Swedish metallers CLOUDSCAPE have parted ways with bassist Haynes Pherson and have replaced him with Håkan Nyander from SUPREME MAJESTY.

Commented the band: "A few weeks ago, Haynes Pherson decided to leave CLOUDSCAPE. His decision is totally based on personal issues and has nothing to do with CLOUDSCAPE as a band or the band members. Haynes and the members in CLOUDSCAPE are still great friends and the band respects and understands Haynes' reasons for leaving and wishes him all the best for the future. Nonetheless, CLOUDSCAPE has done a few auditions to find a good replacement to Haynes. Haynes was a great bass player and a great performer on stage so, it hasn't been easy to find the right guy to replace him but, recently CLOUDSCAPE did a few rehearsals with Håkan Nyander who also is the bass player in SUPREME MAJESTY so, everything felt right and everything clicked really well with Håkan both musically and personally."

A photo of the new CLOUDSCAPE lineup can be viewed below (from left to right: Fredrik Joakimsson [drums], Björn Eliasson [guitar], Mike Andersson [vocals], Patrik Svärd [guitar] and Håkan Nyander [bass])

"Ignite", a brand new song from New Orleans-based rockers LILLIAN AXE, is available for free download at this location.

Audio samples of the other songs that appear on LILLIAN AXE's forthcoming album, "Sad Day On Planet Earth", are available on MelodicRock.com.

"Sad Day On Planet Earth" will be released on June 30 via the Swedish label Blistering Records. The CD is described in a press release as "by far [the band's] strongest album, musically speaking. There are so many different-sounding songs that all forms of radio: Active Rock, Mainstream Rock and Metal radio will embrace this album."

"Sad Day On Planet Earth" will contain 14 songs written by guitarist Steve Blaze.

The track listing is as follows:

01. MegaSlowFade
02. Ignite
03. Divine
04. Down Below The Ocean
05. Jesus Wept
06. Within Your Reach
07. Sad Day On Planet Earth
08. Fire Blood The Earth & Sea
09. The Grand Scale Of Finality
10. Cold Day In Hell
11. Blood Raining Down On Her Wings
12. Hibernate
13. Kill Me Again
14. Nocturnal Symphony

CHAOSANCT, the band featuring James McIlroy (guitar; ex-CRADLE OF FILTH), Matt C. (drums; ex-BIOMECHANICAL), and Paul Scanlan (guitar; SKALDIC CURSE, ex-AKERCOCKE), has completed work on its second EP, entitled "The Ascendance of Impurity". The EP's title track and "Death Note" are currently available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

CHAOSANCT is:

James McIlroy (ex-CRADLE OF FILTH) - Guitar
Matt C. (ex-BIOMECHANICAL) - Drums
David R. Kuchta - Vocals
Paul Scanlan (SKALDIC CURSE, ex-AKERCOCKE) - Guitar
Tilman Wolff-Moore (SAMSAS TRAUM) - Bass

A new DARKEST HOUR track, "Devolution Of The Flesh", is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The song comes off the Washington, D.C. metallers' fifth full-length record, "The Eternal Return", which will be released on June 23 via Victory Records. The CD was produced by Brian McTernan (SENSES FAIL, THRICE, FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES) at his Baltimore, Maryland studio, Salad Days.

"The Eternal Return" track listing:

01. Devolution Of The Flesh
02. Death Worship
03. The Tides
04. No God
05. Bitter
06. Blessed Infection
07. Transcendence
08. A Distorted Utopia
09. Black Sun
10. Into The Grey

"Wearing A Martyr's Crown", the fourth full-length album from multi-national thrashers NIGHTRAGE, is available for streaming in its entirety on the band's MySpace page. Due on June 22 (Europe) and August 4 (USA) via Lifeforce Records, the CD was tracked at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden with producer Fredrik Nordström (DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY, IN FLAMES).

According to a press release, "Wearing A Martyr's Crown" finds NIGHTRAGE more mature than ever, but present is also a distinct will for experimentation and fresh ideas — though always inside the boundaries of what made the NIGHTRAGE name from the beginning; sheer brutality, swirling and soaring melodies and acoustic guitar work to evoke scenes and emotions of the deepest melancholy. Delving into a multitude of musical and lyrical vistas, this fourth opus from the international melodic death metal martyrs deals with a multi-layered journey into the darkest depths of the human psyche, the futility of human behaviour and the most dimly lit corners of the untold arcane. Expect to have these eleven incantations burn your soul, yet leaving you wanting to come back for more."

