Santiago, Chile-based metal band, Half Blood, have released the second single, "Adamas”, off of their debut, eponymous full length EP. Due to release mid 2017, Half Blood is self-produced with vocal production by Logan Mader (Gojira, Cavalera Conspiracy, Fear Factory).

““Adamas" means “unconquerable, invincible,” from ancient Greek, and the song is all about living your convictions, being yourself without compromise. Be honest to yourself and with the people around you.” - Manuel Castillo (Vocals)

Tracklisting:

“Adamas”
“Self Exile”
“Crisis”
“The Choice”
“El Origen”
“Forever”
“No Future”
“Not Your Own”
“Release”
“G.T.F.A.”

“Adamas”:

Half Blood was created in late 2014 when Manuel Castillo (ex-Dissors) and Pablo Abatte (Nueve Círculos) began the search for a new live and studio, professional sound. Javier Contreras (ex-Dissors) later joined the project and together they started composing Half Blood’s first songs.

In the process of finding Half Blood’s sound, Sebastián Aguilera (ex-Wormhole Project) and Francisco Arévalo (electric bass professor from Instituto ProJazz and session musician) joined the band. After writing 15 songs and with the intention of recording they got in touch Logan Mader (ex-Machine Head and producer for Gojira, Cavalera Conspiracy, Fear Factory, etc.) who showed interest in the project and took it on.

The Half Blood debut, self-titled album was recorded at Logan Mader Studio in September 2016. Due to personal differences, Javier Contreras stepped aside, giving way to Ismael Gutiérrez (ex-Sumission and Kitsune Metaru).

Half Blood will be released in mid-2017 and will be available in physical and digital format through iTunes, Spotify, Amazon.

Band lineup:

Pablo Abatte (Drums)
Francisco Arévalo (Bass)
Manuel Castillo (Vocals)
Sebastián Aguilera (Guitar)
Ismael Gutierrez (Guitar)

Melbourne, Australia-based rockers, Mammoth Mammoth, are back to deliver another powerful addition to their impressive list of prior heavy rock’n’roll convictions.

Over the course of their career, Mammoth Mammoth have already left a stamp on the music scene and have proved to be one of Australia’s hottest and heaviest rock exports. Now the 4-piece band, well-known for their unique and energetic live shows which are fronted by the charismatic vocalist Mikey Tucker, unveil first details about the bands upcoming fourth studio album, titled Mount The Mountain, set to be released April 28th via Napalm Records.

Eleven power tracks that threaten to blow your mind, Mammoth Mammoth yet again deliver stompers that will lead us blindfolded into a hellish inferno of psyched-out riffs and debauched, fist-pumping anthems.

“We consider the writing of our albums not unlike working on a top fuelling drag car. We tinker around a bit, we strip the engine down to rebuild it by adding a couple new parts whilst taking some out, always trying to make it run faster and sounding louder, this time though we've added a bigger exhaust system and a shitload of nitrous… and a cup holder,” comments frontman Mikey Tucker on the upcoming release.

Mount The Mountain tracklisting:

“Mount The Mountain”
“Spellbound”
“Hole In The Head”
“Kickin’ My Dog”
“Procrastination”
“Sleep Walker”
“Epitome”
“Hard Way Down”
“Wild And Dead”
“Cold Liquor”
“I Cant Get You Out Of My Head” (Bonus Track)

Mount The Mountain will be available as a CD Digipack, Digital Download and LP Gatefold.

Belgian/Dutch modern metal outfit, Spoil Engine, have announced the release date and revealed the cover artwork for their upcoming album, Stormsleeper.

The album contains 10 songs (mixed and mastered at Fredman Studios) and will be officially released worldwide on May 5th via Arising Empire/Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork was created by Heilemania (Nightwish, Kreator, Legion of the Damned).

Spoil Engine are currently preparing the release and working on their EU show roster. Stay tuned for more updates soon!

In the meantime, to get a first impression of Spoil Engine, watch a music video for “Stormsleeper”:

The band recently inked a record deal with Arising Empire.

"Spoil Engine is one of the most talented new modern metal bands, we are proud to give them a home!" - Tobbe Falarz, Arising Empire

The band commented: "We are very pleased to announce that we are now part of the Arising Empire/Nuclear Blast family! Arising Empire, the new label imprint of Nuclear Blast for modern metal, punk and metalcore bands is our new label; Nuclear Blast will worldwide distribute & promote our upcoming album.

“Since the EP Stormsleeper scored extremely well in the Benelux, it will be extended to full album and released worldwide. So we will be heading to Oceanside Studio's and Fredman Sweden again soon to record some extra hyperspectral bombs! A release date for the 4th full length album still has to be set and matched with a promotion tour.

“We're looking forward to cooperate with this top quality metal network and we hope to see you soon on one of our shows! And thank YOU for supporting this monster up 'till now! CU soon!”

Spoil Engine is:

Iris Goessens - Vocals
Steven 'Gaze' Sanders - Guitar
Kristof Taveirne - Bass
Matthijs Quaars - Drums
Bart Vandeportaele - Guitar

Polish black/death metal tyrants, Azarath, have signed a new record deal with Agonia Records. Their last release with the label was the 2009 offering Praise The Beast. The band is expected to release a new album, successor to Blasphemers' Maledictions from six years ago, this April.

Azarath's death metal is crisp, black, and while it possesses the charm of their American counterparts, it remains open-minded and organic. This should not come as a surprise, considering the band's impressive lineup and cemented position as one the the best Polish acts of the genre.

Azarath crept from the shadows almost two decades ago, by the will of Inferno (of longtime Behemoth fame) and then-members Bruno and D. Six albums later, the band's line-up is shaped by the said Behemoth drummer, together with Bart (Armagedon, Damnation) on guitars, Necrosodom (Anima Damnata, Deus Mortem, ex-Infernal War) on vocals and guitars, as well as Peter (ex-Lost Soul) on bass.
 
Both the debut album Demon Seed (2001) as well as its follow-up Infernal Blasting (2003) have established Azarath as a medium for ungodly sonic terror. The group caught momentum right away, setting several Polish cities aflame while accompanying Vader on their Revelations 2002 tour and by playing selected headline shows. The year 2006 saw the release of another sulphurous whip, Diabolic Impious Evil. The album was followed by the Blitzkrieg IV and Legions of Death Attack tours with Vader, Trauma, Stillborn and Deception respectively. Azarath's notoriety continued to rise.

