After Dutch symphonic metallers STREAM OF PASSION ended their eleven-year career in late 2016 with one final show, guitar player Eric Hazebroek decided to transform his plans for a possible solo album into a full-blown band. Together with Marjan Welman (vocals; also of AUTUMN), Douwe De Wilde (bass; ex-THE SATURNINE), and Jim Van De Kerkhof (drums; ex-ALL FOR NOTHING), he formed the melancholic metal band VETRAR DRAUGURINN.

VETRAR DRAUGURINN is the vehicle of Hazebroek's songwriting. On March 30, the band will release a four-song EP, titled "I", as a form of introduction. The material showcases the diversity and melancholy of the band, featuring everything from heavy, doomy and eight-string-guitar-driven tracks to fragile and delicate sorrow-drenched atmospheric songs.

VETRAR DRAUGURINN already has a full-length worth of material ready to go and hopes to be able to release its debut album at the end of 2017 or in early 2018.

A teaser video for one of the EP tracks, "Mother Of Northern Skies", can be seen below.

The EP can be pre-ordered at this location.

After a seven year hiatus, Labÿrinth, the legendary Italian Metal band, will return with a brand new studio album, Architecture Of A God on April 21st.

In the spring of 2016, the band’s founding members, Andrea Cantarelli and Olaf Thorsen received a call from Frontiers asking them to discuss with vocalist Roberto Tiranti the possibilities of a reunion with a return to their classic sound to mount a comeback for the band. After much discussion, the guys agreed to make an album and also to make a very special appearance at the the first annual Frontiers Metal Festival, where they performed their signature album, Return To Heaven Denied, in it’s entirety [said performance is being prepared for a future home video release.]

Olaf says: “This has been easily the most difficult and challenging album I ever worked on. To be honest, when Frontiers contacted me, insisting to make this reunion happen, I was skeptical and worried. We couldn't simply make a new album, it wouldn't have been honest to the fans, to ourselves. Of course, this is as easy to say as also unbelievably tough to make real: we have so many good albums out there, looking at us from their past and which people still keep in their minds and hearts. That's why we decided to strengthen our line-up, joining with nobody else but the best musicians we believed they would have fitted perfectly into our perspective of the music we were about to write.”

Andrea adds: “The making of this album has been a fantastic journey. We brought back a lot of classic elements of our music, mixing it with something new and I'm so enthusiastic about the final result.”

Roberto Tiranti makes it short: “Just when you thought you already gave everything you could, expressing every possible musical aspect of your way of intending music for a band like Labÿrinth, then comes Architecture Of A God, to remind you that nothing is impossible!”

With a new lineup rounded out by drummer extraordinaire John Macaluso (TNT, Riot, Ark etc.), Oleg Smirnoff (Vision Divine, Edritch) on keyboards, and Nik Mazzucconi on bass, Labÿrinth are truly coming back stronger than ever and have offered up a superb self-produced album. Architecture Of A God (mixed by DGM’s Simone Mularoni) is a record that encompasses all the elements the band is known for: fast power metal songs with unforgettable hooks, epic prog infused metal songs, and some great melodic numbers that compose a record which is easily going to be another milestone for the Italian metal masters!

“What we have in our hands, now, it's Architecture Of A God: by far, the most mature and complete album we ever wrote,” concludes Thorsen. “There's no will to challenge our glorious past, but I'm really confident that, once released, this album will set a new standard for our music!”

Architecture Of A God tracklisting:

“Bullets”
“Still Alive”
“Take On My Legacy”
“A New Dream”
“Someone Says”
“Random Logic”
“Architecture Of A God”
“Children”
“Those Days”
“We Belong To Yesterday”
“Stardust And Ashes”
“Diamond”

Labÿrinth lineup:

Roberto Tiranti - lead vocals
Olaf Thorsen - lead guitars
Andrea Cantarelli - lead guitars
Nik Mazzucconi - bass guitar
Oleg Smirnoff - keyboards
John Macaluso - drums

Helix has released another vintage video this time from 1990 on the Ian Gillan European tour. This video features then new guitar player Denny Blake.

Says the band, “When we finished recording Back For Another Taste in 1989 at River Studios in Fort Erie, Ontario, we then had to take it on tour. Longtime Helix guitarist Brent Doerner, who had been in the band since 1976 had left the band just after Wild In The Streets touring ended, and his shoes were big ones left to fill...Enter Denny Blake, the first and only American member of the band. We had met Denny when we toured with his band Maniacs a few years before through the eastern U.S. He turned out to be a great addition to the band with his keen sense of humor and his superior playing abilities. Eventually the touring for Back For Another Taste ended and Denny returned to the U.S., where he joined a Broadway musical featuring Billy Joel songs.

Rare video footage of Helix performing “Good To The Last Drop” in 1993 is available for streaming below.

Says leader Brian Vollmer: “This video was shot at our show in Kitchener, Ontario in 1993 at a club called Stages. On guitars are Mark Chichkan (SL) and Greg Fraser (SR). Dary is on bass, Fritz on drums, I'm singing. The song is “Good To The Last Drop”, a tune I wrote with Mark Ribler in Brooklyn, New York around 1989. The song eventually ended up on the Back For Another Taste album and became a big hit for us in Canada. I believe Phil Kates did the video for this song.”

US/Irish hard rockers Black Star Riders finally released their third album Heavy Fire on February 3rd via Nuclear Blast. This new masterpiece directly entered the charts worldwide and got the best chart results ever in the history of the Black Star Riders.
 
The band states: "We owe a massive 'thank you' to the Black Star Riders fans around the world for making this happen. Heavy Fire is a powerful expression for us and we look forward to taking it on the road for all of 2017 and beyond!"

Chart positions:
#6 UK
#11 Germany
#60 Ireland
#91 Top Current Albums US

2016 saw Black Star Riders return to the studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, The Foo Fighters, Mastodon), at his studio just outside Nashville. The resultant album is Black Star Riders most accomplished work to date. From the immediate riffs of album opener “Heavy Fire” to the instant hooks of first single “When The Night Comes In”, from the dirty bass groove of “Thinking About You Could Get Me Killed” to the familiar and trademark dual guitars of Gorham and Johnson on “Testify Or Say Goodbye”, this is an album that will further cement BSR’s reputation as one of the world premiere rock acts.

"Angst, passion, power, glory, love, truth, lies, loyalty, questions that begged to be answered. There's a guitar army coming…and it's bringing the Heavy Fire.” – Ricky Warwick (vocals)

"Not many new bands get to record three albums these days. Without doubt this is BSR'S best album so far. We had a great time recording it and can't wait to play the new songs live on tour in March." – Scott Gorham (guitars)

Following on from their critically acclaimed albums All Hell Breaks Loose and The Killer Instinct, which have paved the way for Black Star Riders to be recognized as a power force in the modern day of rock n’ roll, Heavy Fire will be once again released by Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The band have also brought in Pledgemusic, one of the most innovative and successful platforms of the modern music world, to give fans extra special product and experiences to go along with the album’s release.

