MINISTRY mainman Al Jourgensen has launched a new project called SURGICAL METH MACHINE with longtime engineer Sam D'Ambruoso.

"We decided to cut out the middle men," Jourgensen told "The Metal Hammer Magazine Show ". "Me and him are doing this music that's just eyeball-popping. There's nothing under 220pbm on there. It's not for the faint of heart."

According to Jourgensen, the material on SURGICAL METH MACHINE's debut album will be similar to the song "Side F/X Include Mikey's Middle Finger (TV4)", which appeared on MINISTRY's last studio album, "From Beer To Eternity", released one year following the death of MINISTRY guitarist and Al's close friend Mike Scaccia in 2012.

"'Mikey's Middle Finger' is one of the last things Mike did before he died," Al said. "Imagine a whole album of that — this is what we're going for now. Straight mayhem."

He added: "People are probably going to dismiss it as craziness — and that's good. Craziness develops a future in music. You need the crazy."

MINISTRY is currently touring Australia as part of the Soundwave festival, and there are a number of other live shows confirmed in the coming months.

Jourgensen told "The Metal Hammer Magazine Show": "We're going to do one last tour as MINISTRY, maybe even another tour, because people seem to want to see it. [But] as far as future studio releases, since Mikey's death, I decided it's not the same. It would be like [LED] ZEPPELIN playing without [John] Bonham or THE WHO playing without [Keith] Moon or something like that. Me playing without Mikey doesn't seem right."

Drummer Nick Augusto didn’t waste any time after being unceremoniously ditched mid-tour by his former teammates TRIVIUM. Returning home to Boca Raton, Florida, he immediately started working on a new project with his high school buddy and guitar aficionado Christopher Cussell (BEFORE THE MOURNING). After a couple of months locked in at the jam room, they’d hammered out what would be the skeleton for their first recording.

To fill in the gaps, the guys looked to an unlikely place; across the Atlantic Ocean, to Oslo, Norway. As chance would have it, both Augusto and Cussell had on separate occasions toured alongside Norwegian metal band INSENSE and a friendship had formed with vocalist and guitarist Tommy Hjelm (INSENSE, BEATEN TO DEATH).

Not one to let a good idea pass, Hjelm flew over to Florida to reconnect and record his guitars and bass. The chemistry was immediate, the band was a fact. With the important addition of Tommy's good friend and brother in arms Martin Rygge (INSENSE, BEATEN TO DEATH), the unit was complete.

The new band, dubbed CORROSION, recently recorded a debut EP with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA).

The first track from the effort, "Machine Says No", can be streamed below.

Says Augusto: "It's just four friends playing what makes us feel good and I really hope you all enjoy it.

"[I'm] really looking forward to making a full-length and seeing everyone on tour soon.

"The idea for this project came together right after me and TRIVIUM parted ways…

"All of us in CORROSION were friends already so it just felt right to start it up.

"I was an INSENSE fan, so going for a long shot, them being all the way in Norway, and I wanted to play in a band with them. We talked through e-mails and made it happen. We just wrote three songs and felt like it was a good introduction and a full-length will come eventually.

"What you hear on this EP is just what we felt at the time and that’s what came out and it felt pretty damn good and clicked right away."

Metal Blade Records recently announced the signing of Swedish epic doom metallers SORCERER. The band will release its new album, "In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross", on March 20 on CD, vinyl, and digitally.

A song from the CD, "Sumerian Script", can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below.

SORCERER comments: "SORCERER are proud to have signed with the legendary metal label Metal Blade, home of many bands that has inspired us to start making music.

"With the new album, 'In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross', we hope to continue where we ended many years ago.

"It is all the fans that have supported us through the years that has inspired us to do this album and we really looking forward to meet you all on gigs and festivals soon!"

SORCERER emerged out of Sweden in the late 80s and was one of the very early bands to champion what is now known as "epic doom metal." Besides genre pioneers CANDLEMASS, groups like SOLITUDE AETURNUS, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT and SORCERER were among the few groups around representing this style of metal.