"Wearing A Martyr's Crown" track listing:

01. Shed The Blood (4:13)
02. Collision Of Fate (5:13)
03. A Grim Struggle (5:03)
04. Wearing A Martyr's Crown (4:30)
05. Among Wolves (4:29)
06. Abandon (4:30)
07. Futile Tears (5:18)
08. Wounded Angels (4:00)
09. Mocking Modesty (4:29)
10. Failure Of All Human Emotions (4:36)
11. Sting Of Remorse (5:21)
12. Holier Than Thou (METALLICA cover, Japanese bonus)
13. Failure Of All Human Emotions (demo version, on Japanese + European digipack)

WITHIN TEMPTATION singer Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt welcomed their second child on June 1. Robin Aiden Westerholt (pictured below) is "a healthy little man of 2360 grams and 46 cm and was born after 32 weeks and 6 days," according to a posting on the band's web site. The couple also has a three-year old daughter named Eva Luna den Adel.

WITHIN TEMPTATION is taking a break from touring during 2009 but is continuing to work on new material. A new album is expected in 2010.

WITHIN TEMPTATION released a brand new double-DVD, titled "Black Symphony", on September 22, 2008. It is also available as a double-CD.

Night Of The Vinyl Dead will reissue SAXON's 1999 album "Metalhead" on limited-edition silver fold-out vinyl, featuring an eight-page booklet. The album is hand-numbered, with only 333 copies having been made.

The track listing is as follows:

Side A:

01. Intro
02. Metalhead
03. Are We Travellers in Time
04. Conquistador
05. What Goes Around
06. Song of Evil

Side B:

01. All Guns Blazing
02. Prisoner
03. Piss Off
04. Watching You
05. Sea of Life

German melodic hard rock masters JADED HEART have set "Perfect Insanity" as the title of their new album, tentatively due this fall via Frontiers Records. The follow-up to 2007's "Sinister Mind" will feature guest appearances by Vinnie Moore (UFO), Erik Mårtensson (ECLIPSE) and Pontus Norgren (HAMMERFALL, ex-THE POODLES, TALISMAN, GREAT KING RAT), who also wrote a song for the effort. The CD will be mixed by Chris Lausmann (RAILWAY, AFFAIR, FRONTLINE, BONFIRE) and the mastering sessions are scheduled to take place House of Audio studios with Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69, ANGRA). Songtitles set to appear on the album include "Freedom Call", "Eternal Sleep", "Tonite", "Hell Just Arrived" and a ballad "One Life One Death".

According to drummer Axel Kruse, "There will be 11-12 songs on the new record. The style is perfectly in line with what we have done on 'Sinister', but… just better!"

"No Time To Bleed", the new album from California deathcore masters SUICIDE SILENCE, 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".

Hot Topic bonus "Live in Paris" CD track listing

01. Unanswered
02. Bludgeoned
03. The Price of Beauty
04. No Pity For a Coward
05. Green Monster
06. Destruction of a Statue

"No Time To Bleed" was recorded with acclaimed producer Machine (LAMB OF GOD).

The European version of "No Time To Bleed" will be made available with an alternate cover, which can be viewed here.

"No Time To Bleed" track listing:

01. Wake Up
02. Lifted
03. Smoke
04. Something Invisible
05. No Time To Bleed
06. Suffer
07. …And Then She Bled
08. Wasted
09. Your Creations
10. Genocide
11. Disengage

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

SUICIDE SILENCE recently shot a video for the new track "Wake Up" with acclaimed director David Brodsky (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, GWAR, EARTH CRISIS, THE AGONIST). The clip is a disturbing look into the inner psyche while embracing the effect of hallucinogens. Vocalist Mitch Lucker stated, "It was a pleasure to work with [David] again. We feel he perfectly nailed the concept we envisioned for this clip and we can't wait for you all to see it."

The "maximum bloodshed edition" of "No Time To Bleed" (available through CM Distro only) is limited to 10,000 copies. It includes a bonus track, a DVD with "behind-the-scenes" and "making-of" videos, a two-sided poster, collectors cards of each band member and a mail-in offer for an exclusive T-shirt.