2009 was a breakthrough time for Azarath. In May, the fourth full-length, Praise The Beast was unleashed upon the world via Agonia Records. The group has decimated the audiences at such events as Inferno Festival (Norway), Devilstone Fest (Lithuania) and Party.San Metal Open Air (Germany). In October, the horde was part of the Nowa Ewangelia tour on which it spread terror with Behemoth inter alia.

The congregation recorded the “Holy Possession" single and the fifth album entitled Blasphemers' Maledictions in 2011. The latter can easily be perceived as Azarath's most sophisticated work to date. While maintaining the sense of venomous blasphemy, the record adds a multitude of new qualities to the band's sound such as sinister atmosphere and eerie melodies. The Poles supported this effort on the domestic tour with the legendary Bulldozer, Witchmaster and Deus Mortem, as well as Hatefest 2011 featuring Triptykon, Marduk and Kataklysm, and numerous European festivals.

After rejoining forces with Agonia Records, Azarath is ready to shed some blood upon the altar once again in 2017.

Lineup:
Inferno - drums
Bart - guitars
Necrosodom - vocals/guitars
Peter - bass

Germany’s Jaded Heart have released a lyric video for “Godforsaken”, featured on their latest album, Guilty By Design, available via Massacre Records. The new clip can be found below.

The album artwork was created by Thomas Ewerhard and the record was mixed and mastered by Erik Martensson of Eclipse (Sweden).

Tracklisting:

“No Reason”
“Godforsaken”
“Seven Gates Of Hell”
“Remembering”
“Rescue Me”
“Salvation”
“No Waiting For Tomorrow”
“Watching You Die”
“So Help Me God”
“Bullying Me”
“This Is The End”
“Torn And Scarred”
“My Farewell” (Bonus)
“My Own Way Down” (Bonus)

“Godforsaken” lyric video:

“Rescue Me” video:

Album stream:

Lineup:

Johan Fahlberg – vocals
Peter Östros – guitar
Masa Eto – guitar
Michael Müller – bass
Bodo Stricker - drums

According to data reported to Billboard Boxscore, thirteen concerts on the South American leg of GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" tour yielded a total gross of $56.545 million and more than 565,000 tickets sold.

105,000 tickets were sold to the band's November 4 and November 5 shows in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with another 93,600 fans attending the group's November 11 and November 12 gigs in São Paulo, Brazil. The October 29 concert at Santiago, Chile's Estadio Nacional drew 62,375 people.

The "Not In This Lifetime" tour features classic GUNS N' ROSES lineup members Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Axl Rose (vocals) backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and new second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

According to Billboard, the North American leg of the "Not In This Lifetime" summer stadium tour grossed a whopping $116.8 million with over one million tickets sold, a staggering amount for a rock band in 2016.

The 2016 trek kicked off on June 23 and included 25 concerts in 21 stadiums, wrapping on August 22.

Out of the stadiums that hosted the band for two performances, the New York City market produced the top box office counts with ticket sales reaching $11.6 million at MetLife Stadium from 100,177 fans at two concerts. Meanwhile, Chicago's Soldier Field, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts and L.A.'s Dodger Stadium each topped the $8 million mark in revenue from their two-show stints.

As previously reported, GUNS N' ROSES is coming back to North America this summer for at least another 15 stadium dates, as the band continues its reunion tour. The new North American run kicks off on July 27 in St. Louis, ending on September 8 in San Antonio.

The group has also mapped out a European jaunt that will begin on May 27 in Dublin, Ireland, ending on July 12 in the Netherlands. A July 15 show in Tel Aviv, Israel will also precede the North American leg.

The band kicked off its reunion trek last April with a club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

Horror-punk stalwart Wednesday 13 says that a MURDERDOLLS reunion could happen at some point in the future after he is done touring in support of his upcoming solo album.

In a recent interview with CrypticRock.com, Wednesday 13's MURDERDOLLS bandmate, former SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison, stated about the current status of the project: "I cannot say anything bad about that band and what we accomplished with the MURDERDOLLS. Those tours we did are really awe-inspiring when you look in hindsight of what we accomplished in a short amount of time and the two records we did. I could not be more proud and happy of what we accomplished in that time. Everyone that was in that band, the couple of different personnels we employed, the MURDERDOLLS were killer. Like I said before, I don't know if I would do another record, but I won't rule it out."

Jordison — who played guitar for MURDERDOLLS — added that the band enabled him to express himself musically in a way that wasn't possible with SLIPKNOT.

"That is the thing, when we did 'Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls' [2002], I had already done four records with SLIPKNOT, two that were on the label and released," he said. "When we did the first MURDERDOLLS record, I have this punk rock and pop side of me that I don't really get to get out in other areas in my life. When we did that band, it was just pretty much to express fun, have a great time, and kind of throw a monkeywrench into what was going on in rock and metal at the time, and it worked. I would love to do another record. Like I said, I won't rule it out."

After Joey's latest comments were originally published, Wednesday 13 took to his Facebook page to write: "I'm happy to see Joey has said something positive about MURDERDOLLS and that is something to look forward to in the future. But the future is when that would happen, if it even does happen. We have not spoken, nor do we have any plans at the moment."

He continued: "What is annoying are these web sites that take one question from an interview and make it into a big story that is misleading to fans. I have a brand new album coming out this spring and full year of touring ahead. There is no way this would or could happen in 2017."

MURDERDOLLS issued its sophomore album, "Women And Children Last", in August 2010 via Roadrunner Records. The CD, which was recorded at a studio in Hollywood Hills, California with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, SHADOWS FALL, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD), sold 8,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 43 on The Billboard 200 chart.

DEMON HUNTER will release its new album, "Outlive", on March 31 through a partnership with Solid State Records. The isc, which is the band's eighth overall and the follow-up to 2014's "Extremist", is now available for pre-order here.

DEMON HUNTER has also 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 pictured above is for the digital and CD versions. The second cover pictured above 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.

METALLICA has released video recaps of the band's performances on January 11 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea and on January 15 at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China. Check out the clips below.

As previously reported, METALLICA will play an intimate show for around 3,000 or so fans at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on February 12. But tickets will be available only to Citi cardmembers as part of a new Citi-sponsored program called "Citi Sound Vault." METALLICA will play the final night of five shows that are part of the event, with Sting, Beck and THE CHAINSMOKERS all performing on other nights as part of that week's Grammy Awards festivities.