During its existence, SORCERER produced two self-financed cassette releases, both of which quickly became underground cult classics regularly hailed by metalheads as some of the finest of the era. After a few personnel changes, the group disintegrated in 1992 and since then some of the bandmembers went on to find some success with other groups. Bassist Johnny Hagel achieved greater success in TIAMAT and later SUNDOWN. Vocalist Anders Engberg has also made a name for himself with several other bands he has fronted, such as LION'S SHARE, TWILIGHT and SECTION A.

In the fall of 2010, members of SORCERER were coaxed into reforming to play a one-off gig at the Hammer Of Doom festival in Germany and, a year later, the Up The Hammers festival in Athens, Greece. Both shows were received extremely well and the thoughts of putting together a new album started to take form. In the end, it took over two years to write, arrange and record it, but the result is nothing but pure, heavy epic doom metal.

The process of putting all bits and pieces together and making it ready for mix and mastering was the work of drummer Robert Iversen, also a very fine recording engineer, who was acting as the spider in the recording web. The album was mastered by Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, DEVIN TOWNSEND).

With years of professional experience and top-class instrumental abilities among its band members, the SORCERER of the 21st century is determined to deliver epic doom metal for many years to come; on record and on stages all around the world!

"In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross" track listing:

01. The Dark Tower Of The Sorcerer02. Sumerian Script03. Lake Of The Lost Souls04. Excorcise The Demon05. In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross06. Prayers For A King07. The Gates Of Hell08. Pagans Dance

SORCERER is:

Anders Engberg - vocalsKristian Niemann - guitarsPeter Hallgren - guitarsJohnny Hagel - bassRobert Iversen - drums

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA — the classic-rock band featuring Björn Strid (SOILWORK) and Sharlee D' Angelo (ARCH ENEMY, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS) — has set "Skyline Whispers" as title of its second studio album, tentatively in late spring via Coroner Records. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Living For The Nighttime", "Lady Jade", "Stiletto" and "Spanish Ghosts".

Strid talked about the upcoming album on the latest installment of Canadian rocker Danko Jones' official podcast. You can listen to the chat and a snippet of a brand new song "Living For The Nighttime" (at the end of the podcast) using the SoundCloud widget below.

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA last year announced the addition of Sebastian Forslund (KADAWATHA) on congas, percussion and guitar.

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA started like so many others as an innocent yet serious drunken idea when Strid and David Andersson (MEAN STREAK, session musician for SOILWORK) were on the road together somewhere in North America in 2007. Björn and David were bonding over what they considered "classic" or not, from rock and roll conspiracies to being arrested in a lobby with nothing but leather pants on. All those scenarios, fictional or real, needed a soundtrack. They also came to think that whether you're on a metal tour or not, a lot of classic rock songs say it all and can really lend you a helping hand and make you forget about everything, especially when in motion or travelling. The classic escape. The never-ending road trip. The transatlantic night flight. It may sound simple and naive, but what it all comes down to is that we all need that soundtrack to feel extra special, whether you have been arrested in a lobby or not.

It didn't take long before bass player D' Angelo joined forces as well as keyboard player Richard Larsson (VON BENZO) and drummer Jonas Källsbäck (MEAN STREAK). The goal was to reclaim the '70s/early '80s sense for classic melody, the forgotten recipe to a timeless song, preferably a song mentioning a city, street name or an exhilarating alcoholic beverage. Anything that will have you spitting out the word "classic." From "Tarot Woman" to "Badlands", from "Rhiannon" to "Running on Empty", from "Blind Man" to "Night Moves", from "Deuce" to "Separate Ways", from "Elected" to "Set me Free". The list goes on. It's all about reclaiming the "classic."

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA made its live debut in August, 2013 at Dina-scenen in Lidköping, Sweden.