"He Sleeps in a Grove", the new video from Finnish female-fronted symphonic metallers AMBERIAN DAWN, can be viewed here. The song comes off the band's second album, "The Clouds of Northland Thunder" which will be released in Europe on June 29 via Ascendance Records.

The track listing for the album is as follows:

01. He Sleeps in a Grove (3:20)
02. Incubus (5:03)
03. Kokko - Eagle of Fire (3.17)
04. Willow of Tears (4:10)
05. Shallow Waters (3:38)
06. Lost Soul (3:43)
07. Sons of Seven Stars (3.43)
08. Saga (4:06)
09. Snowmaiden (3:45)
10. Lionheart (3:43)
11. Morning Star (4:36)
12. Birth of the Harp (4:06)

Soundshock.net conducted an interview with Heidi Parviainen (vocals) and Tuomas Seppälä (keyboards) of AMBERIAN DAWN prior to the band's March 28, 2009 headlining concert at the Underworld in London. The chat can now be streamed at this location. Also available are a review and photos of the concert.

AMBERIAN DAWN guitarist Tuomas Seppälä, who has played the keyboards in the studio on the band's albums, recently became the group's full-time keyboardist. The new AMBERIAN DAWN axeman is Emil Pohjalainen, who is described as "a talented 24-year-old shredder from Finland."

Two songs from the forthcoming third solo album from SONATA ARCTICA guitarist Elias Viljanen, entitled "Fire-Hearted", are available for streaming on the Spinefarm Records MySpace page. Check out the tracks "Fire-Hearted" and "Last Breath of Love" (featuring NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala) at this location.

"Fire-Hearted" will be released in Finland on June 24 via Spinefarm. According to the label "there will be 12 tracks on the album and 10 of the tracks will be instrumental." Guest musicians on the CD include vocalists Hietala and Tony Kakko (SONATA ARCTICA), keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg (SONATA ARCTICA), bassist Jari Kainulainen (EVERGREY, ex-STRATOVARIUS) and drummer Mikko Sirén (APOCALYPTICA).

"Fire-Hearted" track listing:

01. Fire-Hearted
02. Last Breath of Love (feat. Marco Hietala)
03. Cruel Groove
04. Kiss of Rain (feat. Tony Kakko)
05. Head up High
06. Up to Speed
07. Supernatural
08. One Tonight
09. The Triumph
10. My Guiding Light
11. Showstopper
12. Beautiful Piece

"Fire-Hearted" recording lineup:

* Elias Viljanen - Guitar
* Tony Kakko - Vocals (on "Kiss of Rain")
* Marco Hietala - Vocals (on "Last Breath of Love")
* Jaan Wessman - Fretless Bass Guitar (on "Beautiful Piece")
* Henrik Klingenberg - Keyboards
* Jari Kainulainen - Bass
* Tomi Ylönen - Drums (on "The Triumph", "Cruel Groove", "Up to Speed", "Head Up High", "Showstopper" and "My Guiding Light")
* Mikko Sirén - Drums (on "Supernatural", "Beautiful Piece", "Last Breath of Love", "Kiss of Rain", "Fire-Hearted" and "One Tonight")

South Carolina-based technical death metal band NILE has issued the following update:

"We've been getting lots of questions about NILE's new album and touring, so, we thought we'd give a little update on what NILE is up to these days...

"NILE has been working their fingers to the bone for quite some time, writing and rehearsing to record their new album. On Monday, June 8, they head to Tampa, Florida to track drums at Erik Rutan's [MORBID ANGEL, CANNIBAL CORPSE] Mana Recording Studio. Neil Kernon [CANNIBAL CORPSE, NEVERMORE, DEICIDE] will be on board as well.

"NILE is shooting for an October release of the upcoming album.

"There is a European tour in the works for November of this year, and an American tour planned for January 2010. Details will be announced as they are confirmed."

NILE guitarist/vocalist Karl Sanders told Revolver magazine earlier in the year that the band's sixth full-length album will likely be NILE's most eclectic offering to date. "We're going to some very unexpected places," he said. "I've been listening to some oud music [the oud is a Middle Eastern lute — Ed.], Iranian music, and some Hindu stuff, and that stuff's definitely rubbing off on the new songs."