Tickets will be available Tuesday (January 31) at 10:00 a.m. PT exclusively for cardmembers using their Citi credit or debit card.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that playing different-sized venues keeps shows fresh for the band. "I think that we vary it enough for ourselves, and for the fans too, that we're not in competition with ourselves," he said. "You know, we play stadiums, we play arenas, we play the Bowery Ballroom, we play the Fillmore, we play — you know, each place and each type of setup has its own kind of vibe. The great thing for us is just being able to bounce back and forth between them so it never gets super-stale or stagnant, you know?"

METALLICA will also perform at the 59th annual Grammy Awards, set to take place on the same night, February 12, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony will be televised at 8:00 p.m. on CBS.

The band is nominated this year in the "Best Rock Song" category for the track "Hardwired", from its latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct".

The group has plans to hit Europe, South America and North America in the months ahead, including its first proper U.S. trek in eight years.

Thrash metal pioneers MEGADETH have been nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the title track of their latest album, "Dystopia". This marks the band's 12th Grammy nomination in this category (including nominations in the discontinued "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category). The band is hoping to win its first Grammy at the 59th annual event, which will be held on February 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

The Grammys are voted on by approximately 13,000 Recording Academy members, who are comprised of artists, songwriters, producers and engineers. More than 21,700 recordings were submitted for Grammys consideration this year. For 2017 awards, music must have been released between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2016, in order to be eligible.

Asked by The Age Of Metal at last month's NAMM show in Anaheim, California if it is surprising that MEGADETH hasn't won a Grammy already, the band's bassist, David Ellefson, said (see video below): "Listen, obviously, it would be great to win one. But just to even be nominated and recognized by our peers in the business and by the Grammy committee is huge. Because there's a lot of groups out there, and to be also be recognized and to be invited in, that's amazing. I mean, to me, that's ninety percent of it."

He continued: "Of course it would be good to win. Of course it would. That's not our decision. It's not based on sales, it's not based on any of those kind of other parameters, you know, so it's kind of up to the Grammy committee."

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine released a statement in December in which he expressed his gratitude for the band's latest Grammy nomination. He said: "Last time we were nominated, I was at the awards talking with Kenny G and I said how we'd been nominated a lot, but hadn't won it yet. He said, 'Don't feel bad. It took me 21 times to win my first one!'

"This has been such an incredible year for MEGADETH. With so many milestones, and so many individual and group awards, to now have this honor of being nominated again is the grand finale to the most perfect campaign.

"We are very appreciative and thankful to all of our peers and contemporaries that are voting for the 2017 Grammys."

MEGADETH recently completed a month-long U.S. tour with AMON AMARTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, METAL CHURCH and BUTCHER BABIES.

The band is continuing to tour in support of "Dystopia", which came out in January 2016.

The official video for KROKUS's cover version of the Neil Young classic "Rockin' In The Free World" can be seen below. The song is featured on the Swiss hard rock legends' latest studio album, "Big Rocks", which came out on January 27. The disc sees KROKUS paying tribute to bands and artists like LED ZEPPELIN, QUEEN, THE WHO, STEPPENWOLF, Bob Dylan, THE ROLLING STONES and many more by presenting their very own versions of classic tracks such as "My Generation", "Tie Your Mother Down", "Whole Lotta Love", "Quinn The Eskimo", "Born To Be Wild" and others.

"Big Rocks" offers a total of 14 tracks: 13 cover songs and a re-recorded version of KROKUS's hit "Backseat Rock 'N' Roll", all of them flawlessly executed, brilliantly interpreted and spiced up with the typical KROKUS edge.

As the first single, KROKUS chose its very own rendition of folk-rock classic "The House Of The Rising Sun". It is safe to say that the Swiss rockers managed to breathe new life into the track by overhauling it KROKUS-style!

Bassist and producer Chris von Rohr describes his first encounter with the song as follows: "The first time I came across this song was in the wild sixties. I was lying on my bed and all of a sudden I heard the voices of a thousand angels sing." It was this exact feeling the band tried to capture with their own version of the song and the result speaks for itself: "The House Of The Rising Sun" by KROKUS sounds raw and loud yet embodies the soulful sound of the original.

KROKUS's current lineup:

Mandy Meyer (guitar)Marc Storace (lead vocals)Fernando von Arb (guitar, vocals)Mark Kohler (guitar)Flavio Mezzodi (drums)Chris von Rohr (bass, vocals)

"West Coast Town", the new solo album from acclaimed musician, songwriter and performer Chris Shiflett, will be released April 14 on SideOneDummy Records. In advance of the release, the title track can be streamed below.

Working with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb and Grammy Award-winning engineer/mixer Matt Ross-Spang, the ten-track album was recorded at Nashville's historic RCA Studio A during the summer of 2016. In addition to Shiflett on electric guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar and percussion, the album features an all-star collection of studio musicians, including Robby Turner (Waylon Jennings, Chris Stapleton) on pedal steel, Chris Powell (Brent Cobb, Jamey Johnson) on drums and percussion, Adam Gardner (SOUTHERN FAMILY) on bass and Michael Webb (SOUTHERN FAMILY) on keyboards.

Of making the album, Shiflett comments: "After being a fan of Dave Cobb's work for years, recording with him and his crew was everything I'd hoped it would be. His input on and arrangements of my songs took them into places I wouldn't have imagined. Plus the speed that he creates at was inspiring."

In celebration of the album release, Shiflett will embark on a series of special shows this spring, including dates in L.A., New York and Nashville. The performances will feature special opening guest Brian Whelan, who co-wrote four songs from the new album.

"West Coast Town" is Shiflett's third solo album and follows 2013's "All Hat And No Cattle", which features covers of nine classic honky-tonk songs by artists such as Don Rich, Waylon Jennings, Faron Young, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard.

Born in Santa Barbara and now based in Los Angeles, Shiflett is widely known as the guitarist for FOO FIGHTERS as well as for his previous work with DEAD PEASANTS and ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES. In addition to music, Shiflett is the creator and host of the weekly podcast "Walking The Floor With Chris Shiflett", which features one-on-one interviews with a wide range of musical guests, writers, athletes, and artists. Past guests include Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam, Mike Ness, Steve Earle, John Doe, Sturgill Simpson, Mickey Raphael and more.