Formats: Limited Edition Digibook CD (including bonus track), CD, Vinyl, Vinyl Picture Disc, Digital Album

Mail order: Limited Orange & Clear Vinyl (Order)

Tracklisting:

“Heavy Fire”
“When The Night Comes In”
“Dancing With The Wrong Girl”
“Who Rides The Tiger”
“Cold War Love”
“Testify Or Say Goodbye”
“Thinking About You Could Get Me Killed”
“True Blue Kid”
“Ticket To Rise”
“Letting Go Of Me”

The Limited Edition Digibook CD will include the above tracklisting plus the bonus track “Fade”.

“Testify Or Say Goodbye” video:

“When The Night Comes In” lyric video:

Trailers:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Norwegian black metal documentary "Blackhearts" will be released on DVD, digital and VOD on April 11 via Soundview Media Partners.

"Blackhearts" is a documentary that tells the compelling story of three die-hard fans of black metal. The hard rock sub-genre gained worldwide notoriety because of its links to Satanism, church burnings, and murders 25 years ago in Norway.

We follow Sina from Iran, Hector from Colombia and Kaiadas from Greece on their journey to Norway — the Mecca of the music that has formed their lives. What makes someone risk their life, get thrown in jail or sell their soul to Satan to make this dream come true?

Sina is the only active black metal artist in Iran, and faces a potentially life-threatening situation if he chooses to follow his dream and travel to Norway. Hector is a devoted Satanist and organizes a satanic ritual to sell his soul to the Devil in order to help his visa application. Kaiadas represents the extreme right-wing party Golden Dawn in the Greek Parliament by day, and is the frontman of the black metallers in NAER MATARON by night. He faces up to 20 years in prison after being arrested for association with a criminal organization.

Many films have documented the history and development of black metal, but "Blackhearts" looks at this infamous genre from a fresh new angle. The film recounts three very different personal stories of dedication, ambition and expectations following the journey of the main characters.

"Blackhearts" was awarded "Best International Documentary" at the Sound On Screen Film Festival 2016, and has been given much praise for its unconventional and observational approach to its subject matter. This is an unfiltered view behind the veil of imagery and myth that surrounds this genre. The scenes are at times funny and surprising, and at other times surreal and disturbing. They show the extent to which humans are willing to go in pursuit of what they believe in.

The film was awarded the Grand Jury Honorable Mention at Nordic/Docs 2016 in Fredrikstad, Norway, and also received favorable feedback after screening at IFFR - International Film Festival Rotterdam, Nordisk Panorama, Buffalo International Film Festival, Kosmorama International Film Festival, CIMMfest and Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre, just to name a few.

Bonus Materials

* "White Metal Ministry", a short documentary on Christian black metal (17 minutes)* Colombian Satanic Ritual (extended scene) (26 minutes)- "He Fought With A Bear And Lost", interview with Nocturno Culto of DARKTHRONE (9 minutes)* "It's About Looking Good On Stage", an interview with Obsidian C of KEEP OF KALESSIN (7 minutes)* Music Video: FROM THE VASTLAND - "Blackhearts" (6 minutes)* Music Video: KHONSU - "Visions Of Nehaya" (3 minutes)

To order the DVD, visit the MVD Shop or Amazon.

Fan-filmed video footage of DREAM THEATER's February 17 performance at Partille Arena in Partille, Sweden can be seen below.

DREAM THEATER is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its milestone RIAA-gold-certified album "Images And Words" on a European tour, which kicked off on January 30 in Rome, Italy. Each performance sees the iconic progressive rock band delivering an unparalleled live set of "Images And Words" in its entirety along with fan favorites from their renowned catalogue.

Asked if he had any idea — prior to the "Images And Words" release — of the success the album would eventually become, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci told Metal Insider: "Not at all. The whole situation was very uncertain. We had put out our first album, 'When Day And Dream Unite', and we didn't do any touring or anything for that. We did some press. People seemed to like it but it just ended. We decided to switch lead singers, and we went on this very long singer hunt for like a year and a half. We weren't really crazy about the label, so we were singerless, labelless, and holding jobs down teaching guitar and doing other things. We started to wonder if we would have an opportunity to do this again as a band. When Derek Oliver from Atco expressed interest, the very first thing they did was more of a development deal. We recorded a few songs from 'Images And Words' as a demo. By the time we went to actually do the album and got James [LaBrie] as a singer, we were just ecstatic to be able to do it again. We didn't even think it was going to amount to anything, we were just incredibly grateful to be back in the studio."

Regarding how DREAM THEATER approached "Images And Words" as opposed to "When Day And Dream Unite", Petrucci said: "With 'When Day And Dream Unite', we were really young and we had just got signed, we had a very short period of time to record it. We went as a band to live together in Pennsylvania and then we would go in and record. We really didn't have any experience. 'Images' was a bit later and we had more experience, some more gear, and some more ideas about what we wanted to do. The studio we were in was beautiful. It felt like we had more time to do it. Things like that. It was still a situation where we had a producer (David Prater) who was directing the whole ship, but yeah. The experience was very wide-eyed and exciting, and it was like a whirlwind. 'Images' was more of a conscious experience when we had more time and were a little bit more grounded at that point."

Petrucci also talked about DREAM THEATER's biggest hit to date, "Pull Me Under", which was included on "Images And Words". Asked if he ever thought the song would get played on the radio or that it would have MTV success, Petrucci said: "No, we didn't think that way at all. We were into writing progressive metal. We were all big fans of YES and RUSH, but we also liked METALLICA and other bands. We came out with this stuff that didn't have the normal pop structure, the songs were long. 'Pull Me Under' was at least eight minutes. Originally, 'A Change Of Seasons' was supposed to be on 'Images', but the label voted against that. The whole nature of the album wasn't really geared towards commercial standards. After we went on tour, that song started to gain legs from requests. We had no idea what was happening. We had to quickly film a video on tour at a club because we didn't have a video and it just grew from there. It was unintentional."

DREAM THEATER recently completed the second leg of its extensive North American headline tour which found the group performing its widely acclaimed double concept album "The Astonishing" in immersive and interactive settings for a unique and unmatched live experience.

Finland's Ember Falls released a video for the track "Rising Tide" to coincide with the release of their new album on February 17th. Check it out below.

 

Former Amaranthe vocalist Jake E. recently checked in with the following update:

"In the beginning of 2017 the young and up and coming Finnish band Ember Falls will release their debut album through Spinefarm/Universal Music. I had the honor and the great privilege to produce the album as well co-write a lot of the songs. The album was mixed by no other then the Danish master producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Epica), and it was fun to work side by side with him once again, but in a completely different role this time."