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA is:

Björn "Speed" Strid (SOILWORK) - VocalsDavid Andersson (SOILWORK, MEAN STREAK) - GuitarSharlee D'Angelo (ARCH ENEMY, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS) - BassRichard Larsson (VON BENZO) - KeyboardsJonas Källsbäck (MEAN STREAK, ORCHID) - DrumsSebastian Forslund (KADAWATHA) - Congas, Percussion, Guitar

Photo credit: Annicka Nilsson

Following a six-year slumber, Illinois enigmatic sound conjurors, Minsk, are readying to unveil the otherworldly fruit of their new studio creation, The Crash & The Draw. The album track, “To The Garish Remembrance Of Failure”, can be heard below.

Scattered between the sleepy city of Peoria and metropolis of Chicago and drawing inspiration from a remote Belarusian city that has been burned to the ground only to be rebuilt like a phoenix rising from its own ashes, Minsk has been cultivating sonic exploration and alchemical outpourings since 2002. Rooted in the post-metal landscape that brought forth visionaries like Neurosis and Isis, with their latest offering, The Crash & The Draw, Minsk step out of the shadows of the giants of their genre to create a psychedelic blend of melodic, trance-inducing heaviness.

Recorded almost exclusively in The Prairie State, The Crash & The Draw was captured by the band alongside Sanford Parker (Twilight, Voivod, Eyehategod, Yob) at Earth Analog in Tolono, mixed by Parker and Minsk at Hypercube in Chicago and mastered by Collin Jordan (Eyehategod, Indian, Wovenhand, Voivod) at The Boiler Room in Chicago with additional vocal tracking by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Old Man Gloom, Floor) at Antisleep Audio in Oakland, California and further tracking, editing, and mixing by Kevin Rendleman at Trash Rocket Audio and Aaron Austin at We Know Who You Are, both in Peoria. The record includes the striking cover creation of Orion Landau (Yob, Inter Arma, Red Fang).

The Crash & The Draw is a thematic continuation of the group's long standing fascination with alchemical and esoteric ideologies, with marked nods toward the thought and writings of perennial inspiration, Kahlil Gibran, and the espoused words of Hermes Trismegistus, the fabled author of the Corpus Hermeticum and other sacred texts. The album boasts eleven arresting movements that transcend the confines of post-metal, sludge and psychedelia. A crucial sonic passage through dark and light that's at once crushing, hallucinatory and at times, spiritually illuminating, tracks ebb and flow with a pastoral elegance and tangible urgency.

 

 

The Crash & The Draw tracklisting:

“To The Initiate”
“Within And Without”
“Onward Procession I. These Longest Days”
“Onward Procession II. The Soil Calls”
“Onward Procession III. The Blue Hour”
“Onward Procession IV. Return, The Heir”
“Conjunction”
“The Way Is Through”
“To You There Is No End”
“To The Garish Remembrance Of Failure”
“When The Walls Fell”

“To The Garish Remembrance Of Failure”:

The Crash & The Draw will be released via Relapse Records in North America on April 7th, April 3rd in Germany, Benelux and Finland and April 6th in the UK and rest of the world and will come available on CD, double LP and digitally. Pre-order your copy today at this location. For digital orders, go here.

 

British melodic rock icons MAGNUM will release a new live album, "Escape From The Shadow Garden - Live 2014", through SPV/Steamhammer in Scandinavia on May 6, in Germany on May 8, in the rest of Europe on May 11 and in the USA on May 12 as a super jewel case version, double gatefold vinyl version and as a digital download. The CD was recorded in the spring of 2014 at select venues on MAGNUM's successful "Escape From The Shadow Garden" European tour. The setlist includes songs from seven of MAGNUM's eighteen studio albums.

