the festival organizers we decided that the show shouldn't be continued, as safety and physical integrity of our fans is a top priority for us! We thank everybody for understanding and staying cool with this decision and promise to come back as soon as possible to Shenyang. Anyway, we'll continue our tour here in China with shows in Beijing and Shanghai. Maybe we'll be able to announce another show at short notice to take place on June 19 — we'll keep you updated!"

Check out video footage of the Shenyang concert here.

SUIDAKRA recently announced the addition of guitarist Sebastian Hinz to the group's ranks.

SUIDAKRA's ninth album, "Crógacht", was released in the U.S. on March 3 through Wacken Records/SPV.

Over its fourteen-year history, SUIDAKRA has stayed true to its roots and the sound that it has become known for. Combining fast melodic death metal, Irish folk music, and a torrent of harmonies, SUIDAKRA proves yet again that it possesses the ability to blend several different influences into its unique sound. To put a spin on things, new elements have been introduced, like traditional instruments (bagpipes, banjo, tin whistles), a sixteen member choir and epic orchestral arrangements.

Recorded at Gernart Studios with producer Martin Muchwalter, "Crógacht" delivers an aural assault. In addition to that, the eyes and mind of the listener will also be pleased, as famous Belgian graphic artists Kris Verwimp is responsible not only for the magnificent artwork in the digipack and 16-page booklet, but also for the lyrics of this fascinating concept album. "Crógacht", meaning bravery, is based on one of the most dramatic tales in Irish mythology. It tells the story of the hero Cuchulainn's epic journey to the Isle of Skye, where he seeks to learn the arts of war from the Scythian warrior woman Scathach. The decisions he then has to make set the events in motion that will lead up to his son Conlaoch's tragic fate…

With overwhelming reactions to their 2006 release, "Caledonia", and their November 2008 DVD/Best of CD, "13 Years of Celtic Wartunes", SUIDAKRA has performed over 200 live shows (including the Wacken Open Air festival five times), and successfully completed several tours in Europe, Russia, and a first-ever American tour.

"Vigilance", the sophomore album from Canadian metallers THREAT SIGNAL, has had its European release date (via Nuclear Blast Records) pushed back to September 11 from the previously announced August 28.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Afterlife
02. Through My Eyes
03. The Beginning Of The End
04. United We Stand
05. Beyond Recognition
06. Another Source Of Light
07. Hate Machine
08. Severed
09. Lost
10. Revision
11. In Repair
12. Escape From Reality
13. To Remember

Check out the cover artwork here.

Two songs from the album — "Beyond Recognition" and "The Beginning Of The End" are available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

THREAT SIGNAL has just completed a headlining tour with THE AGONIST, FLATLINE and THY WILL BE DONE. Dubbed the "Road to Revision", the run will be followed by another headlining trek this July with THE AUTUMN OFFERING, THE AGONIST and SYBREED. During this tour, THREAT SIGNAL will be debuting material from "Vigilance".

In a recent interview with Spine Language blog, Jon Howard stated about THREAT SIGNAL's decision to play new, as-yet-unreleased material as part of the band's current live performance, "We feel that we've been playing the same show for too long. We've been playing songs from 'Under Reprisal' for almost five years! The reactions have been amazing so far. Sometimes it feels as if they know the songs already! So with that said we have totally broken the rule. We are playing five songs from the new album, 'Vigilance", and six from 'Under Reprisal'. So you get a good blend of new and old. I think people are craving new shit, so even if they do stand and nod their head, I don't care, I know they are just taking it all in!!"

"Last Look At Eden", the new album from Swedish hard rockers EUROPE, will be released in Germany on September 18 via earMUSIC/Edel Germany GmbH.

Check out the CD artwork here.

EUROPE has just released the "Last Look At Eden" single — the title track from the band's forthcoming album. It was made available as a three-track CD single (released in Scandinavia on June 10) and limited-edition collector's five-track digipack (European release scheduled for June 26).

EUROPE fans living outside Europe who wish to download the single can do so by visiting the EUROPE MP3 store.

The three-song CD single features the following track listing:

01. Last Look At Eden (4:11)
02. U Devil U (3:52)
03. Last Look At Eden (radio edit) (3:59)

Check out audio samples at this location.

EUROPE's video for "Last Look At Eden" can be viewed below. The clip was shot in Gothenburg with director Patric Ullaeus (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES) of Revolver Film Company. The band says, "We chose to work with Patric after seeing his work with IN FLAMES, amongst others."