The album tracklist is as follows:

"The Cost of Doing Business"
"Falling Rain"
"Of Letting Go"
"The Enemy You Need"
"Freedom"
"COE"
"Rising Tide"
"Open Your Eyes"
"One More Time"
"Shut Down with Me"
"The Lamb Lies Down in Sacrifice"

Righteous Vendetta have revealed another track off their upcoming full-length record, Cursed. The new song, "War Is Killing Us All" can be heard below. The preorder for Cursed is available now at Indie Merch, iTunes, and the Amazon widget below. Cursed is set for release March 17th via Century Media Records.

Speaking on the creative journey behind the making of Cursed, the band states:

"After two years of writing and recording we are beyond excited to finally release this album with Century Media. For anyone that follows us, they know this has been a long process. But patience has paid off, because we feel that we have crafted the best album we possibly can."

“We challenged ourselves and pushed our creative limits,” states frontman Ryan Hayes. From the riffy hard rock bludgeon of opening track, “War Is Killing Us All” to the radio-ready hook-fest of “Weight Of The World”, Cursed is the sound of a band moving from strength to strength. “We wrote 30, 40 songs and really figured out who we are in the process.” Add to that a non-stop itinerary of live shows where the energized five-piece ensnare new fans and followers, Righteous Vendetta are burning rubber on their way to contender status.

In addition to their upcoming record, Righteous Vendetta will hit the road next month on a US tour building up the release of Cursed. In anticipation of these dates, members of the band state:

"Along with the release of our new album we are announcing a bunch of tour dates. We are excited to get back on a heavy touring schedule and return to some of our favorite cities!"

"Weight Of The World":

Teaser:

   

Excalibur, the legendary Spanish heavy metal band formed back in 1984, have signed a deal with Fighter Records for the release of their third album, titled Humo Negro ("Black Smoke"), coming later this spring.

After a couple of demos in '84 and '87, Excalibur released their debut album in '88 under the title of Generación Maldita ("Damned Generation"), which has the honor of being the heavy metal record with the highest selling price in Spain - no more and no less than 1600 Euros! Bad luck followed this record: only 100 copies were saved from destruction, which means it's one of the most sought-after treasures of Spanish heavy metal/rock.

In 1996, Excalibur recorded their second album, Cero, which was never commercialized, remaining unreleased still today. In 2013, the band returned with a new EP, Más Duros ("Harder"). Now in 2017, Excalibur has finished what will be their third full-length album, Humo Negro, where they represent the purest and most traditional Spanish heavy metal/hard rock, and will be released, promoted, and distributed both nationally and internationally by Fighter Records, the new division of Xtreem Music devoted to traditional metal sounds.

Soon, Fighter Records will reveal more details about Humo Negro, as well as its release date.

Finland-based melodic rock band, The Nights, have released a teaser video for their upcoming debut album.

Says the band: "Well, here you go. Finally. First soundbytes from our upcoming album. Enjoy! We know it's only a teaser but stay tuned. More exciting info about our near future coming next week."

The Nights was formed in the summer of 2015 by Sami Hyde (vocals) and Ilkka Wirtanen (guitar). Both Sami and Ilkka have successful careers in music, in Finland and abroad.

Sami has been a singer for many acts and projects, including the Tony Mills Band (Shy, TNT) in 2008 which also included Geoff Nichols (Black Sabbath) on keyboards and Neil Hibbs (Shy) on guitar. He has also written songs for many artists, including The Magnificent ("If It Takes All Night", "Lost", and "Drive").

Ilkka Wirtanen is best known for his work as a producer with international acts like glam metal band Reckless Love, for whom he has produced four albums and co-written many of their popular songs, including "Hot" and "Night On Fire". He has also produced several other rock bands (Baton Rogue Morgue, Hellcity Punks) and worked as a mixer for international acts (S.E.X. Department).

The Nights was formed because Sami and Ilkka felt a common need to write songs that “make you feel good and also give tribute to our everlasting heroes in music, for example TNT and Yngwie Malmsteen.” Frontiers interest was piqued by their songs featuring a superb mixture of classic pop melodies and modern melodic rock/metal production and the band was signed.

DEZPERADOZ will release their new album "Call of the Wild" on 05.05.2017 via Drakkar, cover artwork and track list available.

"Call of the Wild":
01. W.H. Bonney
02. Hell & Back
03. Call Of The Wild
04. Silver City Shuffle
05. 600 Miles (The Escape)
06. All The Long Way Home
07. Bullets N' Bones (The House)
08. Lincoln County War (The Regulators)
09. Mexican Standoff (Interlude)
10. Thirty Silver Dollars
11. Back In The Saddle (Hello Bob)
12. Fandango
13. Smile As My Last Day Ends

Minneapolis, MN-based technical death metallists, Reaping Asmodeia, are streaming the song “Irreversible Evolution” (listen below), featured on the band’s new album,  Impuritize, which will be released on February 24th via Prosthetic Records.

The new track, along with two previous singles ("Defenestration" and "Of Talons And Teeth"), can be instantly downloaded with any digital pre-order of Impuritize from Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon or Google Play. CD pre-orders can also be purchased at this location.

The band are also excited to share the latest episode of their documentary series, RA Confidential, as they debut episode #3, Origins. Check out the story on how the band was formed in the below video. Previous episodes are also available.

Mixed and mastered by Zach Ohren (Fallujah, First Fragment), Impuritize combines sheer brutality with meticulous technicality to craft one of the finest extreme death metal albums of the year.

The album's artwork was created by Eddie Danger of Unlimited Visual (Born Of Osiris) and can be viewed below.

Tracklisting:

“The Clemency Guise”
“Defenestration”
“Of Talons And Teeth”
“Hidebound”
“Carnal Declivity”
“Irreversible Evolution”
“Virulent Exposure”
“Collage Of Toxins”
“Ritual Of Ignorance”

“Irreversible Evolution”:

Impuritize by Reaping Asmodeia

“Defenestration” lyric video:

“Of Talons And Teeth” video:

Teaser:

R.A. Confidential Part 1:

R.A. Confidential Part 2:

R.A. Confidential Part 3:

Coinciding with the new album release on February 24th, the band will play a hometown record release show at Beaners in Duluth, Minn. before venturing across the US on a headlining jaunt throughout March. Full dates can be found in the below admat:

Reaping Asmodeia linup:

Steven Lane -Vocals
Alex Kelly - Guitar
Daniel Koppy - Drums
Roman Pinter - Bass

On March 10th, American musician Nick Douglas will release his second solo album, entitled Regenerations, in North America via Metalville Records.

