DEFTONES last month entered a Sacramento, California studio with producer Terry Date (SOUNDGARDEN, PANTERA) and engineer Scott Olson (DEFTONES, UNEARTH) to begin recording the band's sixth studio album, "Eros", tentatively due before the end of the year.

Commented the group's turntablist/keyboardist Frank Delgado: "[We're] well into our first week of recording for the new record. Very exciting times, indeed. A lot of love, blood, sweat and tears has gone into our studio, which has been home for the last eight or so months. Along with the writing, major revamping has gone into The Spot, and from the sounds of it, it's definitely paying off. All of this work has allowed us to do what we've wanted for the longest time — record a record at our place, on our time, on our dime.

"Feels so good to be back with Terry and Scotty. Spirits are high (and so is Stef [DEFTONES guitarist Stephen Carpenter).

"We're on our way to making the best DEFTONES record yet!"

DEFTONES singer Chino Moreno recently told UK magazine Kerrang! that the songwriting for the new CD was coming along much faster than it has in the past. Moreno said, "We've certainly taken our time on the last few records but this one has happened very quickly. We got off tour and took a month off. Then we went into the studio and wrote a lot of music very quickly...The most important thing we had to do was to break our habits and change the way we've done things for the last few years."

Moreno explained that the band took much longer to come up with material in the past because "everyone was working separately. We would record our parts and then email them out without actually seeing each other...This time, we were all together and that really helped."

The band's last CD, "Saturday Night Wrist", came out in October 2006 and its creation nearly resulted in the band's demise. But Moreno said, "Our working relationship is better than it's ever been before. As a result, everything has improved -- our friendships and our lives. We're all really happy now."

The revered punk band BAD RELIGION is set to reissue last year's acclaimed "New Maps of Hell" with expanded features and bonus material on July 8. Lifelong dissenters and noted critics of the current administration (2004's "The Empire Strikes First" was a direct critique of Bush's pre-emptive policy), the band's 15th release ironically, but coincidentally, comes out just days after the 4th of July.

The deluxe version of "New Maps of Hell" includes the original 16-song CD, along with seven new acoustic tracks recorded by principal songwriters Greg Graffin (vocals) and Brett Gurewitz (guitars). Three of the acoustic songs are new, written specifically for this release; the other four tracks are new acoustic versions of BR classics such as 2004's hit song "Sorrow" and the perennial favorite "Skyscraper". Graffin and Gurewitz formed the idea of recording the EP to illustrate how they write songs: generally writing a song on just an acoustic guitar or piano, and then crafting it into the electrified scorchers they ultimately become later with the band.

Additionally, the release includes a DVD with an hour-long live performance that has never been seen before, along with music videos for "New Maps of Hell"'s two singles "Honest Goodbye" and "New Dark Ages", behind-the-scenes footage of Brett and Greg during the recording of the acoustic EP and more.

The all-new packaging pays homage to the band's hometown of Los Angeles, but unmasks the city with a gritty reality not usually associated with Tinseltown. Shot in the striking format of high dynamic range photography by local fine arts photographer Dave Bollock, the deluxe release also features a booklet of Bollock's work entitled "New Maps of Hell - City of Angels" and classic BAD RELIGION posters.

Voted THE "Old School Band who Still Rock" by Alternative Press readers, BAD RELIGION are giving back to the fans who have supported them in their over two-decade long career with "New Maps of Hell" deluxe edition.

"New Maps of Hell" (Deluxe Edition) - Disc 1 (CD):

01. 52 Seconds - 0:58
02. Heroes & Martyrs - 1:26
03. Germs of Perfection - 1:28
04. New Dark Ages - 2:48
05. Requiem for Dissent - 2:08
06. Before You Die - 2:35
07. Honest Goodbye - 2:52
08. Dearly Beloved - 2:20
09. Grains of Wrath - 3:01
10. Murder - 1:19
11. Scrutiny - 2:37
12. Prodigal Son - 3:08
13. The Grand Delusion - 2:11
14. Lost Pilgrim - 2:28
15. Submission Complete - 3:41
16. Fields of Mars - 3:38