"West Coast Town" track listing:

01. Sticks & Stones (Chris Shiflett)02. West Coast Town (Chris Shiflett)03. Goodnight Little Rock (Chris Shiflett)04. Room 102 (Chris Shiflett, Brian Whelan)05. The Girl's Already Gone (Chris Shiflett)06. Blow Out The Candles (Chris Shiflett, Brian Whelan) 07. I'm Still Drunk (Chris Shiflett)08. Cherry (Chris Shiflett)09. Tonight's Not Over (Chris Shiflett, Brian Whelan)10. Still Better Days (Chris Shiflett, Brian Whelan)

Chris Shiflett tour dates:

Mar. 21 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Lounge*Mar. 22 - Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern*Mar. 24 - Spokane, WA - The Big Dipper*Mar. 26 - Missoula, MT - Missoula Winery*Mar. 27 - Bozeman, MT - The Eagles Ballroom* Mar. 28 - Ketchum, ID - Whiskey Jacques*Mar. 30 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy and Harriets Pioneertown Palace*Mar. 31 - Flagstaff, AZ - Museum Club*Apr. 02 - Los Angeles, CA - RESIDENT*Apr. 03 - San Diego, CA - Casbah*Apr. 06 - New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2*Apr. 09 - Nashville, TN - The High Watt*

* With special guest Brian Whelan

Photo credit: Brantley Gutierrez

The song "Silence" from California deathcore masters SUICIDE SILENCE can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new, self-titled album, which will be released on February 24 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD was produced by Ross Robinson, who has previously worked with KORN, SLIPKNOT, LIMP BIZKIT and SEPULTURA, among others, and was mixed by Joe Barresi (KYUSS, MELVINS, TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE).

The track listing for the disc is as follows:

01. Doris02. Silence03. Listen04. Dying In A Red Room05. Hold Me Up, Hold Me Down06. Run07. The Zero08. Conformity09. Don't Be Careful, You Might Hurt Yourself

On the topic of the musical direction of SUICIDE SILENCE's new album, guitarist Mark Heylmun told Revolver magazine: "It's going to completely change everything you probably ever will think, and have thought, or ever will fucking feel about SUICIDE SILENCE."

Added vocalist Hernan "Eddie" Hermida: "The best way I've described it is, take a bullet train — one of those Japanese bullet trains — that goes, like, three hundred miles an hour, and then turn the steering wheel as fast you can, and there we are. And whatever comes up is whatever comes up; we're not worried about it. We're just here to have you guys listen to what we believe is good music for ourselves, for our lives, for our souls."

Heylmun previously told Wall Of Sound that SUICIDE SILENCE's intention was "to try everything" while making the new album. He explained: "If there is an idea, try it. Don't be afraid, you know? Don't let the fear of trying something different stop you from opening up a can that might be the… exact soup you wanna taste, I don't know. [Laughs]"

He continued: "We always want to work together to encourage everyone to be the best that they can be. So that's especially where we're at, having gone through a lot, and having a new member come in and having to rebuild that whole camaraderie of being creative. We're all just trying to give to the music, and give to each other and give, give, give, give, give. Because we gotta get shit out and give this fucking music, this fiery piece of nothing, this magical thing that doesn't even exist until we create it. Just throw down and give it all you can and encourage each other to give all you can and encourage each other to give it everything you possibly can. So that's what the new record is going to be like."

"You Can't Stop Me", SUICIDE SILENCE's first album to feature Hermida, was released in July 2014 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Metal Wani's Chuck Marshall conducted an interview with Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT) before SUPERJOINT's January 22 concert at The Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On biased media coverage of political news and the negative aspects of social media:

Anselmo: "Shit, I can't even go to [the web site of] my local newspaper without seeing some bullshit divisive bullshit — I say again — article written with the blurring of linear time. And it's, like, man, no, I'm not buying into this. 'Cause, really, I just clicked on to this page to find out what the fucking New Orleans Saints [were doing]. It's, like, fuck! I don't need to read all this fucking shit, man. Just tell me who the fucking Saints are gonna sign. It's not that I'm against social media, but it's, like… There are imperfections, like with anything. Life is one giant imperfection, but still we deal and we cope. And I deal and cope with social fucking media, which is truly antisocial media. It'd be one thing if they could put out their divisive articles, but it's a whole another thing to put in a comments section. No matter what line of work you may be in — you could be writing about social climate of America in general, you could write about music, you could write about boxing, you could write about football — with the comments section, everybody's an expert, everybody's a mind reader, everybody is… You know, they know better than you do. And I'm calling bullshit. I'm calling absolute bullshit on that. I am."

On his upcoming projects:

Anselmo: "I'm sitting on five finished records right now — five. And they're all different, and they're all tripped out. Some's heavier, some's heavier than heavy, and then some is… not, I guess, sonically… I just woudn't be able to stuff it into the heavy metal category at all. I think it's the love of all the many genres… Honestly, it's a set of songs that have grown up with me since I was… some of 'em, Jeez, man, since I was, like, first able to pick up the guitar — little things that I had just written along the way. And these songs have grown up with me and hence had grown and the number of the songs had grown. And the input… Steve Taylor, the bass player from SUPERJOINT, is really an incredibly creative guitar player. He's my main man right now. I think this year… If I have to dump some free albums just to get this fucking music out, I'm gonna do it. So, one way or another… I'll just do it — just fucking do it. And, of course, we'll always have the hard copies and vinyl and stuff like that, for the collectors."

On DOWN's future plans:

Anselmo: "There is a rumored jam session supposedly here in the next month or so, once we get off tour on this leg. We've got Bobby [Landgraf] out here with us, who's a guitar player in DOWN, obviously, and he's already given us a hand in it. And he's got a few pieces that he and I are working on. So it's always flowing. It's a wonderful thing."

On whether he thinks there will be new music coming from DOWN in 2017:

Anselmo: "I don't know about this… I don't know, man. You never fucking know. I don't know. Because, like I said, man, I'm gonna be… I think my point this year is that you're not gonna be able to stick me under a blanket. You're not gonna be able to throw a blanket over me; you're not gonna be able to put me in any little fucking box, musically or whatever. I'm gonna confuse the living fuck out of people — happily. And DOWN is a part of it as well, because DOWN, you can get away with all kind of stuff — fucking heavy metal songs, 'Stone The Crow'-type songs, and just basically acoustic [guitar] and me. Fuck, man, we write all kinds of, and types of, genres within genres within genres… all influenced by BLACK SABBATH."