Most noted for his work with the Doro Pesch for the past 25 years, Douglas has recorded several albums with Doro and has backed her on stages across the globe. Throughout the years, Douglas has also lent his talents to tours and recorded works with Blaze Bayley and Chris Caffery.

Regenerations was recorded and produced mostly at Douglas’ own studio and he performed nearly all instrumentation himself. The result is a contemporary rock album featuring eleven catchy tracks with real hit potential.

Douglas says, “The songs on Regenerations were written over the course of about 15 years. I've learned and changed so much through this time and the lyrics reflect that. That's how the name of the album came about. Letting go of old ways and growing into something new.”

Tracklisting:

“Come Alive”
“All On Me”
“Before You Break” (feat. Sharlotte Gibson)
“I Need Real”
“Didn't We Try”
“My Lucky Day”
“Uncomfortable”
“The Soul You Keep”
“Blackwood”
“You Break”
“Blue” (feat. Rebecca Gowarty)

Nick Douglas is an American musician, best known for being the bass player in the band of Doro Pesch for more than 25 years. At the age of 19, he became a member of the heavy metal band Deadly Blessing from Turnersville, New Jersey, with which he wrote and recorded songs for their first album, titled Ascend from the Cauldron, on New Renaissance Records in 1988.

In late 1989, he decided to leave the band and moved to New York City. In the summer of 1990, Douglas auditioned for the German hard rock singer Doro Pesch and was chosen among many candidates. Douglas has been the bassist of Doro's band since then and recorded several albums with her, touring often in Europe as well as rest of the world.

Nick Douglas has also worked with Blaze Bayley's band Blaze for the tours of 2004 and 2005. In 2005, he also played bass for Chris Caffery on his Faces tour and at the end of the same year he participated in a reunion of Deadly Blessing for some live performances and the release of an album containing rare and previously unreleased material.

In 2007, Douglas played bass on one track on Chris Caffery’s third solo album Pins And Needles, afterwards going on tour with both Caffery and Doro. He also started making plans to release a new solo CD, to which he devoted time to in the breaks between touring.

Regenerations was recorded and produced mostly at Nick’s own studio. Nick also played nearly all instruments by himself. The result is a contemporary rock album featuring 11 catchy tracks with real hit potential. The songs were written over a 15 year period. And now Nick thought it was the right time to record them all for a solo album.

New Jersey metal act, Fit For An Autopsy, have debuted the new track, “Iron Moon”, featured on their upcoming new album, The Great Collapse. The song is available for streaming below.

“The Great Collapse is a reflection on the current chaotic state of mankind’s relationship with the world, and it’s effect both outward and inward,” says founding guitarist/producer Will Putney. “It’s a dark and unsettling record that encapsulates a variety of approaches to aggressive music, and a definite expansion of our capabilities as a band.”

The Great Collapse will be the the band's fourth full length record, continuing the momentum gained from a solid 200+ days of worldwide touring backing the buzz-worthy release of Absolute Hope Absolute Hell in late 2015, as well The Depression Sessions, a split release with The Acacia Strain and Thy Art Is Murder in 2016. “It’s going to be the strongest record in our catalog. The overall mood and atmosphere of this album feels fully realized and emotionally stirring.”

The Great Collapse is set to release on March 17th via Entertainment One (eOne) / Good Fight Music in North America, Long Branch Records in Europe, and SPV overseas. Artist Adam Burke was tapped to create the visually stunning cover art seen below.

Tracklisting:

“Hydra”
“Heads Will Hang”
“Black Mammoth”
“Terraform”
“Iron Moon”
“When The Bulbs Burn Out”
“Too Late”
“Empty Still”
“Spiral”

“Iron Moon”:

“Heads Will Hang” video:

The crushing music of Fit For An Autopsy is for any fan of extreme metal, as it’s devoid of preachy politics or grandstanding soapboxing, but its sound and fury is absolutely unflinching in purpose. The band expertly blends excessive-force fueled death metal with atmospheric groove and impassioned personal diatribes, reflecting back the dark state of current events. Their fourth album, The Great Collapse, doesn’t waste time with fantasy bullshit or cliché gore horror. Fit For An Autopsy are metal guys, to be certain, but they grew up in the hardcore scene. They embrace the responsibility to put as much devoted purpose into their lyrics and message as they do into their dense, heady, songs, forging a magnificently powerful new post-deathcore.

“When I write a song, I’m trying to feel emotionally connected to it. I really don’t like saying things that don’t matter over music that I want to matter,” says Putney, guitarist, principal songwriter and cofounder. “We’ve always addressed serious topics going back to our first album. We aren’t a politically charged band up on a podium yelling at people – anybody can relate to the aggression, anger, frustration, and sadness often communicated in our music. But we absolutely raise important questions in the lyrics. Those themes are there to discover.”

Putney’s fellow guitarist/cofounder, Patrick Sheridan, strongly agrees. He emphasizes that while the music of Fit For An Autopsy may evolve it will always be aggressive and will always have purpose. “We think it's important to carry that torch. Somebody's got to say something about the shit that's going on. If you're not using your music, which is a great platform, for something meaningful that you care about on some level, then you're kind of wasting it.”

The six-men of the New Jersey based group - which includes vocalist Joe Badolato, bassist Peter Spinazola, third guitarist Tim Howley, and drummer Josean Orta - put maximum intentionality into everything they do. They are constantly challenging themselves as musicians, adding to the band’s overall creative arsenal, connecting with audiences around the world, and supporting one another in the band as individual people.

Fit For An Autopsy is set to take part in the Carry The Flame Tour featuring After The Burial, Emmure and Fit For A King, this spring. All dates can be found here.

(Photo - Bobby Bates)

Swedish horror death metal outfit, Vampire, have released a static video for “Ghoul Wind”, a track from their upcoming second full length album, With Primeval Force.

With Primeval Force will be released on April 21st as limited deluxe CD Digipak (unfolding to cross shape) and deluxe LP (with Gatefold sleeve, 180 g vinyl and 12-page LP-booklet). The album cover is a monstrous piece of handcrafted art by renowned artist Nick Keller.

With the release of their self-titled debut album and the follow-up EP Cimmerian Shade, Vampire have made quite an impression on the scene of extreme metal with their unique mixture of harsh Teutonic thrash metal riffs, sombrous melodies and ghoulish vocals from the grave. Now Vampire will return with the worthy successor of previous deeds, With Primeval Force, offering nine tracks of furious and nightmarish death/thrash metal. Still remaining true to the path they have chosen, Vampire have further embedded a dimension of eeriness, a baleful aura that indwells every track like a black spell.