Acoustic Tracks

17. Won't Somebody - 3:08
18. Adam's Atoms - 2:37
19. Sorrow - 3:12
20. God Song - 2:40
21. Dearly Beloved - 2:37
22. Chronophobia - 1:55
23. Skyscraper - 3:00

"New Maps of Hell" (Deluxe Edition) - Disc 2 (DVD):

* The Making of The Acoustic EP
* Myspace and The List Present Bad Religion Live In Las Vegas
* "New Dark Ages" Music Video
* "Honest Goodbye" Music Video
* The Making of "New Maps of Hell" EPK

Magna Carta Records will release LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT's self-titled debut album on double LP gatefold 180-gram vinyl on June 10. There will only be 1,000 copies of this album released worldwide.

The details are as follows:

* Limited edition of 1,000
* Double vinyl pressing (first disc on green vinyl; second disc on purple vinyl)
* 180 gram colored vinyl
* Gatefold package with never-before-seen artwork and photos

LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT is the instrumental progressive rock/metal project featuring DREAM THEATER members Mike Portnoy (drums), John Petrucci (guitar) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards) alongside progressive rock icon Tony Levin (bass) of KING CRIMSON and PETER GABRIEL fame.

NINE INCH NAILS has made its new ten-song, 44-minute minute album entitled "The Slip" available for free download at www.nin.com (free signup required). The new set includes the songs "Echoplex" and "Discipline" which were both posted online during the last couple of weeks ahead of the new album release.

The music is available in a variety of formats, including high-quality MP3, FLAC or M4A lossless at CD quality and even higher-than-CD quality 24/96 WAVE (licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial ShareAlike license). All downloads include a PDF with artwork and credits.

For those of you interested in physical products, the band plans to make a version of this release available on CD and vinyl in July.

"The Slip" track listing:

01. 999,999
02. 1,000,000
03. Letting You
04. Discipline
05. Echoplex
06. Head Down
07. Lights In The Sky
08. Corona Radiata
09. The Four Of Us Are Dying
10. Demon Seed

All songs were performed by Trent Reznor, Josh Freese, Robin Finck and Allesandro Cortini.

"Phantoms", the new video from Danish modern metallers RAUNCHY, can be viewed below. The clip was filmed at the group's sold-out show on December 2, 2007 at Store Vega in Copenhagen Denmark.

"Phantoms" comes off RAUNCHY's last album, "Death Pop Romance", which was released in 2006 through Lifeforce Records.

RAUNCHY will release its new CD, "Wasteland Discotheque", on June 16 in Denmark, June 30 in the rest of Europe and July 7 in the U.S. via Lifeforce Records.

The cover artwork for "Wasteland Discotheque", can be viewed at this location.

The album will feature the following track listing:

01. This Blackout is Your Apocalypse (intro)
02. Somewhere Along the Road
03. The Bash
04. Warriors
05. Straight to Hell
06. Welcome the Storm
07. Wasteland Discotheque
08. Somebody's Watching Me
09. A Heavy Burden
10. To the Lighthouse
11. Showdown Recovery
12. The Comfort in Leaving

Vocalist Kasper Thomsen previously described the new material as "dirty, melodic, thrashy, epic, melancholic and... drum roll... heavy. We are experimenting a lot this time around, with vocals, arrangements and musical expression, but we're not gonna change radically — don't worry! But as a wise man once said: there's no point in writing the same record twice, right?"

Audio samples of all 10 tracks that appear on "Karma Killer", the forthcoming fourth album from Finnish hard/glam rockers NEGATIVE, can be found at this location.

"Karma Killer" is scheduled for release in Finland on May 7. Release dates for other territories will be announced soon.

The track listing for the album is as follows:

01. A Devil On My Shoulder
02. Sealed
03. Won't Let Go
04. Motherfucker (Just Like You)
05. Giving Up!
06. An Ornament
07. Dead As We
08. Anna Simona
09. Lust N'Needs
10. Gravity of Love

"Won't Let Go", the new video from NEGATIVE, can be viewed below.

