After a nearly yearlong search for a new guitarist DOGBANE has issued the following:

"We here at Dogbane are extremely pleased to announce the addition of guitarist Jeff Rinehart into our ranks. With over twenty plus years of guitar and songwriting experience, Jeff's presence will only serve to expand our sound as well as the pool of influences from which we draw. Having grown up during the same era as us, Jeff's knowledge of traditional heavy metal and the NWOBHM movement are second to none. These influences are only foreshadowed by his fondness for such acts as CACOPHONY, RACER X, and the atmospheric doom of MY DYING BRIDE. Certainly these influences will continue to push our boundaries and further our collective potential. Jeff's work ethic and his ability to create has already become an asset as we continue to work on material for our next release. So, join us as we welcome our new brother into the fold and begin the next chapter of our musical conquest."

The doom rockers recently released a video for the song ‘Ride The Serpent’, taken off the band’s 2011 debut Residual Alcatraz. The video, directed and produced by TJ Webb and starring actress Valaria Sweet, can be seen below:

In live news, Dogbane will be performing on July 27th at The Casbah in Durham, NC with BEDOWYN and THE PLOW.

British thrash metal band FLAYED DISCIPLE are to tour for four dates around the UK with Norwegian death metal band BLOOD RED THRONE. Blood Red Throne have just released their latest self-titled album through Sevared Records and are coming to the UK as part of their European tour.

Flayed Disciple is now back on the road after the departure of original drummer, Phil Tolfree. They have replaced him with Rich Lewis; also of Welsh band INTENSIVE SQUARE. Writing for the follow up to 2012's Death Hammer is now in the pre-production stage, so a release is expected early 2014.

Guitarist Jon Whitfield commented: “Rich's first show with us was at this year’s Hammerfest, he was just a stand-in while we looked for someone to come in full time. He played a cool show and we got hammered together all weekend, so by the Sunday morning we were a full band again. The Blood Red Throne dates will be his first tour with us, so we're itching to playing some awesome gigs and show him what it's like to be on the road with Flayed Disciple.”

Flayed Disciple dates:

July
11 – London, UK – Electrowerks
12 – Liverpool, UK – The Lomax
13 – Birmingham, UK – Asylum 2
14 – Brighton, UK – Green Door Store

Guitarist/vocalist Rogga Johansson and his Swedish killing machine PAGANIZER had to cancel their upcoming summer shows, as their second guitarist Andreas Karlsson left the band

Says Rogga: "As a few times before in the past 15 and more years, Andreas has decided to leave the rotten ship that is Paganizer. Nothing spectacular about that... the man isn't hardcore death metal like the rest of us idiots, he often needs a few years breal to listen to Sophie Zelmani.

So now Dennis (Blomberg, bass) moved over to lead guitar and it'll be killer as he's a better guitar player than me or Andreas (which isn't hard though). And on the bass we have now long time friend Willy Darkness, the man the myth the mystery (to women anyways...).

We have had to cancel the shows for this summer which we are fuckin' pissed about of corpse, but with some effort we will do them next year instead!"
Paganizer's World Lobotomy, out now, includes 12 tunes of pure old school death metal. The artwork was created by Juanjo Castellano (REVEL IN FLESH, BLASPHERIAN, RIBSPREADER, SATHANAS).

World Lobotomy tracklisting:

'Prelude To The Lobotomy'
'World Lobotomy'
'The Sky On Fire'
'Mass Of Parasites'
'As Blood Grows Cold'
'Ödeläggaren'
'You Call It Deviance'
'As The Maggots Gather'
'Trail Of Human Decay'
'The Drowners'
'The Last Chapter'
'Hunt Eat Repeat'

For more details on Paganizer visit Facebook .

According to the New York Post, members of the legendary hardcore band the CRO-MAGS are suing the group's founder, Harley Flanagan, over an incident in New York City on July 6, 2012 when he allegedly attacked the musicians during the CBGB Festival.