A rough mix version of the album track “Skull Prayer” has already been made available. Check it out below:

Vampire lineup:

Hand of Doom: Vocals
Black String: Guitars
Command: Electric Bass
Sepulchral Condor: Guitars
Abysmal Condor: Battery

(Photo - Anders Bergstedt)

Cult Of Luna has released a video featuring “The Sweep” and “Light Chaser” from their upcoming CD/DVD package of live recordings, entitled Years In A Day, and due for release on April 21st. Watch the new clip below.

The band states: “A few years ago we took the decision to keep touring to a minimum. The sole reason was to prevent us from burning out, to keep the flame and the passion burning. But the experiences on the road that we've shared for almost 20 years has been life changing for all of us. It has boned us together like brothers and we have been given the privilege to interact with incredible people all around the globe. So we thought it was time to release a special object related to the live aspect of Cult Of Luna and how we have progressed since the release of Fire Was Born eight years ago.”

Years In A Day will contain:

• A 2-hour DVD captured in Paris last year at La Gaîté Lyrique
• 2 live CD set from Roadburn Festival 2013 and 2016
• A 20-page booklet
• Download-code for HD video of the entire Paris show + audio files
• All combined in a stunning 10-inch vinyl sized trifold package
• Strictly limited to 7,000 copies only

Pre-orders at cultofluna.com.

Tracklisting:

DVD: Live at La Gaîté Lyrique, Paris
“The Sweep”
“Light Chaser”
“Owlwood”
“Echoes”
“I: The Weapon”
“Waiting For You”
“Marching To The Heartbeats”
“Finland”
“Back To Chapel Town”
“And With Her Came The Birds”
“Thirtyfour”
“Dim”
“Dark City Dead Man”

CD: Live At Roatburn 2013
“The One”
“I: The Weapon”
“Ghost Trail”
“Finland”
“Vicarious Redemption”
“Owlwood”
“In Awe Of”

CD: Somewhere Along The Highway Live At Roadburn 2016
“Marching To The Heartbeats”
“Finland”
“Back To Chapel Town”
“And With Her Came The Birds”
“Thirtyfour”
“Dim”
“Dark City Dead Man”

“The Sweep” / “Light Chaser”:

Trailer:

Amsterdam based metal band, The Charm The Fury, will release their sophomore album, The Sick, Dumb & Happy, on March 17th via Nuclear Blast (worldwide) and Arising Empire (Europe). Today, vocalist Caroline Westendorp and drummer Mathijs Tieken discuss how the band have progressed since their 2012 EP. In addition, offering some insight on the moments leading up to their signing with Nuclear Blast Records. Watch two trailers below.

Pre-order your copy of The Sick, Dumb & Happy here. Pre-order your copy of the album on either iTunes or Amazon and receive a download for "Down On The Ropes" instantly.

The album was recorded at Wisseloord, ICP Belgium. The mixing was completed by Josh Wilbur (Megadeth, Lamb Of God) with additional mixing by Stefan Glaumann (Within Temptation, Paradise Lost). Ted Jensen (Machine Head, Death Angel) of Sterling Sound in New York City and  Brian 'Big Bass' Gardner (David Bowie, Gemini Syndrome) handled the mastering of The Sick, Dumb & Happy..

Tracklisting:

“Down On The Ropes”
“Echoes”
“Weaponized”
“No End In Sight”
“Blood And Salt”
“Corner Office Maniacs”
“The Future Need Us Not”
“Silent War”
“The Hell In Me”
“Songs Of Obscenity”
“Break And Dominate”

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

“Down On The Ropes” video:

“Down On The Ropes” vide behind the scenes:

Teaser trailer:

Lineup:

Caroline Westendorp - Vocals
Mathijs Tieken - Drums
Rolf Perdok - Guitars
Martijn Slegtenhorst - Guitars
Lucas Arnoldussen - Bass

Royal Thunder's unique, genre-bending sound has been turning heads since guitarist Josh Weaver founded the band in Atlanta, GA. His songwriting, plus bassist Mlny Parsonz's soul-searing vocals, have led to worldwide critical acclaim. Now, Royal Thunder have confirmed that their forthcoming album will be titled Wick. Spinefarm Records will release the album worldwide on April 7th. The album track, “April Showers”, is available for streaming below.

"Wick is different, a bigger jump as far as our sound goes. But it's still us - it's just the sound of Royal Thunder's evolution," said Weaver.

"Out of all of the albums, Wick was the hardest one to make. It was a fight, but to hear it now, to see it finished, is so gratifying. Finally it's over, it's amazing to be done with it. I'm looking at it, going we're done, it's over, be free,” said Parsonz.

Wick will carry the band's ambition and imprint out into the world. Prepare to be moved.

Wick tracklisting:

“Burning Tree”
“April Showers”
“Tied”
“We Slipped”
“The Sinking Chair”
“Plans”
“Anchor”
“Wick”
“Push”
“Turnaround”
“The Well”
“We Never Fell Asleep”

“April Showers”:

When haunting songs at the interface between hard rock and melodic metal meet with the excellent musical skills and extensive experience of all musicians involved, the result is bound to be brilliant. The Unity are a prime example of this, all musical parameters pointing to an outstanding act with a promising future.

After all, The Unity is the new group founded by Gamma Ray members Michael Ehré (drums) and Henjo Richter (guitar). Richter has been part of the Hamburg power metal outfit for some twenty years, while Ehré’s CV includes – prior to his joining the Gamma Ray fold in 2012 – renowned names such as Firewind, Uli Jon Roth and Unisonic, to name but a few. The Unity have spent almost 18 months working flat out on their first album, scheduled for release on Steamhammer/SPV on May 5th 2017. You don’t have to be a clairvoyant to predict a bright future for this band.

After all, in The Unity the two instrumentalists and composers Richter and Ehré have surrounded themselves with excellent colleagues who not only share their artistic vision but have already played live on stage with them in other constellations: many fans have been familiar with exceptional Italian vocalist Gianba Manenti, guitarist Stef E, bassist Jogi Sweers and keyboardist Sascha Onnen since the launch of Ehré’s group Love.Might.Kill, which has released two albums to date and played shows in a large number of European countries.

The Unity debut was produced by the musicians themselves, mostly at Ehré’s own B Castle Studio and mixed and mastered by Spain’s Miquel A. Riutort at the Psychosomatic Recording Studio. The impressive cover artwork, penned by Alexander Mertsch who has worked for the likes of Deep Purple, Gamma Ray, Status Quo and Europe, also deserves a mention.

Tracklisting:

“Rise And Fall”
“No More Lies”
“God Of Temptation”
“Firesign”
“Always Just You”
“Close To Crazy”
“The Wishing Well”
“Edens Fall”
“Redeemer”
“Super Distortion”
“Killer Instinct”
“Never Forget”

“Rise And Fall” lyric video:

The Unity will be released as CD digi (incl. poster), double gatefold LP, download and stream.