"Ghost Opera - The Second Coming", the reissue of KAMELOT's "Ghost Opera" album enhanced with lots of interesting features, has entered the Greek chart at position No. 38. The double-CD limited-edition slipcase design includes the CD featuring all the songs from the regular album, plus ten additional live tracks recorded live in Belgrade Serbia during the band's 2007 world tour, the bonus tracks "Seasons End", "Pendulous Fall", "Epilogue" and the remix of "Rule The World". The two videos for "Human Stain" and "Memento Mori" (live) are included, and on top of that, the package features new artwork and a comprehensive booklet.

For more details, go to this location.

Fan-filmed video footage of KAMELOT performing the song "Karma" on April 9, 2008 at Hof Ter Lo in Antwerp, Belgium can be viewed below (courtesy of "dtgerald").

DISTURBED's official web site is currently hosting the video for the band's new single, "Inside the Fire". Watch the clip below.

DISTURBED singer David Draiman recently told The Pulse of Radio that "Inside the Fire" is one of the darkest songs he's ever written. "It is based on a true story of my own where, when I was about 16 or so, I had a girlfriend of mine commit suicide," he said. "It was an unbelievably horrific and painful experience, and it was cathartic to make the song, and it really took me having a certain mindset to do it, and I had to wait 'til I was ready."

As previously reported, Draiman has expressed the band's frustration at not being able to preview new songs from the band's forthcoming album, "Indestructible", due to contractual obligations. He told Rolling Stone's "Rock & Roll Daily" blog, "Isn't that horrible, how things have become? It would be really nice to see how a crowd reacts to the new songs early on, but there's too much dependency on that first week sales number and you can't sacrifice any of the impact of that."

With leaked tracks becoming commonplace, the band's label has nixed all but a few of the songs from the June 3 release for live consumption. The band is currently performing "Perfect Insanity", "Inside the Fire", a new-to-live-audiences b-side called "Hell", and the live debut of "This Moment", their "Transformers" soundtrack tune.

The tour, which kicked off on Saturday (April 26) in Little Rock, Arkansas, hits smaller venues and markets. "It's going to be very intimate. We're going to try to make it special," Draiman said, adding, "It also enables us to get back to grassroots. This is who we are. We started as a small club band. It's a different type of energy."

The band will join SLIPKNOT, MASTODON, MACHINE HEAD and others on the Rockstar Mayhem Energy Tour, which begins on July 9 at Seattle, Washington's White River Amphitheatre and wraps in Buffalo, New York at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center.

Finnish metallers OMNIUM GATHERUM recently began recording their fourth album at Sound Supreme Studios in Hämeenlinna, Finland with Janne Saksa and SouthEastSounds studio to Karhula with Teemu Aalto.

Commented the band: "All the recordings of the new album are now done and the stuff are in the hands of Dan Swanö at Unisound Studio in [Örebro] Sweden at the moment as he will tweak the living daylight of the stuff and come up with the most powerful sound ever to grace a metal band! The rough mix already sounded a classic, so we'll be sure that we are delivering the goods here with this album!"

OMNIUM GATHERUM last year parted ways with bassist Janne Markkanen and replaced him with Eerik Purdon (CRYSTAL BLAZE, AMORAL).

The band's latest CD, "Stuck Here on Snakes Way", entered the Finnish chart at position No. 31. The album, which was released on April 2, 2007 via Candlelight Records (one day later in North America), was recorded during November-December 2006 at Southeast Studios in Karhula, Finland with producer Teemu Aalto.

"Stuck Here on Snakes Way" marked the band's first release with vocalist Jukka Pelkonen, who joined the group in May 2006.

Finnish melodic metallers HELION have made the new song "Dreamcatcher" available for free download from the "Media" section of the band's official web site. The track comes off the group's brand album, "Bad Dreams and Broken Shadows", which was released in Finland on May 2.

"Bad Dreams and Broken Shadows" track listing:

01. Dreamcatcher
02. Liquid Veil
03. Blood of Phoenix (with Markku Kivistö of PAIN CONFESSOR)
04. Tell No Tales
05. Broken Mirror

Check out the cover artwork at this location.

HELION's current lineup:

Simo Autio - Vocals and Guitar
Jaakko Kunnas - Vocals and Guitar
Lauri Heikkinen - Keyboards
Ville Kankaanpää - Bass
Leo Kunnas - Drums

ABOVE, a new project involving members of the long-running Swiss industrial metal band SAMAEL, has made its first track available on the group's MySpace page. Check out the song "Black Hole" at this location.