Michael Couls and William Berardo are suing Harley in civil court, claiming that he slashed Berardo in the left eye with a five-inch hunting knife and bit Couls' arm. Also named in the lawsuit is the East Village venue Webster Hall where the event was held.

"The uninvited defendant, Harley Flanagan, gained access to the VIP area because the hall failed to hire sufficiently trained security personal to protect the plaintiffs," the Manhattan Supreme Court suit alleges.

Flanagan was initially charged with felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the incident, but those charges were eventually dropped.

New York Natives last year published an interview with Flanagan in which Harley claimed that he was invited to the Webster Hall gig and had a VIP pass which he used to enter the venue. He said he went there with "the best of intentions" hoping to mend years of bickering and make the fans happy. After he was invited to the backstage dressing room, he said that instead of being welcomed, as he expected to be, he was jumped by a group of men.

Bassist Jared MacEachern played his second with San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD last night (Wednesday, June 26) at Hawthorne Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Some fans might remember MacEachern from MACHINE HEAD's 2007 "The Black Tyranny" tour, on which he performed with his previous band, SANCTITY. MACHINE HEAD, challenged to find a fill-in bass player for the North American tour after an injury sidelined their then-four-stringer Adam Duce, also found themselves in need of someone to sing harmony with singer/guitarist Robb Flynn. Flynn remembers: "We had locked in Brandon Sigmund of local boys HOSTILITY to play bass on that tour, but we soon realized we'd need someone to hit the high harmonies. Our A&R guy [at Roadrunner Records], Monte Conner, recommended Jared since he was already on the tour, and that ended up being a great call. Jared flew out a few days before the tour and rehearsed with us and did great. What was most impressive about the whole thing was that he was doing double duty — opening for MACHINE HEAD with his band at the time, SANCTITY, and then later singing with us. He would stay sober until after our set, and often get in the van and drive all night. His seriousness and dedication was awesome to see and it stuck with us."

Earlier this year, MACHINE HEAD conducted an extensive search for candidates through various channels, the most fruitful of which proved to be video submissions. Sifting through more than 400 videos, the band personally reviewed and evaluated everyone's performances, including MacEachern, who made the short list without a second thought. Lead guitarist Phil Demmel recalls: "There were dozens of amazing players, and it was interesting to watch each one take on our tunes. One of our biggest criteria for this gig was to be able to sing the high harmonies. That was our litmus test. And Jared passed with flying colors."

After reviewing all of the submissions, the band narrowed down the 400-plus candidates to a short list of seven, each of whom took a trip to Oakland to perform a handful of songs in person and spend the day hanging with the band. Drummer Dave McClain remembers: "Jared came in to the audition and just killed it! Besides being able to nail the bass and vocal harmonies, he also had the vibe and personality to make it feel like we were a BAND again. It was a great feeling and we all knew he was the guy."

MacEachern first picked up concert bass at 12, and around the same time discovered metal. Jared recalls: "I heard the [METALLICA] song 'Unforgiven' and really liked it. The next day my friend gave me [METALLICA's first album] 'Kill 'Em All' and it was over. I became completely enamored with all the metal bands of that time; METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and PANTERA, but when it came to bass, it was all about Cliff Burton, he was, and is my dude." With a brief stint at the Brevard School for Music Performance, Jared has consistently played bass for the past 22 years, most notably in SANCTITY, where oddly enough, the band needed a guitar player. "That was purely out of necessity," he explains, "I'd been a bass player, but that gig opened up and I gave it a shot on the six-stringer."

After extensive global touring with SANCTITY and the birth of Jared's daughter in 2007, the band's release from their label ignited Jared's sense of responsibility and he quit the group to focus on her. But music stayed a part of his life and he continued to jam locally throughout the south with death metal bands FROM A DIG and TELIC, until he saw MACHINE HEAD were in need and thought he'd try out.