Tour dates:

May (with Sinner)
12 - Wetzikon, Switzerland - Hall Of Fame
13 - Memmingen, Germany - Kaminwerk
14 - Essen, Germany - Turock
16 - Nürnberg, Germany - Hirsch
17 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
18 - Mannheim, Germany - 7er Live Club
19 - Markneukirchen, Germany - Framus&Warwick Music Hall
20 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust

The Unity CD release show:

May
27 - Nordenham, Germany - Jahnhalle (plus special guests)

Rare video footage of Canadian hard rock/heavy metal band Helix, performing “Good To The Last Drop” in 1993, is available for streaming below.

Says leader Brian Vollmer: “This video was shot at our show in Kitchener, Ontario in 1993 at a club called Stages. On guitars are Mark Chichkan (SL) and Greg Fraser (SR). Dary is on bass, Fritz on drums, I'm singing. The song is “Good To The Last Drop”, a tune I wrote with Mark Ribler in Brooklyn, New York around 1989. The song eventually ended up on the Back For Another Taste album and became a big hit for us in Canada. I believe Phil Kates did the video for this song.”

"Our new EP, The Pretty EP is available today digitally on iTunes and equivalent sites in respective countries for purchase and is streaming on sites like Spotify, etc," says recently reunited Canadian rockers The Age Of Electric - fronted by Todd Kerns from Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. "We've come a long way since The Ugly EP, as a band and as people which is what prompted the title. Full circle if you will."

"We have also decided to make a CD version of the EP, which is available for pre-order now at this location and will ship the first week of March, if not sooner. It will also be available at all upcoming shows along with the LP reissue of Make A Pest A Pet. The upcoming tour is our only booked shows presently, and while we are working on trying to add more, we strongly encourage you to purchase tickets to any of the announced shows sooner than later. Thank you so much for your support and interest over the years!"

The cover art for The Pretty EP has just been unveiled:

Catch The Age Of Electric live in concert:

March
24 – Vancouver, BC - Commodore
31 – Edmonton, AB - Union Hall

April
1 – Calgary, AB - Marquee
4 – Regina, SK - The Exchange
5 - Saskatoon, SK - O'Brians Event Centre
6 – Winnipeg, MB - Canad Inns
7 – Thunder Bay, ON - Crock’s
10 – St. Catharines, ON - Warehouse 
12 – Waterloo, ON - Maxwell’s Music House
13 – Toronto, ON - Mod Club
14 – London, ON - London Music Hall
15 – Oshawa, ON - Oshawa Music Hall

Below is a lyric video for the song "Keys", which appears on The Pretty EP - the first new release from The Age Of Electric in 20 years.

Earache Records has issued a Full Dynamic Range (FDR) vinyl repress of Morbid Angel’s classic album, Altars Of Madness.

Says the label: “Arguably the greatest death metal album of all time, Altars Of Madness by Floridan legends Morbid Angel will be available on vinyl once again, this time having been given the FDR treatment that improved other classic metal albums from the likes of Carcass, Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower and Entombed amongst others.

“For those of you still unaware, our Full Dynamic Range releases were made in response to the so-called "loudness wars", with the dynamic range of music being restricted more and more in an effort to make it sound louder. These releases, on the other hand, deliver music at its optimum sound level dynamically, leaving the listener to decide on the playback level. In essence, you head the tracks as they were made and intended to sound, with no loss of quality.”

Available on:

* Darkside Black (March 31st)
* Immortal White (Shipping Now)
* Blasphemy Yellow (Shipping Now)

Order at this location.

Tracklisting:

Side A:
“Immortal Rites”
“Suffocation”
“Visions From The Dark Side”
“Maze Of Torment”

Side B:
“Chapel Of Ghouls”
“Bleed For The Devil”
“Damnation”
“Blasphemy”
“Evil Spells”

Trailer:

In late 2016, Ånge, Sweden-based aggressive rock act, Corroded, signed with Despotz Records for the release of their new album, Defcon Zero, which will see the light of day in April of this year, preceded by the single, "Fall Of A Nation”, out today. You can now stream the new single below.

The band says, "Friends and foes, ladies and germs, the wait is finally over. Our latest single “Fall Of A Nation”, from the upcoming album Defcon Zero, will strike down upon you like a sledgehammer. When you have listened to its might and fall down to the floor in awe, the only thing that we can say to you is in the words of Shakespeare, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.”

In addition, Despotz will digitally release the band's back catalogue (previously only available via Ninetone / Universal), Eleven Shades Of Black (2009), Exit To Transfer (2010), and State Of Disgrace (2012). The three albums will also be made available on vinyl later in the year.

Their debut album, Eleven Shades Of Black. marks the first strike: the single “Time And Again“ was chosen as the title and theme song for the Swedish version of the reality show Survivor (called Expedition Robinson in Sweden) and put the band on the map overnight. Consequently the album cracked the Swedish Top 3 by entering at #2 on the charts.

Exit To Transfer, their sophomore effort, peaked at #6 on the charts, supported by a sold out Scandinavian tour with US melodic metal monsters Avenged Sevenfold in the fall of 2010 alongside two showcases at the established Berlin, Germany music fair Popkomm. At this point, Corroded had finally made an impact beyond Swedish borders. But even more important was their contribution to the renowned computer game Battlefield, with “Age Of Rage“ being picked up as the game’s theme song.

A lineup change didn't stop the band's third release, State Of Disgrace, from slamming into the Swedish charts once again at #2.

METALLICA was named "Best International Band" at the 2017 NME Awards, held Wednesday night (February 15) at the O2 Academy in Brixton, south London, England.

The group was up against the likes of TAME IMPALA, GREEN DAY, KINGS OF LEON, A TRIBE CALLED QUEST and TEGAN AND SARA in the category.

The band couldn't make it to the ceremony due to other commitments, but sent a short video of them accepting the award in Copenhagen.

The annual awards are voted on by readers of the NME music news title.

The North American leg of METALLICA's "WorldWired" 2017 tour kicks off on May 10 in Baltimore, Maryland and will hit stadiums in 25 cities before winding down in mid-August. Support on the quartet's first North American trek since 2009 will come mainly from AVENGED SEVENFOLD and VOLBEAT, with GOJIRA taking over for the latter group for the last six shows.

General ticket sales start today (Friday, February 17) at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Each ticket purchased will come with a copy of METALLICA's new album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", available as a physical CD or a digital download. Various VIP packages are up for sale as well.

METALLICA has also announced the formation of its All Within My Hands Foundation, which will raise funds through ticket sales to support national, local and Bay Area charities selected by the band members, while continuing to donate to music education programs and local food banks.