According to the band's official bio, ABOVE was formed on June 6, 2006 and "is the fruit of a collaboration between creative minds who wanted to focus on a common project." The group's musical direction is described as "merciless over-the-top metal with an intensity rarely achieved."

ABOVE is:

Legion-z - Vocals
Zen - Guitar
Drala - Guitar
Yang - Drums

German metal band PERZONAL WAR has announced the addition of bassist Björn Kluth and lead guitarist Daniel Düring to the group's ranks.

As previously reported, Victor Smolski (RAGE), Wiley Arnett (SACRED REICH), Schmier (DESTRUCTION), Gus Chambers (ex-GRIP INC.) and Manni Schmidt (GRAVE DIGGER) are among the guest musicians that appear on PERZONAL WAR's new album, "Bloodline", due on May 30 via AFM Records.

"Bloodline" track listing:

01. Evolution
02. Utopia (featuring Victor Smolski)
03. All Sides Black
04. This Dead Meaning
05. Two Borders (featuring Schmier, Wiley Arnett)
06. Shred (featuring Gus Chambers, Manni Schmidt)
07. Infected Choice
08. Dying Face
09. New Confidence
10. More Than A Day
11. The Same Blood

Madrid, Spain-based power metallers DARK MOOR have issued the following update:

"DARK MOOR are working on new songs for the next album which is planned to be recorded this summer in the New Sin Studios in Italy. The release date for the next album will be between the end of 2008-2009. Stay tuned for more news!"

DARK MOOR's latest album, "Tarot", was released in the U.S. in May 2007 via Caroline distribution. The CD, which was issued in Europe in February via Italy's Scarlet Records, is said to be "an intriguing" conceptual effort about the major arcanes of the tarot, covering in depth the meaning of each arcane and the esoteric halo that surrounds it. Production duties were once again handled by renowed producer Luigi Stefanini (RHAPSODY, LABIRYNTH, VISION DIVINE). The impressive artwork was created by Derek Gores (EDGUY, KAMELOT).

DARK MOOR's video for the song "The Chariot" can be viewed here.

Vocalist Luke Kenny of the Australian grind deviants THE BERZERKER has issued the following update:

"I'm very excited to tell you that we will be launching our brand new record label Berzerker Industries within the next few months. The first release will be our new studio album. (I can't fucking wait!) The only way you'll be able to get hold of this album is by direct mail order via MySpace and our website. This will not be in stores. Also we will be holding a remix competition with the winner getting their remixed BERZERKER version on our new CD. There will also be remixes from some of the biggest names in the gabba/speedcore scene. ROOAAGGGGHH!! Please enjoy this sneak peek track [see below] set to some New Zealand madness. For UK fans, we have been confirmed on the Ghostfest festival in Leeds on June 29th. We will be adding more UK dates added shortly. Once again, thanks for your support over all these years."

THE BERZERKER has so far released four full-length albums: "The Berzerker" (2000), "Dissimulate" (2002), "World of Lies" (2005) and "Animosity" (2007), all through Earache Records. During the early part of their career as a live act, band members were identified only as The Vocalist, The Guitarist, The Bassist and The Drummer, distinguishable on stage only by the intricate monster masks they wore. However, the group has since abandoned this concept.

A DVD documentary, "The Principles and Practices of The Berzerker" (2004), includes several hours of live concert footage, as well as the first public images of the band members without their monster masks.

Most of the band's music videos have been banned from broadcast for reasons such as the possible epileptic fit-inducing imagery contained in the video "Forever", and the horrific imagery of "Reality". The latter features graphic images of cadavers and body parts, along with appearances from the band themselves.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/theberzerker.

Former SEPULTURA and current CAVALERA CONSPIRACY drummer Igor Cavalera was interviewed this past week by Andrew Haug of Triple J's "Full Metal Racket" (based in Australia). An excerpt from the chat follows:

Q: Have the [current] members of SEPULTURA commented on the [CAVALERA CONSPIRACY debut] record ["Inflikted"] at all?