On the culture of "V.I.P Packages," which seems to be the only way for fans to meet the bands they admire these days:

Anselmo: "It's up to the audience, really. It's there for them to indulge in if they'd like to. And if they do, then shit, man… I adore meeting great people, great people with stories, great people with advice on new music that might be out there, or if they wanna share stories about their back injuries, that's always fun. Just talk football, man. Just be real and be down to earth with fucking people, I love it — I fucking love it, man. It's a big difference than alone time before the gig, relaxing, being focused and walking straight to the stage, doing my job, coming off the stage, cooling down, and then stripping away all of that concentration, so to speak, and then it gives you that fucking opportunity just to sit back, be a regular motherfucker, toke a little bit of fucking weed, shake some fucking hands and fucking meet the people that are supporting you, because I love to remind them — and I mean this from the bottom of my still-ticking heart — the band doesn't choose the audience, the audience chooses the band. And, look, that's the truth of it, and that's how it works out. It works both ways; we work together on this. So when they say, 'Phil, man, your music means so much to me,' and shit like that, I have to retort and say, 'Sir' or 'madam' or 'young brother' or 'young sister, without your support, my songs and my existence and all that shit would mean zero; it would mean fucking zero. So constant, unending props to the true fans out there, and I mean that, man."

The new album from Philip's SUPERJOINT project, "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application", was released last November via Anselmo's Housecore record label.

Metal Wani's Daniel Jaramillo recently conducted an interview with guitarist Fredrik Åkesson of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH. You can now listen to the chat below.

Asked if the change in OPETH's musical direction between 2008's "Watershed" and 2011's "Heritage" albums was deliberate or it happened in an organic way, Fredrik said: "I think it was a bit of both. I believe Mikael [Åkerfeldt, guitar/vocals], who is the pilot of the band and main songwriter, has always been like that. He felt during the 'Watershed' album that he kind of took the extreme metal thing to its peak, and that the band needed to do something different; otherwise it would stagnate, and maybe it wouldn't be around now anymore, actually."

He continued: "We're still metalheads; we listen to a lot of metal and we love heavy metal, and we love to play the old stuff as well. It's not that we shy away from it in some kind of stupid fancy way. If you go see us live, you definitely get your dose of that chunk of the band's history.

"Being that said, you don't know what's gonna happen in the future either. I always say that when we've done a new album. [Laughs]"

Opeth guitarist Fredrik Akesson singled out "Black Rose Immortal" as the most frequently requested song by the band's fans.

He told Metal Wani: "That one song that someone is always screaming for is 'Black Rose Immortal,' which is 22 minutes long. We've been talking about that - one of these days we're just gonna have to play that song, even though it's gonna suck up a big part of the setlist."

Fredrik added: "It would be really fun to play one of the earlier albums, like the first one [1995's 'Orchid']. It would sound slightly different than then, older songs would come to new life."

OPETH's twelfth album, "Sorceress", was released at the end of September.

For the band's first effort for Nuclear Blast via OPETH's imprint label Moderbolaget Records, the group returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from QUEEN, RUSH and JUDAS PRIEST, where the Swedes had tracked "Pale Communion" in 2014 with Tom Dalgety

THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM, the new solo project from CANDLEMASS bassist and songwriter Leif Edling, will release its self-titled debut album on March 31 via Nuclear Blast. The disc will contain eight epic doom tracks with a pinch of NWOBHM and haunting catchy melodies. Joining Edling on the effort are WOLF singer Niklas Stålvind, guitarist Marcus Jidell (AVATARIUM, SOEN, ex-EVERGREY), drummer Andreas "Habo" Johansson (NARNIA), as well as several guest artists.

The second trailer for "The Doomsday Kingdom", in which Edling speaks about the upcoming single "A Spoonful Of Darkness" that might sounds like a typically crushing doom classic at first, but which was written in a more than atypical environment — next to a pool in Miami.

"I'm extremely happy that THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM album is finally finished and ready to be released!", states Leif. "It's been a long windy road, to say the least, and many things and circumstances have been leading up to it. It is an album that I'm extremely proud of, from the cover artwork to the songs and sound. One of the best things I've done in my life!"

THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM will make its live debut at the Roadburn festival in April.

"The Doomsday Kingdom" track listing:

01. Silent Kingdom02. Never Machine03. A Spoonful Of Darkness04. See You Tomorrow05. The Sceptre06. Hand Of Hell07. The Silence08. The God Particle

The lyric video for the demo version of "The Sceptre" can be seen below. Edling stated about the song: "On the album version, 'The Sceptre' is a bit re-arranged. There's a couple of more harmony guitars added on it as well. We also have some people guesting: In the mid 'classical' solo part, we included a mellotron that is played by one of this country's best mello-players, whose name I will disclose later on... Same thing with the long end solo. One of my all-time heroes and musical influences was kind enough to put his guitar and stamp on here to make this song very special! Lovely solo, lovely bloke!"

Regarding the track "Never Machine", Edling said: "'Never Machine' is the very first song that I wrote for THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM. It starts with a riff à la BLACK SABBATH and takes off into doomier territories with the haunting chorus and the extra-heavy outro."

THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM's debut EP, "Never Machine", was released on November 25 via Nuclear Blast.

Edling stated about THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM: "THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM was created two years ago. I was in pretty bad shape. I couldn't go out, I couldn't work, I wasn't allowed to read, I couldn't watch telly and I wasn't allowed to work in front of the computer, so all I had was the music. And I created THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM, metal from the catacombs."

THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM is:

Niklas Stålvind - vocalsMarcus Jidell - guitarsLeif Edling - bassAndreas (Habo) Johansson - drums

Official video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Whiplash" on January 15 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China can be seen below.

As previously reported, METALLICA will play an intimate show for around 3,000 or so fans at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on February 12. But tickets will be available only to Citi cardmembers as part of a new Citi-sponsored program called "Citi Sound Vault." METALLICA will play the final night of five shows that are part of the event, with Sting, Beck and THE CHAINSMOKERS all performing on other nights as part of that week's Grammy Awards festivities.

Tickets will be available Tuesday (January 31) at 10:00 a.m. PT exclusively for cardmembers using their Citi credit or debit card.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that playing different-sized venues keeps shows fresh for the band. "I think that we vary it enough for ourselves, and for the fans too, that we're not in competition with ourselves," he said. "You know, we play stadiums, we play arenas, we play the Bowery Ballroom, we play the Fillmore, we play — you know, each place and each type of setup has its own kind of vibe. The great thing for us is just being able to bounce back and forth between them so it never gets super-stale or stagnant, you know?"

METALLICA will also perform at the 59th annual Grammy Awards, set to take place on the same night, February 12, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony will be televised at 8:00 p.m. on CBS.