"Escape From The Shadow Garden - Live 2014" track listing:

Super Jewel Case

01. Live 'Til You Die02. Black Skies03. Freedom Day04. Dance Of The Black Tattoo05. Blood Red Laughter06. Unwritten Sacrifice07. How Far Jerusalem08. Les Morts Dansant09. Falling For The Big Plan10. All England's Eyes11. Vigilante12. Kingdom Of Madness

2LP

LP1

Side 1

01. Live 'Til You Die02. Black Skies03. Freedom Day

Side 2

01. Dance Of The Black Tattoo02. Blood Red Laughter03. Unwritten Sacrifice LP 2

Side 1

01. How Far Jerusalem02. Les Morts Dansant03. Falling For the Big Plan

Side 2

01. All England's Eyes02. Vigilante03. Kingdom Of Madness MAGNUM's 19th studio album, "Escape From The Shadow Garden", was released in March 2014 via Steamhammer/SPV. The effort was made available as a limited digipak edition with bonus material, as a double colored vinyl LP, standard jewel case CD and download. The cover artwork was once again created by famous fantasy artist Rodney Matthews (ASIA, NAZARETH, ELOY).

The New Roses are the new rock sensation coming from Germany - or to be more precise from the tranquil Rheingau, better known for its impressive castles, monasteries and vineyards. The New Roses are a true rock 'n' roll monster, combining influences of AC/DC, Kid Rock, The Black Roses and Aerosmith skillfully with an enriched and unique sound.   

A crowning achievement saw the band’s track "Without A Trace" featured in the TV trailer for the US hit series Sons Of Anarchy. With more than 150 shows and festivals played all over Europe in the last three years, numerous avid fans, The New Roses are ready to rock. This success of The New Roses has now gotten them a worldwide record deal with Napalm Records / Universal. The band is hitting the studio this April to record their new album, which will be released in late summer/autumn this year.

Max Riedler (Napalm Records CEO): "We are delighted to have discovered The New Roses as a bright shining star in the world of Rock music! A great band with a great future! They are totally on the right way!”

The New Roses on the signing with Napalm Records:

Urban Benz (drums): “We are very pleased to sign with a great and established label like Napalm Records. This confirms our belief in Rock and Roll and what we do for years now. It also shows us how important it is to consistently and persistently pursue the own path. We feel the deal with Napalm Records as a reward for our efforts in the recent years and we are now confident and highly motivated working on the recordings for the new album!”

Timmy Rough (vocals, guitar): "It is good to know that we are on the right way! Napalm Records is a very good and experienced label and we're really looking forward to working together. We will play as much as possible this year and of course put our focus on the production of the new album on which we are already working very hard. We know that many of our fans have been waiting quite impatiently and we are looking forward even more to have a valuable partner with Napalm Records who will support us with full force in the production and marketing of the 2nd album!"

Deville Schober (Management): "With The New Roses we have a new band in our roster who does everything right. We are very proud to work with these guys.The New Roses is a live guarantor of highly emotional and energetic shows. With their debut album the band has already proven to write pure Rock anthems of highest international quality. The label deal is a logical consequence of the previous work of the band. With Napalm Records we now have a prestigious label that knows how to develop artists internationally. We look forward to working with Max Riedler and the entire team at Napalm Records!”

 

After their successful and critically acclaimed milestone Sonic Child (2014), four piece blues rock sensation, Zodiac, is ready to enthrall with a new masterpiece. A live album entitled Road Tapes Vol.1.

Zodiac incorporate influences of the blues, with a carefully selected degree of heaviness. Road Tapes Vol.1 is available on April 17th at the Napalm Records webstore.

 

 

 Tracklisting:

“Swinging On The Run”
“Free”
“Holding On”
“Cortez The Killer”
“A Bit Of Devil”
“Rock Bottom Blues”
“Diamond Shoes”
“A Penny And A Dead Horse”
“Moonshine”
“Coming Home”

 

 

Formats:

Limited Digipack + Tourposter Booklet, Vinyl Look Disc

Limited 2LP Gatefold:
Gold + Tourposter (limited to 100 copies)
Silver + Tourposter (limited to 100 copies)
Black

 

After the great show performed in Rome as special guest to Anneke Van Giersbergen and Arjen A. Lucassen (The Gentle Storm), Lenore S. Fingers announce lineup changes with Gerassimos Evangelou (pictured below) on keyboards (aka mastermind of Lord Agheros), and Sergio Idone from Memories Of A Lost Soul on bass replacing Giuseppe Giorgi and Domenico Iannolo who left for personal problems.