Igor: "I haven't heard or read anything about it. I probably will see sometime what they think about the album, but I don't think that'll be a problem. Whatever they think, it's their opinion, and it's good with me. I'm not gonna be the one judging — the same way that I'm not gonna be the one judging whatever they're gonna do with SEPULTURA. It's like, I have so much more stuff going on in my life to worry about that this, for me, is something that is definitely not a problem."

Q: So you don't really feel too much now with the band [SEPULTURA] continuing to use the name when it no longer contains the original members — being Max [Cavalera] and yourself?

Igor: "I don't know, man. It's a crazy situation. At the same time, I don't really feel it makes sense for the band to continue, but also I feel that I'm not the one that's gonna stop the whole thing. It's a tough situation. For me, I just want to focus on positive things."

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY will team up with THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, THROWDOWN, BURY YOUR DEAD and INCITE for a North American tour in July.

According to a posting on CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's MySpace page, "the select shows for this tour may be [the band's] only performances in the U.S. in support of 'Inflikted' [CC's debut album]."

"Inflikted" sold 9,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at No. 72 on The Billboard 200 chart.

FMQB Productions is currently hosting a reduced-quality Real Audio file containing the first single from JUDAS PRIEST's forthcoming double-disc concept album, "Nostradamus". Check out the song "Visions" — which was premiered on last night's (Friday, May 2) edition of the "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM — by clicking on the play button below. (Note: You must have Real Player installed in order to play/see the file.) The single is expected to impact "Rock" and "Active Rock" radio on May 13.

With anticipation building towards the June 17 release date of "Nostradamus" (and forthcoming "Metal Masters" tour), three band members — Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing — will participate in the group's first in-store signings in over two decades. The in-stores will be occurring over two days — Thursday, May 8 at Hot Topic at the Plaza at King of Prussia (in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania) and on Friday, May 9 at Vintage Vinyl (in Woodbridge, New Jersey).

Vocalist Michael Vescera (OBSESSION, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, LOUDNESS) is scheduled to release a solo album, entitled "Sign of Things to Come", sometime this summer. Three songs from the CD — "Say the Word", "Sign of Things to Come" and "Something to Believe" — are available for streaming at this location (scroll down to the bottom of the player).

Vescera rose to metal popularity at the age of 18 years old as the legendary vocalist of the band OBSESSION. A classically trained pianist, Mike chose the path of a metal frontman instead of Julliard.

In recent years, Mike Vescera has gained a reputation in the business as being a masterful producer and engineer working from his studio The Toy Room, which was located in the hills of Connecticut just outside of New York. Recently the studio has been moved to Nashville, Tennesse where Mike now makes his home. The studio is second to none utilizing state of the art software and technology to achieve unrivaled flexibility and dimension of sound. It holds both major-label and small-budget accounts serving all styles of music. It also holds major network voice-over accounts for several popular shows.

Mike continues to work as a producer and engineer on a variety of selected projects.

OBSESSION had its 2006 CD, "Carnival of Lies", re-released through Mausoleum Records on February 12, 2008. This reissue features new artwork and the bonus tracks "Panic in the Streets" (previously only available on the Avalon release in Japan) and "Judas". The album's title track features Swedish guitar sensation Robert Marcello (DANGER DANGER, IRONHORSE) and Boston based neo-classical shred-god Joe Stump (REIGN OF TERROR).

ICED EARTH played its first show with vocalist Matt Barlow back as the group's frontman last night (Friday, May 2) at the Chicago Powerfest in Mokena, Illinois.

Fan-filmed video footage from the concert can be viewed below.