Canadian hard rockers KOBRA AND THE LOTUS will release their new album, "Prevail I", on May 12 via Napalm Records. The disc was produced by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, AMARANTHE, EPICA) and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Ted Jensen.

The first single from the disc, a track called "Gotham", can be streamed below.

Frontwoman Kobra Paige states about the story of "Prevail I", the band's most ambitious effort to date: "When we are born, we are innocent, pure, and unshaped. This mandala signifies a human at the beginning of its journey. Unscathed and beautiful, the mandala is each and every one of us. As this album unfolds, you will notice it's more than just music. 'Prevail I' is a story of visceral truth and I believe, if we're really being honest with ourselves, everyone will find their story within it. After all, the battles may differ, but we all started as the same mandala and we are more relatable than we'd like to admit. Our only wish is that you may enjoy the freaking crap out of this album and find comfort in realizing you’re not alone."

"Prevail I" track listing:

01. Gotham02. TriggerPulse03. You Don’t Know04. Specimen X (Mortal Chamber)05. Light Me Up06. Manifest Destiny07. Victim08. Check The Phyrg09. Hell On Earth10. Prevail

Evolution is inevitable and KOBRA AND THE LOTUS has delivered its most powerful album to date, "Prevail I", with "Prevail II" to complete the story in the not-too-distant future.

Led by Kobra Paige, KOBRA AND THE LOTUS has been making a name for itself worldwide since 2010 with extensive touring and three well-received albums.

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS is loaded with exquisite precision, heavy emotion, vocal brilliance and grand-scale dynamics, highlighting the glories of classic heavy metal and rock. Known for their exceptionally strong live shows, they proudly carry the flag for all metal/hard rock fans.

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS is:

Kobra Paige (vocals)Jasio Kulakowski (guitars)Brad Kennedy (bass)Marcus Lee (drums)

The song "Killing Ourselves To Live" from former SISTER SIN vocalist Liv "Sin" Jagrell, can be streamed below. The track, which features a guest appearance by DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier, was produced by longtime U.D.O. bassist Fitty Wienhold and will be featured on Liv's debut solo album, "Follow Me", which will be released on April 28 via the Swedish label Despotz Records. The effort was co-produced by longtime ACCEPT and U.D.O. member Stefan Kaufmann.

From the gutters of south Sweden, Jagrell emerged as a major force as the vocalist for hard rockers SISTER SIN. Throughout their 13-year career, SISTER SIN sold thousands of albums and toured the world with high-profile tours supporting the likes of SLAYER and KING DIAMOND on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, as well as being a part of the Revolver magazine "Hottest Chicks In Metal" tour. SISTER SIN toured relentlessly for over a decade across Europe and North America garnering an intensely loyal following of rockers that craved the band's aggressive and melodic brand of hard rock.

When SISTER SIN called it quits at the end of 2015, Liv knew that she had much more to give to her fans. From this, LIV SIN was born. Liv's new music shows the power, sexiness, and attitude that she is known for.

Liv said: "For me, it has never been an option to stop singing. I live for the stage and for my fans. I still miss SISTER SIN, but I am very excited to work on my own project, and I can promise it will not be some soft pop rock. This is going to be metal deluxe, because that's who I am!"

LIV SIN offers a modernized hard rock sound to take Liv into her next phase, a sound that is destined to please both new fans and her longtime fans of SISTER SIN.

"Follow Me" track listing:

01. The Fall02. Hypocrite03. Let Me Out04. Black Souls05. Godless Utopia06. Endless Roads07. Killing Ourself To Live08. I'm Your Sin09. Emperor Of Chaos10. Immortal Sin11. The Beast Inside

Liv recently told East Texas Music Scene about the end of SISTER SIN: "There are no hard feelings, but the parting wasn't exactly mutual. Neither me nor Dave [Sundberg, drums] wanted to end the band. We totally understand that not everyone felt that way and you can't force people to play with you. So it was probably for the best before something got infected 'cause of people touring even if they were too burnt out from it."

"No Lives Matter", the new video from BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Bloodlust", which will be released on March 31 via Century Media.

"Bloodlust" was recorded with producer Will Putney (MISS MAY I, UPON A BURNING BODY), who also helmed 2014's "Manslaughter".

The new CD will feature guest appearances by Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, SEPULTURA), MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe. The effort will also contain BODY COUNT's medley of the SLAYER songs "Postmortem" and "Raining Blood".

"Bloodlust" track listing:

01. Civil War (feat. Dave Mustaine)02. The Ski Mask Way03. This Is Why We Ride04. All Love Is Lost (feat. Max Cavalera)05. Raining Blood / Postmortem (SLAYER medley)06. God, Please Believe Me07. Walk With Me… (feat. Randy Blythe)08. Here I Go Again09. No Lives Matter10. Bloodlust11. Black Hoodie

Ice-T recently told Revolver magazine about "Bloodlust": "Making records is a very interesting process. You work really hard on something and finish it and then you'll be, like, 'Yo, that sounds like somebody else's record.' Or, 'Hey, didn't we just make that record three days ago?'

"One time we did two songs in a row and afterwards I looked at them and said, 'That's the same riff in each song.' So we had to pick one. But in the end, we came up with some very aggressive and cool music."

He added: "I like to start with hot metal tracks that you can listen to without a word on them and go, 'Wow, that was just like fire!’ The music tells me what the song is about, and that's when the words start coming to me. Then it's up to me not to fuck it up."

As for the choice of album title, Ice-T said: "Bloodlust is part of the human makeup. Murder is about as normal as love. It's in our nature to want to get violent and kill, but we know there are consequences. That's why we like violent movies, video games and combat sports. It's in our DNA. It's what we are."

"Manslaughter" sold around 3,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 102 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 10, 2014 via Sumerian.

BODY COUNT's current lineup includes guitarist Juan Garcia (a.k.a. Juan Of The Dead; AGENT STEEL, EVILDEAD), who made his live debut with the group in November 2013 at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas.

Ice-T previously collaborated with SLAYER on a medley of three THE EXPLOITED songs for the 1993 "Judgment Night" soundtrack.

The official video for "The Venomous", a brand new song from Greek/Swedish melodic death metallers NIGHTRAGE, can be seen below. The track is the title cut of the band's seventh album, which will be released on March 31 via Despotz Records. The disc was recorded at Zero Gravity Studios in Athens with producer Terry Nikas.

Says the band: "The NIGHTRAGE sound is evolving and we are ready to take it to new exciting and creative heights. We cannot wait to unleash this out into the world!"

According to a press release, "The Venomous" "is a relentless tale of extinction, told with as much venomous aggression as there are intriguing and mesmerizing melodies. Memorable hooks and some of the catchiest choruses that metal has seen in decades does nothing to compromise the brutality and honesty that NIGHTRAGE is known for. The music is catchy and extreme. Lyrically, the album deals with the failure of mankind and how we as human beings are racing towards our own extinction."