 

 

Moreover, the Italian artist Antonio Pannullo (Blacky Mole) realized a digital animated video project using "Cry Of Mankind”, taken from the band’s debut album Inner Tales, released by My Kingdom Music. View the result of this partnership below.

The video is used at the presentation of his new work, Rattus Norvegicus, edited by E.f. Edizioni and available in a limited number of copies as CD single (song + video) only if you order Inner Tales here as gift.

 

 

San Francisco Bay Area metallers, Kill Ritual, welcome David Reed Watson (Rage Of Angels, Electric Messiah, D.N.A.) to the band as their new vocalist.

 

 

Hailing from Las Vegas, David is a former US Marine with a musical career that started in theatre and is veteran of numerous live shows and recordings. He’ll usher in a new sound and style for the band as they progress forward with some of their heaviest and  most melodic material on their soon to be released third yet-untitled CD.

A sample of David’s style with the band can be found below.

The new CD will once again be recorded by guitarist Steve Rice and mixed /mastered by Andy LaRocque and his Sonic Train Studios. A summer 2015 release is expected.

 

Heavy metal band Against Evil, based out of Vishakapatnam, India, have released their debut single, “War Hero”. The band plays classic heavy metal and is made up of members Shasank (guitars), Sravan (guitars, vocals), Siri Sri (bass, vocals) and Noble John (drums).

The single can be streamed below, the artwork was done by All Things Rotten.

 

 

Guitarist Shasank commented, "This song reminds us of a battlefield where the soldiers have to stand up and fight their own fears to destroy the enemy. It's IN YOUR FACE kinda heavy metal - louder than the war itself!"
 

Check out Against Evil on Facebook.

Melbourne, Australia-based rockers, Mammoth Mammoth, have released an official music video for "Lookin' Down The Barrel", a track from the upcoming Volume IV - Hammered Again album, due for release via Napalm Records on the following dates:

Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Europe/Australia - March 27th
UK/Norway/France/Denmark/Italy - March 30th
Sweden/Spain - April 1st
North America - April 7th

 

 

Tracklisting:

"Life’s A Bitch"
"Lookin´ Down The Barrel"
"Electric Sunshine"
"Fuel Injected"
"Black Dog"
"Promised Land"
"Reign Supreme"
"Sick (Of Being Sick)"
"Hammered Again"
"High As A Kite"
"Alcohol" (Bonus Track)

"Lookin' Down The Barrel" video:

"Life's A Bitch" lyric video:

 

Anatomy Of I, the band featuring vocalist/guitarist Michael Dorrian, bassist Steve DiGiorgio (Sadus, Death, Testament) and drummer Dirk Verbeuren (Scarve, Soilwork), will release a Special Edition of their debut album Substratum, originally released in 2011.

 

 

The new release will be available in May via Punishment 18 Records. It will contain bonus tracks consisting of two remixed and remastered songs and one exclusive new song. A new video teaser can be found below.

 

 

Tracklisting:

"Organic Machine"
"Harvest The Fallen"
"Drowning"
"Dimensions"
"Washed Away"
"Fluid River"
"Banished Messiah"
"Substratum"
"As Eternity Ends..."
"Bound In Flesh"

Bonus tracks:

"Organic Machine" (remix 2015)
"Dimensions" (remix 2015)
"In Memoriam"

Teaser:

Anatomy Of I mastermind Michael Dorrian recently hit Final Focus Studio with engineer extraordinaire Yuma van Eekelen (Exivious, ex-Pestilence) manning the helm, to re-record rhythm guitars for the bonus tracks. Two play-through tracks from the session can be seen below.