Frontman Robb Flynn reflects: "We really wanted a guy that was hungry for this, someone who could live and breathe this with us. Dave would joke around that we didn't want to get someone too green that'd be, like, 'Oh my god, is this a dressing room?!', but we also didn't want someone who was too jaded by the whole thing and 'been there done that.' We thought the perfect guy would be someone who'd paid some dues, who had done nine or ten crummy van tours, and wasn't broken by that, but inspired to keep going and play music, and in many ways that was Jared. I mean, hell, the guy's only rode in a bus for two nights, one of which was with us! It brings a really cool level of appreciation to the table, and it shows where his heart's at."

"Identity", the new Dan "Beast" Quigley-directed video from the transgender singer Mina Caputo — once known as Keith Caputo, the front-person for the popular rock band LIFE OF AGONY — can be seen below. (Note: Video contains mature content.) The song comes off Caputo's first album as a female, "As Much Truth As One Can Bear", for which she has launched an Indigogo campaign in the hopes of raising $35,000 to cover production costs.

In a new interview with Billboard.com, Caputo stated about the lifelong torment that reached a breaking point in 2008 where she became suicidal: "I couldn't look at myself in the mirror anymore. I couldn't play. Living in my testosterone and my masculinity was killing me. It was just a nightmare for me. Words can't describe the torture someone like me feels or anyone that's gender fluid."

Speaking to Advocate.com in 2011, Mina stated about how becoming a "rock star" delayed her transition, "I was very boxed in that metal thing. The first album I've ever done was released and then it pretty much exploded in Europe and I kind of had no choice but to leave school. I didn't want to sing in a band. That wasn't really what I set out to do. I wanted to go to Julliard. I wanted to play the classics, get good grades… and I pictured myself living more of a feminine life then at 19 when this whole alpha male world just pretty much took over. I was in hell for years. . . It was more of a sense of responsibility and not getting labels down… the management, the band, and the fans. And I mean, we were a really, really really, really big band. We were doing concerts in Europe where 60 to 100 thousand people were showing up."

Official MetOnTour video footage of METALLICA performing the songs "Fuel" and "Through The Never" on April 25 in Cape Town, South Africa can be seen below.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said in a new interview with Rolling Stone that the band has compiled nearly 600 song ideas for its tenth studio album, most of them coming during jam sessions on tour and organized this past January and March in several rehearsal sessions. But that doesn't mean the group is rushing to whittle all that music down to 10 or 12 solid tunes and record them. Ulrich explained, "I understand there are people waiting for a new record, and so are we. But I can't stress about it. It's not like, 'Fuck, hurry up and get this record out.' Hurry up for what? So we can go play gigs? We already play gigs. We'll get there."

Frontman James Hetfield told The Pulse Of Radio that making the new record was a question of time and not lack of material. "We've come up with enough material for a record, for sure," he said. "We've gone through maybe one-tenth of the material that's on our riff CDs, but we've got enough for an album. We just haven't had the time to really focus on it and dial in and start whittling at these masterpieces, hopefully."

METALLICA is not likely to get down to serious recording until later this year or early 2014, with the new album probably not expected to arrive until 2015. The band's last studio effort was 2008's "Death Magnetic".

Earlier this month the band headlined the second edition of its Orion Music + More festival, which was held in Detroit on June 8-9. The group headlined the second day while also playing a surprise afternoon set on the first day at which it played its entire 1983 debut disc "Kill 'Em All".

The group has a scattering of festival slots lined up into September, just before its upcoming 3D movie, "Metallica Through the Never", premieres on IMAX screen in North America on September 27.

METALLICA filmed the movie last August, combining live performance footage from three shows in Vancouver with a storyline following a fictional member of their crew, played by actor Dane DeHaan, who's sent on a mission during a concert.

As part of its ongoing 35th-birthday celebrations, Utopia Records had the Richmond, Virginia crossover act MUNICIPAL WASTE in the Sydney, Australia store for a meet-and-greet and signing and interview session on June 16 from 2 p.m. before the band laid waste to the HiFi later that night. Check out video footage below.