The band is nominated this year in the "Best Rock Song" category for the track "Hardwired", from its latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct".

The group has plans to hit Europe, South America and North America in the months ahead, including its first proper U.S. trek in eight years.

Oakland-based cult, Extremity, has announced their disturbing debut album, Extremely Fucking Dead, now set for expulsion through the goremongers at 20 Buck Spin.
 
Gestating in the twisted bowels of the Bay Area for six years, only now, in 2017, has Extremity dislodged itself from the musty climes of obscurity to contaminate the American metal cesspool. Like a jaundiced plume drifting up from a fetid swamp, on Extremely Fucking Dead the four-piece infect death metal with odiously oozing intentions. From the grisly gore metal of "Crepuscular Crescendo" to the Bolt Thrower-ravaged plunder permeating "Bestial Destiny," Extremity presents a simultaneously studied and loosely devastating specter of death metal cited from the genre's many epicenters in America, Scandinavia, the UK and beyond.  
 
Extremity's veteran lineup of Shelby Lermo (Vastum), Aesop Dekker (Worm Ouroboros, Ludicra, Agalloch), Melissa Martinez-Hoadley (Cretin, Repulsion), and Erika Osterhout (Necrosic, Scolex, Trepanation) stirs the salaciously sanguine death and grind sewage on Extremely Fucking Dead to a crepitating clamor of cacophonous cruelty. A must-hear for legions devout to the grisly works of Carcass, Death, Exhumed, Repulsion, Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Impaled, Vastum, and Entombed.
 
20 Buck Spin will offer Extremely Fucking Dead for worldwide repugnance and revulsion on April 7th, with digital, CD, and LP formats confirmed, including a gold vinyl variant limited to 150 copies and a multi-color variant limited only to 20 Buck Spin mailorder. The weeks ahead will see the dispatch of preorders and audio samples from the album.

Tracklisting:

“Intro (Mortuus Est Valde)”
“Crepuscular Crescendo”
“Bestial Destiny”
“Chalice Of Pus”
“Fatal Immortality”
“Extremely Fucking Dead”

Directly following the release of their gore-strewn platter, Extremity will ravage the West Coast in the flesh, with a late April run supporting death metal legends Asphyx. The tour runs from April 25th through 30th, with shows in San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. Additional live actions are to be expected throughout the year.

The forthcoming Greyhaze Records reissue of The Mist's 1989 Brazilian thrash classic Phantasmagoria is now streaming its entirety. Stream the album on Bandcamp.

Greyhaze Records will reissue The Mist’s Phantasmagoria on February 3rd.

Featuring the influential vocals of Vladmir Korg (original singer of Chakal) and the pure thrash fury for which Brazil is known, Phantasmagoria will now get a proper worldwide release on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette formats, a long-awaited offering to all true fans of the genre. Pre-order here.

Upon its 1989 release Phantasmagoria was a departure from what was being done by bands from the city of Belo Horizonte up to that point. The album showed a thrash attack that was as vicious as it was precise. Drummer Cristiano Salles' relentless thrash beat coupled with Korg's unmistakable higher-pitched guttural vocals set the tone of an album that had everything to become a big album. Sadly, it was not to achieve the recognition that it deserved. Over the years it circulated through the metal world as somewhat of an obscure collector's item. Now with this Greyhaze reissue, Phantasmagoria gets its overdue North American and European official release.

Tracklisting:

“Flying Saucers In The Sky”
“Smiles, Tears And Chaos”
“A Step Into The Dark”
“The Enemy”
“Hate”
“Barbed Wire Land (At War)”
“Phantasmagoria”
“Lightning In The Dark”
“Like A Bad Song”
“Faces Of Glass”

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) — will release its sophomore album, "The Reprobate", 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

Danish-based stoner combo IAMFIRE, which features vocalist Peter Dolving (THE HAUNTED, MARY BEATS JANE, DRESS THE DEAD), bassist Mikael Ehlert (BLOOD EAGLE, HATESPHERE) and guitarist Peter Ahlers Ohlsen, has released its long-awaited debut album, "From Ashes". The eight-song effort was recorded in 2014 by IAMFIRE with Jacob Bredahl at Ark studio in Copenhagen, Denmark. The album was mixed by Jacob Bredahl at Dead Rat studio in 2015.

Comments the band: "Life is not always a day at the races. We are extremely pleased to have been able to see this through. We are still alive.

"Looking forward to playing some shows this summer, and seeing you folks out there in the coming year.

"'From Ashes' is a heavy intricate web of grooves and melodies. We mixed it so you can listen to it really loud.

"How to describe IAMFIRE? The mutant love child/offspring/consequence of SWANS, KYUSS, TOOL, THE CURE, BLACK SABBATH and THE BEATLES?

"Honestly? We're not trying to reinvent the wheel. We just want to play something we kinda miss in music. Does that make sense? It does to us.

"We are just as curious as the next guy to see how people are going to react to the album. If you like it, great; we have ourselves a party! We hope you enjoy it!"

The drums on "From Ashes" were laid down by Ulf Scott Hansen (L.O.C., SUSPEKT, GREAT DECEIVER).

Photo by Michael Caddy Søndergaard


From Ashes by IAmFire

Finnish progressive melodic death metallers Damnation Plan have released a new title track single from their upcoming album, Reality Illusion. Drummer/songwriter/lyricist Jarkko Lunnas comments:

"Creating this album took us 3+ years of hard work, driving me and some of us almost insane during the process of recording the album almost entirely ourselves. It was a massive task but I believe it served the end result well! The album deals with separating the truth from the beliefs and seeing it (or not seeing it) through the different bubbles that we've learned to live in our stable and modern societies. We are estranged from the reality until we are forced to face it. The album delivers the message covering a whole spectrum of feelings from an atmospheric and emotional perspective, all the way to the maximal intensity."

Damnation Plan is also running a Pledge Music pre-order campaign for the upcoming full length album, out March 1oth. By pre-ordering the album from the campaign you'll get 10+ in-depth video documentary episodes about the making of the album. The campaign can be found here.

Reality Illusion was mixed by Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Nightingale, Bloodbath, etc) at Unisound Studios. The tracklist is as follows:

Tracklist:

"Intro"
"Beyond These Walls" 
"Rulers Of Truth"
"Rise Of The Messenger"
"Blinded Faith"
"The Empowerment"
"Maze Of Despair"
"Iron Curtain Falls"
"Reality Illusion"
"A Chapter In Greed"
"The Final Destination"

For information on Damnation Plan go to this location.