NIGHTRAGE recently announced the addition of Magnus Söderman on guitar and Lawrence Dinamarca on drums.

NIGHTRAGE's sixth studio album, "The Puritan", was released in April 2015 via Despotz Records. The CD marked vocalist Ronnie Nyman's recorded debut with NIGHTRAGE after he performed with the band on its Japanese and Russian tours.

NIGHTRAGE was founded in 2000 in Greece by Marios Iliopoulos and his close friend, Gus G., who departed after the band's second album, "Descent Into Chaos". During the band's 16-year career, NIGHTRAGE has released six studio albums and toured across Europe, the U.S., Canada and Asia while employing various musicians from AT THE GATES, EVERGREY, DARK TRANQUILLITY, AMARANTHE and FIREWIND.

NIGHTRAGE is: Marios Iliopoulos - GuitarRonnie Nyman - VocalsAnders Hammer - BassMagnus Söderman - GuitarLawrence Dinamarca - Drums

Photo credit: Soile Siirtola

"Blood Eagle", a brand new song from FIRESPAWN (formerly FIREBORN) — the Swedish death metal project featuring Lars Göran Petrov (vocals; ENTOMBED) and Victor Brandt (guitar; ENTOMBED), Alex Friberg (bass; NECROPHOBIC), Fredrik Folkare (guitar; UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) and Matte Modin (drums; DARK FUNERAL, DEFLESHED) — can be streamed below. The track is taken from FIRESPAWN's sophomore album, "The Reprobate", which will be released on April 28 via Century Media. The follow-up to 2015's "Shadow Realms" is described in a press release as "a merciless piece of evil, ferocious and blasphemous death metal."

The cover artwork for "The Reprobate" is an excerpt of a huge painted piece by Paolo Girardi, who was responsible for the artwork of FIRESPAWN's debut album as well as records by BLACK BREATH, POWER TRIP, CHTHE'ILIST, MANILLA ROAD and many more. Hailing from Stockholm, FIRESPAWN is the unholy union of five death metal veterans with the aim to create blasphemous, sacrilegious and evil death metal, played by sharp minds with ancient souls. FIRESPAWN is:

Lars Göran Petrov (ENTOMBED) - VocalsVictor Brandt (ENTOMBED) - GuitarAlex Friberg (NECROPHOBIC) - BassFredrik Folkare (UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) - GuitarMatte Modin (DARK FUNERAL, DEFLESHED) – Drums

The official video for the song "Died In My Sleep" from DEMON HUNTER can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Outlive", which will be released on March 31 through a partnership with Solid State Records. The disc, which is the band's eighth overall and the follow-up to 2014's "Extremist", is now available for pre-order here.

"The video treatment for 'Died In My Sleep' was more about an overall vibe than a specific story," singer Ryan Clark told Loudwire. "The goal was to strip the concept back to strictly performance, but still deliver something visually interesting. Instead of opting for the typical desaturated tones that have become synonymous with metal videos, we pulled inspiration from the vibrant colors found in many of our favorite videos and photographs from the '90s — namely NIRVANA's video for 'Heart-Shaped Box' and the album cover for ALICE IN CHAINS' 'Facelift'."

Clark continued: "With 'sleep' being a running theme, we wanted to create a world that seemed unordinary — almost like a computer glitch-laden subconscious. We worked with Belief Agency to built a forest set on an indoor sound stage, and used projectors to cast colors and textures against the background and on the band members. It was a lot of fun to set up and just experiment with these layers."

DEMON HUNTER has shared the track listing and the final two covers for "Outlive". The covers revealed here are exclusive to both retail and to this pre-order. The first cover is for the digital and CD versions. The second cover is for the double vinyl.

The band will also release a beautifully packaged "Outlive" box set that will certainly appeal to DEMON HUNTER's legion of diehard fans. The box set includes two bonus tracks, a behind-the-scenes DVD, photo cards, booklet, poster, bandana, a ring, and more. It is housed in a drawer-style box with metallic gold detail and is a true collector piece.

Previously, the band debuted the new song and lyric video for "Cold Winter Sun".

DEMON HUNTER will make a rare live performance this summer, appearing at Chicago Open Air, which takes place July 14-16 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. The band is scheduled to perform on Sunday, July 16.

"Outlive" track listing:

01. Trying Times02. Jesus Wept03. Cold Winter Sun04. Died In My Sleep05. Half As Dead06. Cold Blood07. One Step Behind08. Raining Down09. The End10. One Less11. Patience12. Slight The Odds

"Extremist", the band's most recent album, enjoyed a Top 20 debut on The Billboard 200 in 2014. "The Last One Alive", "Artificial Light" and "I Will Fail You" received an amount of airplay unprecedented in the band's storied career, a legacy that has seen the group sell over 600,000 albums in North America. Like the album before it, "Outlive" was produced and engineered by DEMON HUNTER guitarist Jeremiah Scott (LIVING SACRIFICE, THE SHOWDOWN) with additional production by the group's longtime collaborator Aaron Sprinkle (ANBERLIN, NEW FOUND GLORY). "Outlive" was mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, QUEENSRŸCHE). "'Cold Winter Sun' is a perfect example of where we're at today, maintaining an element of classic DEMON HUNTER, but not so much as to be resting on our laurels," frontman Ryan Clark explains. "It's always been my desire to pull a healthy amount of inspiration from our past, but to also incorporate enough forward progression to keep things interesting." DEMON HUNTER formed in Seattle in 2001. The lineup features Clark alongside cofounder Jonathan Dunn (bass), drummer Tim "Yogi" Watts (drums, since 2004), lead guitarist Patrick Judge (since 2008) and guitarist Scott (since 2011). Clark remains the primary songwriter, with increasing contributions from Judge. "Patrick's contributions to 'Outlive' unveil an exciting new path for the future of the band," promises the frontman. "He wrote the music for 'Cold Winter Sun' and it's absolutely one of my favorites from the record." DEMON HUNTER's dedicated supporters wear the group's symbol and lyrics on their shirts, vests, backpacks, and in many cases, on their skin. Based in both Seattle and Nashville, the group embraces brazenly transcendent melodies, without apology, while maintaining a defiant heaviness reminiscent of the most timeless of metal. A regular attraction at festivals, in theaters, and clubs, DEMON HUNTER has visited Europe, Australia, and South America, while touring North America several times. They were a headlining act on "Scream The Prayer", co-headlined with the band RED, played as direct support to IN FLAMES and introduced their fans to bands like AUGUST BURNS RED and HASTE THE DAY, who they took on tour with them early in their career. Put simply, DEMON HUNTER is an American metal institution.