MUNICIPAL WASTE supported ANTHRAX on the third annual Metal Alliance Tour, which kicked off in March and ran through the month of April.

MUNICIPAL WASTE's fifth album, "The Fatal Feast", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 3 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200. The band's previous effort, "Massive Aggressive", opened with around 2,100 copies back in September 2009 to debut at No. 10 on the Heatseekers chart.

"The Fatal Feast" was released on April 10, 2011 in North America and April 13, 2011 in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records. The cover artwork for the CD was created by Justin Osbourn of Slasher Design and can be seen below.

"The Fatal Feast" features guest appearances by John Connelly (guitarist and vocalist for NUCLEAR ASSAULT), Steve Moore (who plays bass and synthesizers for ZOMBI), and vocalist Tim Barry (ex-AVAIL).

German epic metal heroes EQUILIBRIUM will release their very first EP on August 16 via Nuclear Blast Records. Produced by guitarist René Berthiaume at Helion Studios and mixed and mastered by the Resetti Brothers — Joerg Umbreit and Vincent Sorg — at their Principal Studios, "Waldschrein" includes the brand-new title track and an acoustic version of the same song plus a re-recorded and extended version of "Der Sturm" from "Turis Fratyr" (originally sung by ex-vocalist Helge Stange, now by frontman Robse Dahn). Moreover, it contains "Zwergenhammer" — a previously unreleased older song — as well as a cover version of the "Skyrim" video game opening theme.

Commented the band: "We're really looking forward to releasing this EP, because we all have to wait until next year for our next full-length album to be released. This makes it the perfect chance to release some songs and recordings that didn't make it on any regular album because they are so exclusive. The best thing yet is that with 'Waldschrein' we can provide the fans with a little foretaste for what expects them in 2014!"

"Waldschrein" track listing:

01. Waldschrein
02. Der Sturm
03. Zwergenhammer
04. Himmelsrand
05. Waldschrein (acoustic version)

Female vocalist Pamela Moore, who is best known for her performance as Sister Mary on QUEENSRŸCHE's 1988 epic release "Operation: Mindcrime" and 2006's sequel "Operation: Mindcrime II", joined the Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE on stage last night (Wednesday, June 26) at The Crocodile in Seattle, Washington to perform the band's classic song "Suite Sister Mary". Fan-filmed video footage of her appearance can be seen below.

The new self-titled album from the Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE, was released on Tuesday (June 25) via Century Media Records. The cover artwork was created by Craig Howell, who has previously worked on designs for "Star Wars", SLIPKNOT and "American Idol", to name a few.

"Queensrÿche" marks the debut release from the lineup comprised of La Torre (vocals; ex-CRIMSON GLORY), Michael Wilton (guitar), Parker Lundgren (guitar), Eddie Jackson (bass) and Scott Rockenfield (drums). The drums for the album were recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, Washington with producer James "Jimbo" Barton — the man who engineered and mixed the band's classic 1988 LP, "Operation: Mindcrime", and its 1990 follow-up, "Empire", and co-produced 1994's "Promised Land". The rest of the music and vocals were laid down at several different facilities on the West Coast.

Former THE HAUNTED and current AT THE GATES guitarist Anders Björler has completed work on his first solo album, "Antikythera" (formerly "The Antikythera Mechanism"), tentatively due later this year. He states: "The mix and master is all done. CD and vinyl designs are all completed. I have signed a record deal and a publishing deal. I won't have any more specific detailed news about 'Antikythera' until after the summer probably."