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Dark Saga
02. Vengeance is Mine
03. Burning Times
04. Declaration Day
05. Violate
06. Pure Evil
07. Watching Over Me
08. Ten Thousand Strong
09. Dracula
10. Coming Curse
11. I Walk Alone
12. Setian Massacre
13. Travel In Stygian
14. A Question Of Heaven

Encore:

15. Melancholy
16. My Own Savior
17. Iced Earth

German symphonic pagan metal band EQUILIBRIUM has completed work on its long-awaited second album, "Sagas", due on June 27 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Prolog auf Erden (Instr.) (3:38)
02. Wurzelbert (4:58)
03. Blut im Auge (4:44)
04. Unbesiegt (6:19)
05. Verrat (6:04)
06. Snüffel (5:44)
07. Heimwärts (2:32)
08. Heiderauche (Instr.) (2:31)
09. Die Weide und der Fluß (7:21)
10. Des Sängers Fluch (8:03)
11. Ruf in den Wind (4:52)
12. Dämmerung (5:54)
13. Mana (Instr.) (16:21)

The album features a guest appearance by Ulrich Herkenhoff, who is said to be"one of the most famous pinpipe players and can be heard on the soundtrack of 'The Lord of the Rings - Return of the King'." "Sagas" also features a violin solo by Agnes Malich, deputy concertmaster of the Augsburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

EQUILIBRIUM will embark on a European tour in late October/early November:

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/equilibrium.

Italian progressive-aggressive metal band ELDRITCH is currently editing and mixing its DVD and double live CD, which was recorded on March 22 at Music Street Club in Lugnano, Pisa, Italy. The two-hour show was split into two equal parts: the first portion featuring songs from 2001's "Reverse" album and subsequent releases; and the second half containing material from the first three LPs, with all the keyboard parts played by former ELDRITCH keyboardist Oleg Smirnoff.

ELDRITCH released its seventh album, "Blackenday", in April 2007 via Inside Out Music. The CD features guest appearances by Ray Alder (FATES WARNING, REDEMPTION, ENGINE) and Nicholas Van Dyk (REDEMPTION) on the song "Broken Road". On all the other tracks you can hear Laura Scappini (IN MEMORY) doing the backup vocals. The CD was mixed by R.D. Liapakis at Music Factory studios in Germany and was mastered by Christian Schmid. A video for the song "The Blackened Day" was shot in February 2007 with director Mirco Andreis and can be viewed below.

Finnish melodic black metal act CATAMENIA has issued the following update:

"We will enter the studio [to record the new CATAMENIA album, tentatively titled 'VIII'] little bit later than as planned. New schedule is set on 7th of July because of the renewing and reconstructioning the Mastervox Studios. The release for the album is somewhere around October 2008. Thank you really much you all for your patience!"

CATAMENIA last fall uploaded the "Cataventures Part III" video as part of a series of clips chronicling the group's adventures touring through Europe. Watch it below. You can check out all three parts on the band's official web site.

CATAMENIA's latest album, "Location: COLD", was released in August 2006 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered at Mastervox Studios by Kakke Vähäkuopus and Immu Ilmarinen. The cover artwork was created by Anthony Clarkson.

NINE INCH NAILS mainman Trent Reznor earlier today (Tuesday, April 22) released a brand new song, titled "Discipline", to radio stations. Unlike the instrumental "Ghosts I-IV" album, which was web-released less than two months ago, the new track actually features vocals from Reznor. In addition, an April 21 post on NINE INCH NAILS' official web site, www.nin.com, reads "2 weeks!" echoing a similarly mysterious message posted in mid-February that ultimately resulted in the release of "Ghosts I-IV".

NINE INCH NAILS recently launched an online film festival showcasing short films made by fans to accompany music from the new NINE INCH NAILS album, "Ghosts I – IV". According to a press release, the NINE INCH NAILS channel on YouTube, which went live on March 13, is accepting submissions immediately through May 1. Music from "Ghosts I – IV" is available for filmmakers through YouTube's AudioSwap channel. Submissions will be personally reviewed by Trent Reznor, who will host a festival featuring the best entries at a later date.

Reznor released "Ghosts I – IV" online on March 2. The two-hour collection of 36 untitled instrumental tracks was made available in various high-quality DRM-free formats at different price levels. According to a press statement, a total of 781,917 copies of the project were transacted at NIN.com in the first week of release, including paid and free downloads, plus pre-orders for physical editions of the set. The total gross earned was reported as $1,619,420.

The expensive "ultra-deluxe" limited edition of "Ghosts I - IV" sold out almost instantly despite a steep $300 price tag. A digital version is available for five dollars, along with a $75 limited edition "deluxe" package. A $10 double CD version and a $39 vinyl edition was made available at U.S. retail on April 8.