When you talk about the second wave of Swedish death metal that started in the mid-‘90s there is no way to get around The Crown from Trollhättan.

The Crown released nine longplayers to date and it's the albums Hell Is Here (1999) and Deathrace King (2000) that turned events for the band. Before The Crown was a relentless underground act with a solid fanbase and a few gigs here and there. With their new partners Metal Blade and the release of Hell Is Here, The Crown became a worldwide touring band without losing a single bit of their driving force. The Crown remained raw and belligerent, shown best on Deathrace King, an epic yet roaring manifest.

Due to growing demand, both albums are reissued now for the first time since their initial release.

The vinyl are part of the Metal Blade Originals series that started in early 2016 with the reissues of the Slayer titles Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits, Haunting The Chapel and Live Undead!

Both albums will be released with 400g heavy cardboard spine sleeves (inside out print), 60x60cm two-sided artwork posters and 250g inserts. 'Hell Is Here' has been given a vinyl mastering from Patrick W. Engel.

Hell Is Here
--180g black vinyl
--orange/red-marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
--red/black-marbled vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

Deathrace King
--180g black vinyl
--white/black-marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
--clear white vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

British rock legends DEEP PURPLE will release their new album, "InFinite", the highly anticipated follow-up to their worldwide chart-topping effort "Now What?!", on April 7 via earMUSIC.

"InFinite" was tracked in February 2016 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee and was once again helmed by Bob Ezrin, who has previously worked with KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER and KANSAS, among others.

According to Amazon, the track listing for "InFinite" is as follows:

01. Time For Bedlam02. Hip Boots03. All I've Got Is You04. One Night In Vegas05. Get Me Outta Here06. The Surprising07. Johnny's Band08. On Top Of The World09. Birds Of Prey10. Roadhouse Blues

The lyric video for the first single, "Time For Bedlam", can be seen below.

A limited-edition EP for "Time For Bedlam", with non-album songs and unreleased recordings, will hit the shops on February 3.

A documentary movie, witnessing the songwriting process and the recording of the album with Ezrin, has been produced, allowing for the first time for the fans to be part of the private band member interactions in the studio. The movie will be included in some editions of the album and it will be presented before release in various fan events worldwide.

DEEP PURPLE recently announced their "Long Goodbye Tour", which will bring the legendary live show once again all over the world. The band has not yet answered the many questions received by fans from all over the world who are speculating about the meaning of the title "InFinite" and "Long Goodbye".

Singer Ian Gillan declared: "If you take it literally, you may, quite reasonably, think the 'Finite' part of the word describes the life of DEEP PURPLE, with a clear beginning and a nebulous end; but what of the 'in' bit? The word 'infinite' is a three-dimensional, double-edged sword. It describes something that goes on forever in all directions; not unlike its temporal equivalent 'Eternal'. What's that all about?

"Stephen Hawking declared (in 'A Brief History Of Time') that, before the Big Bang there was nothing. That would put the kybosh on the idea of our universe being Infinite, as he provides a starting point, which is not acceptable to the concept. So, Hawking's universe in 'Finite'; by definition; whether he agrees or not.

"Ironically, he is quite wrong (scientists always are eventually), therefore the Universe is infinite, which means it will never end, and also means that it never started, and the corollary to that of course is that we don't exist.

"There is a metaphysical solution to all this, but it will have to wait until the tour is over because (thanks heavens) there are only 24 hours in a day (for the time being) or 10 hours in a metric day. More on that later…"

PURPLE drummer Ian Paice suffered a minor stroke in 2015, forcing him to miss the band's shows in Sweden and Denmark — the first time his medical condition prevented him from performing with the group.

DEEP PURPLE — which has been eligible for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for two decades now — finally entered the Rock Hall as part of the class of 2016. The band's first three lineups were inducted, including drummer Ian Paice, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, late keyboardist Jon Lord, and various singers and bassists — Rod Evans; Ian Gillan and Roger Glover; and David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes.

Last week, the Finnish kings of epic melodic death WINTERSUN announced their crowdfunding campaign that will start on March 1 and allows the fans to secure their "Forest Package" — also including their upcoming studio album "The Forest Seasons" — directly from the band. With the collected amount, frontman Jari Mäenpää plans to build his own studio that would finally allow him to record his long-awaited album "Time II". Today, WINTERSUN unveils the cover artwork of its third album, "The Forest Seasons".

WINTERSUN states: "We're proud to show you guys our new third full lenght album cover! The album cover was made in collaboration by Gyula Havancsák and Jari Mäenpää. It illustrates the awakening of a mystical forest where the seasons are merging together. "This album is sick and minds will be blown! Our Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign will start on March 1st where you can order the new album directly from us with the highest quality!" "The Forest Seasons" track listing:

01. Awaken From The Dark Slumber (Spring) 14:40Part I The Dark SlumberPart II The Awakening02. The Forest That Weeps (Summer) 12:1803. Eternal Darkness (Autumn) 14:08Part I Haunting DarknessPart II The Call of the Dark DreamPart III Beyond the Infinite UniversePart IV Death04. Loneliness (Winter) 12:54

WINTERSUN's "Time I" was nominated in the "Metal Album Of The Year" category at the 2013 Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent), which was held at Barona Areena in Espoo, Finland.

"Time I" sold nearly 4,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States to land at position No. 109 on The Billboard 200 chart.

WINTERSUN's debut CD was released in September 2004 through Nuclear Blast Records.

Demon Doll Records have teamed up with Metal Legacy Records and Canada's bad boys Syre to reissue their great sophomore release Pissed To The Gills.

"Based on the success of our first reissue of It Ain't Pretty Being Easy and all the calls we had to get that second record out to the public, we were more than happy to unleash another amazing release from Syre" says Demon Doll CEO Lance V.

Who couldn't use another album chock full of hook laden anthems (some of which were produced by Grammy winning KISS producer Bob Kulick)? Sink your teeth into the should have been hits "I Got The Luv" and "Fight Fire With Fire" as well as the amazing ballad work on the track "Wishin'".

Syre just simply delivers infectious ‘80s rock time in and time out. You can never go wrong with anything these guys record.

The album is repackaged, remastered and the packaging includes a full set of lyrics and a band biography. If you loved It Ain't Pretty Being Easy, you will love this record as well.

This CD is silver pressed, officially licensed from the band and exclusively available from Demon Doll Records. Order here.