"Antikythera" recording lineup:

* Anders Björler (THE HAUNTED, AT THE GATES) - Guitar, Keyboards, Mellotron & Moog
* Morgan Ågren (MATS & MORGAN BAND, KAIPA, FREDRIK THORDENDAL'S SPECIAL DEFECTS) - Drums, Percussion
* Dick Lövgren (MESHUGGAH) - Bass
* Carl Svensson - Additional Electric And Acoustic Guitars
* Peter Wiberg (THE SPOTNICKS) - Piano
* Anders Gabrielson - Saxophone

Anders previously stated about his upcoming album: "This is NOT a 'metal' project. Those of you who are familiar with my soundtrack/movie stuff for THE HAUNTED and AT THE GATES documentaries will know somewhat to expect. It's inspired by Italian film music from the '60 and '70s, post rock, ambient, progressive, jazz, and Swedish folk music."

Björler announced his departure from THE HAUNTED in October. He explained in a statement, "I feel that I have come to the end of the line regarding THE HAUNTED. This is not a sudden or hasty decision. I have been contemplating it for the last couple of years. Peter's [Dolving, vocals] departure [in early 2012] made me more certain than ever that I had reached my personal goal with THE HAUNTED, and that the time was right to call it quits. I have enjoyed every bit of the ride. It's been an overwhelming journey. I would like to thank the other band members especially, our crew through the years, and our fans worldwide for the experience and opportunity. Thank you so much! The memories will be with me forever. I will, of course, continue writing music, but where that leads me? [It's] simply too early to say."

Nick Oliveri (MONDO GENERATOR, ex-KYUSS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) was involved in a serious auto accident late Monday night (June 24). According to a posting on the MONDO GENERATOR Facebook page, "[Nick] was shaken up, and you can probably see why if you look at the car [see photos below], but it's nothing he won't recover from."

Oliveri was fired from QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE in 2004 but has reconnected with QOTSA mainman Josh Homme in recent years, with the latter even appearing on a MONDO GENERATOR track last year.

Oliveri and fellow ex-KYUSS members John Garcia (vocals) and Brant Bjork (drums) reunited for shows in 2011 under the KYUSS LIVES! banner, in which they were joined by guitarist Bruno Fevery. Oliveri has since left the band, which has changed its name to VISTA CHINO and is planning to release its full-length debut this fall.

NEWSTED — the new band led by former METALLICA, VOIVOD and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM bassist Jason Newsted — was joined on stage by Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER) on June 25 at Kombank Arena in Belgrade, Serbia for a performance of the METALLICA classic "Whiplash". Check out fan-filmed video footage below. Headlining the show was SLAYER, for which Holt has been playing guitar on the road for the past two and a half years.

In a 2010 interview with Metal Asylum, Gary Holt was asked if he feels the "Big Four" (METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX), should have been expanded and considered the "Big Seven", including EXODUS, TESTAMENT and OVERKILL.

"Well, I think it should be the 'Big Five' with EXODUS, because we were there at the start of thrash metal with METALLICA in the real early '80s," he said. "Same thing with MEGADETH because [Dave] Mustaine was a part of METALLICA's birth and he also created MEGADETH. And SLAYER are SLAYER. ANTHRAX are also great and old friends, but if you listen to those first few records, they have definitely changed. TESTAMENT has every right to be part of the thrash metal legends, but it just came down to timing because they came later. And OVERKILL have been their since the beginning also. But I don't get hung up on that shit, because I know how it all started and I know where I was when the shit got created. We [EXODUS] certainly deserve to be part of the founding fathers, but you know who often gets excluded are the Germans — KREATOR, DESTRUCTION and SODOM. Everybody looks to America and forgets those guys. KREATOR, DESTRUCTION and SODOM all released records in the early '80s."