Israel's ORPHANED LAND is continuing work on its highly anticipated new album, "ORwarriOR", due later in teh year via Century Media Records.

Commented vocalist Kobi Farhi:"Drums, percussions, bass, all kinds of guitars, violins, piano and oriental instruments (Buzouki, Saz, Cumbus and more) have already been recorded and right now I am recording my vocals which include narrations, clean singing, Arabic chants and growls. Female vocals are being recorded in the coming days, too. Since I sing in so many different ways, this experience is very tough for me and I have to deal with many kinds of atmospheres, styles and languages (including English, Hebrew and Arabic).

"Last week we took a break from the recordings while Steven Wilson (PORCUPINE TREE, OPETH) came to visit us in Israel and had a first session with us in the studio. Steve listened with us to the whole album and mentioned that this is easily our best work so far!

"Steve will do the keyboards and mixing once we have finished recording vocals, which is supposed to happen within the next 2-3 weeks. We are excited to hear the results that will come from Steven's studio and we are sure that together we will be able to deliver a fantastic album for the Middle Eastern metal scene and one of the most interesting and original albums the worldwide metal scene has ever known!

"We are looking forward to sharing this album with you and can't wait to hit the road again to play live for you!"

Seattle metallers NEVERMORE will enter the studio in August with producer (and SOILWORK guitarist) Peter Wichers (who previously worked with NEVERMORE vocalist Warrel Dane on Dane's solo debut, "Praises to the War Machine") to begin recording their long-awaited follow-up to 2005's "This Godless Endeavor", tentatively due in early 2010 via Century Media Records. Longtime friend and collaborator Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ARCH ENEMY, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD) will once again be handling mixing duties.

Commented Dane: "These songs are full of newfound rage, lyrically and musically. Jeff Loomis has come up with some amazing new riffs that will no doubt please old and new fans alike. Also, I think the combination of Peter and Andy will result in something very, very special."

Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Emptiness Unobstructed" and "Without Morals".

Canadian metallers THREAT SIGNAL will release their sophomore album, "Vigilance", on August 28 viaNuclear Blast Records.

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

Italian avant-garde metallers EPHEL DUATH have parted ways with Earache Records — less than six months after the release of their latest album, "Through My Dog's Eyes". The news was announced by the band's mainman Davide Tiso (songwriter, guitar, keyboard, vocals), who added in an online posting that he was "thrilled" to be off the label.

"Through My Dog's Eyes" is based on a concept conjured up by Davide Tiso in which the entire album is written from the perspective of a dog.

Released by Earache Records on January 26, "Through My Dog's Eyes" includes a limited-edition bonus DVD. The DVD contains an exclusive art-documentary, featuring an in-depth look at the concepts behind the new album, along with the history and evolution of the band, all told by mainman Davide Tiso.

BLABBERMOUTH.NET has learned that Ola Hudson, the mother of former GUNS' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash, passed away Friday, June 5 around 6:00 p.m. PST after a battle with lung cancer. She was a professional costume designer named who tailored outfits for such acts as John Lennon, Diana Ross and the POINTER SISTERS.

"[Slash] was drawing from the time he could pick up a pencil," Ola Hudson told Rolling Stone magazine in an early 1990s interview. "I've been shocked at a lot of things I've read where it sounds like I left him on somebody's doorstep in a basket. They make it seem as if he never had a family and grew up on the streets like an urchin, but that's not true. It's just part of his image. He's not all leather and tattoos."

German power metallers 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.

Swedish melodic metallers LOST HORIZON have posted audio clips of three different songs that will appear on the band's next album. The group says, "It's midi drums here only and the whole thing is taken directly from a raw working/recording document, which means neither mix nor any kind of sound improvement has been applied on the clips, which is the very point of leaving the final effect for the real album."

Check out the clips by following these links: (Note: These are working songtitles.)

"Wizard": Audio
"Spirit": Audio
"Fire": Audio

LOST HORIZON vocalist Daniel Heiman and guitarist Fredrik Olsson left the group in 2004 in order to pursue other projects. The remainder of the band — Wojtek Lisicki (who in 2004 returned to LOST HORIZON), Christian Nyquist, Attila Publik and Martin Furängen — is continuing work on material for the group's third album, to be released through an as-yet-undetermined label (the band was previously signed to the now-defunct Music For Nations).