Tracklisting:

“Got The Luv”
“Fight Fire With Fire”
“Hard Time Sayin’ No”
“Wishin’”
“Love Who U You Wanna Love”
“Believe”
“Comin’ Around”
“Need What U Find”
“Same Room”

“Fight Fire With Fire”:

Ravenscry have released a video for their track "Oscillation", directed by Max Valerio.

The song features on the band’s upcoming album entitled The Invisible, which is out on February 24th. This will be their third work after the 2014’s The Attraction Of Opposites. The new album was recorded at Ravenstudio, it was mixed at Oral Majority Recordings by Roberto Laghi and it was mastered at Hansen Studios by Jacob Hansen.

The Invisible will be distributed on all the digital platforms worldwide (except for Japan) by Audioglobe, and the physical format will be available worldwide (except for Japan) thanks to the brand new agreement signed with Plastic Head.

The new album was recorded between June and September 2016 at the Ravenstudio (instrumental parts) and at the Big Bang Studio (vocal parts), it is now through the mixing process, which is being done by Roberto Laghi (In Flames, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Entombed), who already worked on the mix of The Attraction Of Opposites. The master will be done by Jacob Hansen (Amaranthe, Delain, Epica, Primal Fear) at the Hansen Studios in January.

The Invisible is the first Ravenscry concept album. Unlikely the previous ones the composing process has been very different, as the band stated: “Creating a story and giving it a soul with music is an extraordinary job and it is fascinating, but also very hard. We got through a lot of issues and deep human emotions, digging inside every single one of us in search for the right sensations in order to translate them into music. We had an incredible amount of material to work on; we had to take some hard decisions, mainly based on the emotions we wanted to give to the listener, song by song, guided by the story. This way of working got us very deeply into what we were doing. These months have been extremely hard, but we are very satisfied about the results and we can’t wait for you to listen to it!”

The Invisible talks about a young library assistant, Coral, who lives and works in a small town in Colorado; but she is not born there, she grew up in an orphanage. Coral spends all her day between books and archives, that is probably because it is her passion, but also because she is not that great in communicating with other people. One day she finds a book with a peculiar picture, which reminds her of distant memories. From this moment on her life changes, because she starts a journey, inside and outside herself, without knowing where this will bring her and without knowing what she will find at the end of it. A risky trip, which could lead to nothing… or to everything.

It is a complex journey, as you can see also from the tracklisting below, which takes place among full songs (in parentheses), interludes and words written by the characters of the story. It is a plot that has to be listened in its fullness to be completely understood.

The artwork of The Invisible was designed by Mario Sànchez Nevado, also known as Aègis Strife. He is an illustrator and a storyteller, he has in his curriculum exhibitions at the MoMa and at the New York Guggenheim, but also many other international rewards of his work.

Tracklisting:

“The Entanglement”
Whispered Intro
“Hypermnesia”
Coral (as seen by others) - The librarian talks about Coral
“The Mission”
Monsters Inside - The director of the institute talks about Coral
“The Invisible Revolution”
The teacher talks about Coral part 1
“The Deepest Lake”
The grandmother talks about Coral
“More Than Anything”
The teacher talks about Coral part 2
“Nothing But A Shade”
Nora talks about Martin
“Oscillation”
In Collision
“The Magic Circle” - Martin talks with Coral part 1
“Flux Density”
“Overload” - Martin talks with Coral part 2

"Oscillation" video:

Musically speaking, Ravenscry renewed its style again, accepting the challenges due to the composition of a concept album, but without renouncing to their distinctive sound. There are a lot of heavy riffs and peculiar vocal line, but be ready to listen to something different, showing clearly that the band is always up to going through the creative research.

The single extracted from the new album will be “Oscillation”; it will come with an official video, which will be shot in mid-December with Max Valerio, eclectic and visionary director and photographer.

Inspired by dystopian and horror fiction, “Black Surf” is the first single from the upcoming full-length debut album from Finland’s Viper Arms.

The band is known for their energetic live shows and their catchy tunes. Last summer the band performed, among other venues and festivals, at Ruisrock - one of the oldest and biggest festivals in Europe.

The bands comment on Black Surf: ”With its eerie melodies and lyrics inspired by dystopian fiction, Black Surf describes the last staggering steps of humanity in a dark and postapocalyptic world, where the only source of light comes from the stars shining above the relics of what was once called civilization.”

Check out the “Black Surf” video below, and stay tuned for updates on the band.

 

Hour Of Penance have released a playthrough video for “Shroud Of Ashes”, a track from the band’s new album, Cast The First Stone, available via Prosthetic Records. Watch below:

The follow-up to 2014's Regicide, Cast The First Stone was recorded at Kick Recording Studio by bassist, Marco Mastrobuono. Artwork for the album, as seen below, was completed by Gyula Havancsak.

Giulio Moschini, lead guitarist and songwriter goes into more detail on the album, "Sonically speaking, this is the best sounding album we've ever recorded. We really worked hard on this, listening to the album countless times before finally delivering the masters to Prosthetic Records. It was definitely worth the wait and we're 100% satisfied by the great work Marco has done behind the mixing desk. We've literally spent weeks trying different mic techniques, hardware and preamps;  all trying to avoid plug-in technologies as much as we could. We wanted our album to sound more dynamic and I think that we've achieved that 100%."

Regarding the concept of the album, vocalist Paolo Pieri says it revolves around the idea that the injustices suffered during the Crusades and Colonialism do not justify the chain of hate that propagandizes the destruction of the West. Pieri expands on this, “I believe that the political situation in recent years has brought to light again a millennial conflict between West and East. Events like the terrorist attack at the Bataclan, where we only played a few months before the massacre, have influenced the lyrics on this record very much. It does not matter who has thrown the first stone, but who first evolved his ideology to seek peace and coexistence instead of war to the bitter end."

Cast The First Stone tracklisting:

“XXI Century Imperial Crusade”
“Cast The First Stone”
“Burning Bright”
“Iron Fist”
“The Chains Of Misdeed”
“Horn Of Flies”
“Shroud Of Ashes”
“Wall Of Cohorts”
“Damnatio Memoriae”

“The Chains Of Misdeed”:

“XXI Century Imperial Crusade”:

“XXI Century Imperial Crusade” bass playthrough:

Hour Of Penance is:

Giulio Moschini - Guitars
Paolo Pieri - Vocals / Guitars
Marco Mastrobuono - Bass
Davide Billia – Drums

(Photo - Carina Martins | Photography)