“Organic Machine”:

“Dimensions”:

 

ACT OF DEFIANCE, the new band featuring former MEGADETH members Shawn Drover (drums) and Chris Broderick (guitar), alongside ex-SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner, and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass), has inked a deal with Metal Blade Records.

ACT OF DEFIANCE is currently recording its debut offering with world-renowned producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, SHADOWS FALL) for a summer release.

A rough demo snippet of the ACT OF DEFIANCE track "Throwback" can be streamed below.

Says Broderick: "I am so excited to finally be able to announce ACT OF DEFIANCE to the world.

"Shawn just finished tracking drums the first week of February and his performance and tones are simply incredible. I have started tracking rhythms and leads, as well as working with Henry to get final vocal takes while Matt will record bass at his studio. The final mix and mastering will also be handled by Zeuss."

He continues: "I am also very honored to announce that we have signed with Metal Blade Records. There is not a better label to be on than one where the employees (and owner) still understand and listen to METAL! They have shown a loyalty, backing and drive for their artists that few other labels have.

"As for our music, I am really enjoying the ability to create what is a killer mix of thrash and modern metal. It has a unique combination ranging from thrash to classical influences. I am very proud of what we have written and hope that you all dig it."

Adds Drover: "Having our new band, ACT OF DEFIANCE, sign with Metal Blade Records is a real thrill for me.

"I started my musical career with Brian Slagel and the Metal Blade family many years ago, so to come full circle at this point is a real musical homecoming of sorts. I couldn't be happier about that.

"What thrills me the most is the fact that myself, Chris Broderick, Henry Derek and Matt Bachand all have in common is that from the get-go, we wanted this band to be 100% PURE heavy metal! No compromises, no ulterior motives other than making the best HEAVY METAL music we can. Metal Blade shares this vision, which really puts us all on the same page, musically."

States Bachand: "I couldn't be more excited to begin this new adventure with ACT OF DEFIANCE. The positive energy that has collected between the four of us in such a little amount of time has been nothing short of incredible. Writing bass lines is something new for me as well, and I am looking forward to the challenge. All the songs are coming together great and I can't wait for the world to hear this."

Comments Henry: "I'm extremely honored and excited to be a part of ACT OF DEFIANCE. Everyone has been super cool and supportive, which is always a huge plus. I know this is going to be an awesome musical experience and the fact that I'm embarking on this journey with good people means everything."

Metal Blade founder Brian Slagel says: "I am super excited to welcome ACT OF DEFIANCE to the Metal Blade family. I have known Chris and Shawn over the years and really admired their work. I am honored to be able to work with these two legendary musicians. Really excited to work with all the guys on this exciting new band!"

During an interview with SiriusXM's Jose Mangin on the December 17, 2014 edition of Liquid Metal's "666-LIVE" call-in show, Broderick stated about how his new group came together: "Through talking with Shawn Drover, we've talked about how we had all this material that was never gonna get released, all these killer, heavy riffs that we had written and stuff, and so we just decided, 'Hey, why don't we put the stuff out? Why don't we form a band and get out these killer riffs, just to see what people think?' So we formed a band, we're working with a killer singer — he's awesome — and we've got record labels that have made some good offers on the table, and we're really excited about where that's gonna go."

Regarding whether the musical ideas that are being used in the new band are things that were originally presented to MEGADETH and were turned down or if they are brand new compositions, Chris said: "Some of them were presented, but then some of them also… I'd be, like, 'Oh, this isn't appropriate for MEGADETH, their sound.' I have a tendency to write very complex stuff, and so I've gotta watch it when I write and submit for MEGADETH under that kind of… I wanna make sure it's not too complex and too crazy and all over the place. So those are the things that I would have held back."

Bonner released a statement in April 2014 claiming that he was leaving SCAR THE MARTYR "due to personal differences, artistic direction and a slew of business decisions that I cannot simply ignore." He added: "I've given it a year of my life and now it's time to move on. I will continue making music in many forms."

Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) joined THE FOUNDRY, the band featuring former IRON MAIDEN frontman Blaze Bayley alongside bassist John Moyer (DISTURBED), drummer A.J. Pero (TWISTED SISTER) and guitarist Rick Plester (BLACK SYMPHONY), on stage on February 24 at Ripper's Rock House in Akron, Ohio to perform covers of classic songs by BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST.

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Regarding how THE FOUNDRY came together, Blaze told CantonRep.com: "I was working with Rick Plester a few years ago on some songs for the 'Soundtracks Of My Life' CD that I put out, and we decided to do a few shows. It's a really good chemistry, and it's a lot of fun. Nobody really needs to do it, but we get together because every time we’ve done it, it's so much fun that we just have to do it again. We do quite a few of my songs, a couple TWISTED SISTER songs and a few covers. It goes from an hour to about 90 minutes. Rick and A.J. do solos where they get carried away. Then there are a few sing-a-long sections where I get carried away! But the reactions have been really great, and it's really a lot of fun."

Bayley also talked about performing at Ripper's Rock House. He said: "I've wanted to do that for a while. We just finished the 'Metal Singers' tour together here in Brazil, which was Ripper, Udo Dirkschneider, Mike Vescera and myself. Ripper kept telling me about the food at his place, so I [couldn't] wait to go there and have the food! And the gig, too, of course."

"Let Me Burn", the new video from Knoxville, Tennessee death metallers WHITECHAPEL, can be seen below. The band collaborated with Mitch Massie, the director behind the latest and most visually striking videos from CATTLE DECAPITATION, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, and more. Massie brought the lyrics to "Let Me Burn" to life in gloriously gory fashion; this video is not for those with a weak constitution.

WHITECHAPEL vocalist Phil Bozeman explains: "The basis of the video is about a man, his wife and daughter. The story depicts the degradation of the man and him going insane. He kills his wife and eventually douses himself in gasoline and begs his daughter to strike the match. But the whole point of the story is that the man has everything he wants and needs, but has no control over his mind and suffers with clinical insanity/schizophrenia and regrets everything he has done."

WHITECHAPEL guitarist Alex Wade adds: "It's our first time trying a story based video versus a performance video with us playing and we're really happy with how it came out. Phil's idea for the concept of the video mixed with Mitch Massie's directing developed a very dark and sinister feel that represents the song well."

"Let Me Burn" is taken from WHITECHAPEL's latest album, "Our Endless War", which was issued in April 2014 via Metal Blade. The CD sold around 16,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Cold Blood", the new video from cello rockers APOCALYPTICA, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Shadowmaker", which will be released in April via Eleven Seven Music Group's Better Noise imprint. The Finnish musicians — accompanied by their American lead singer Franky Perez — recorded the CD with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON).

In a recent interview with Australia's The Rockpit, APOCALYPTICA's Eicca Toppinen stated about "Shadowmaker": "It's always hard to talk about albums without being a nerdy musician. I think it's a totally new kind of record for APOCALYPTICA, especially because we have one singer on the whole album, and I think it's making the whole album more solid. It's more of a band record compared to the album that we have had guest vocalists, so I think it's more solid.

"We had a break when we stopped touring for '7th Symphony', we had one year off, we didn't write a single song for a record, nothing except for 'Wagner Reloaded', but for the regular stuff, nothing. And after the break, we came together and if we wanted to do something, we have to do exactly what we want to do and this record is the result of that, that journey.

"We wanted to challenge ourselves even more and we wanted to be tight as a band before the pre-production and the thing that Franky [Perez, vocalist] was part of the pre-production, we spent weeks with him in the rehearsal room arranging the songs and getting things more defined before we went into the studio.

"I think this album is full of attitude, it's a real attitude record."

Asked how APOCALYPTICA ended up hiring Franky Perez to handle the vocals on the entire "Shadowmaker" record, Eicca said: "It was actually the beginning of June last year when we made the decision to, 'Okay, there's no more guest vocalists on this record. We need to find a guy who makes the record and will tour with us for the record. It's like a puzzle where all the pieces of the puzzle are spread all over, they are not connected, and we need to get those pieces connected. And ways to have one singer to make the whole thing more understandable for people, to make the working circumstances more comfortable for us where things are not so dependant on people outside of the band — the guests, the managers and the label — so it's all about us."

He continued: "Our manager put a quiet request in the business, like, 'Okay, APOCALYPTICA searching for a singer for the record. Do we have any suggestions or any people who are great singers who do not have the right band yet?' And we got about 20-25 suggestions. We went through them, and asked five of them to make a recording and from those we picked out three and asked them to sing a little piece of 'Hole In My Soul' from the new album, and Franky was the obvious choice. So he came through the record company search. Somebody said at the American label that he's the guy, 'I've used him many times on session [recordings]. He's great. And he didn't have anything active going except his solo record, but nothing band-wise."

Eicca added: "I love Franky's voice. He's not just a regular singer. He has a very soulful sound and he's able to sing different styles, which is perfect for APOCALYPTICA, because our songs are not only heavy metal, it's a variety of different colors and different dynamics, and the singer needs to match that, and I think Franky is a perfect match."

Asked if APOCALYPTICA would consider keeping Perez permanently as a bandmember, Eicca said: "It's too early to think about it, but nothing is decided. Now we got the record done, and then we will have touring more or less for two years, and at the end of that time, or sometime during those two years, we will know. But it wouldn't be an impossible option to have Franky in the band, but it's too early to think about it. We have been through several concepts, and we still want the option to change the concept to do something different."

"Shadowmaker" track listing:

01. I-III-V- Seed Of Chaos02. Cold Blood03. Shadowmaker04. Slowburn05. Reign Of Fear (bonus track)06. Hole in My Soul07. House Of Chains08. Riot Lights09. Come Back Down (bonus track)10. Sea Song (You Waded Out)11. Till Death Do Us Part12. Dead Man's Eyes

Swedish death metallers UNLEASHED will release their twelfth full-length album, "Dawn Of The Nine", on April 24 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork was created by Pär Olofsson (IMMORTAL, DEMONAZ, EXODUS) and can be seen below.

UNLEASHED's follow-up to 2012's "Odalheim" was once again produced by the band's guitarist, Fredrik Folkare, at his Chrome Studios in Stockholm.

The first single from "Dawn Of The Nine", "Where Is Your God Now?", will be released digitally on February 27.

A lyric video for the track can be seen below. Comments UNLEASHED frontman Johnny Hedlund: "This song is the fourth song on our new album continuing the story about the world of Odalheim.

"In the aftermath of the great battle at Uppsala fields, and after some time has passed, the Battalions of the World hunt down White Christ to challenge him personally. Needless to say, he needs to be faced with the atrocities he is responsible for. But, just like most cowards, it seems that he fled to higher ground.

"The Hammer Battalions are ready, waiting eagerly... Where is your god now?”

"Dawn Of The Nine" track listing:

01. A New Day Will Rise02. They Came To Die03. Defenders Of Midgard04. Where Is Your God Now?05. The Bolt Thrower06. Let The Hammer Fly07. Where Churches Once Burned08. Land Of The Thousand Lakes09. Dawn Of The Nine10. Welcome The Son Of Thor!

Says Johnny Hedlund: "The artwork represents the continuation of our previous album, which ended with 'The Great Battle Of Odalheim'. The battle took place at Uppsala fields in Sweden, and you can clearly see the 'kings graves' at the cover artwork, which is present at Uppsala also in the future. You can also see the bombed out church in the far distance. Then, of course, you see the place of Blot in the front and the rune stone with the runic symbol of courage of the new dawn."

UNLEASHED's current lineup:

Johnny Hedlund: Bass, Vocals Tomas Måsgard: Guitar Fredrik Folkare: Guitar Anders Schultz: Drums