He continued: "Really, the "Big Four" is solely based on sales and the ones who sold the most. But if you compare records, I will put EXODUS' last few albums up against anybody's shit. SLAYER is always awesome; the last TESTAMENT album [at the time of the interview], 'The Formation of Damnation', was great; the new MEGADETH is one of their best; METALLICA are still finding their feet again, and their last album, 'Death Magnetic', was a step in the right direction. The new OVERKILL, 'Ironbound', is one of their best records ever; it's so good. And KREATOR, DESTRUCTION, and SODOM still make great new music. What I think it boils down to is the bands who've been doing this the longest still can do it the best. METALLICA are still a mighty force live, but they lost their way for quite a while. But then again I've never had to deal with the horrible problem of having millions of dollars. [Laughs] Maybe if I had that kind of money, it would distract my hunger for doing this kind of shit, too. But, unfortunately for me, I have to keep kickin' people in the teeth, I don't have the funds to go art-shopping. My version of fine art is a new edition of Hustler magazine. [laughs]"

Jason Newsted (METALLICA, VOIVOD, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, NEWSTED) and Bobby "Ed" Landgraf (HONKY) joined DOWN on stage on June 23 at this year's Hellfest in Clisson, France to perform a cover version of the CORROSION OF CONFORMITY song "Clean My Wounds". Handling lead vocals for the performance was CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/singer Pepper Keenan, who has spent the last few years focusing on his guitar-playing duties in DOWN. Fan-filmed video footage of the rendition can be seen below.

Keenan joined CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1990, but he did not become the band's lead singer until the recording of "Deliverance", which came out in 1994.

In a 2012 interview with Blistering.com, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY bassist/vocalist Mike Dean was asked if the band will ever do anything with Pepper again. "There's no firm plans, but there is a firm desire to make it happen," he said. "We had a really good time doing 'In The Arms Of God' and I'm really proud of that album. The only thing missing was Reed [Mullin]. I thought Stanton Moore did a great job. If you're not going to have your original drummer, then it's novel to get someone who's flamboyant to do their take on it. I thought that was a good move. I came away from that thinking that if we had this level of creativity and also had Mullin… that would be a bonus. But yeah, I hope we don't just get that lineup together for shows or 'Deliverance' nostalgia shows, but get it together with the idea of putting out a record. There's some controversy to doing the three-piece. People are like, "Oh my God, no Pepper!" People haven't even heard it and complain. I'm like, "Complain on, you'll see!" There's a good story behind this version, and there would be a good story behind doing the four-piece again."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's most recent studio album with Keenan, "In the Arms of God", came out in 2005 on Sanctuary Records.

On May 2, the sudden news took the metal community by storm: SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman had died. In the August 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine, the band's bassist/vocalist Tom Araya recalls his final communications with his longtime friend and bandmate: "I had been texting with him, and he even sent me a song that he had been working on. So it seemed like he was doing okay. But when I got the call that he was back in intensive care, I became concerned. Eventually he stopped responding to my texts. It was like a one-sided conversation.

"I was home with my family when I found out he had died. The phone rang and my wife answered it, and she had this look of dread on her face. She handed me the phone and didn't say anything, and it was our manager, Rick [Sales], and he told me. I hung up the phone and went to my room and I cried.

"It hit my family hard, because they really liked Jeff. My mother was really upset, my sisters loved Jeff, and my brother too — he was Jeff's tech for a long time."

Hanneman died from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver, a result of a lifetime of drinking.

His bandmates are quick to point out that Hanneman's drinking rarely became an issue within the group, though it did creep in on occasion.

"The only thing that comes to mind," guitarist Kerry King tells Guitar World, "was when we were on the 'Divine Intervention' tour [in 1994-1995], when [drummer] Paul [Bostaph] was with us, and we wanted to play 'Sex. Murder. Art.' live. But on that album I pretty much played everything in the studio, so I don't think Jeff had ever played that song. And he was just too messed up all the time to learn it, so Paul, Tom and I just did it as a three-piece because Jeff would not come on stage and play it. After that, we said, 'Listen dude, like it or not, you're a part of this band, and if we decide to play a song, you gotta play that fucking song.'"

There were events that occurred in the previous few years that could be viewed as contributing factors in Jeff's downward spiral. One was the death of his father in 2008. "That's when things really started to go downhill for him," Kathryn Hanneman, Jeff's wife of 24 years, tells Guitar World. "It was probably the hardest thing he ever had to face in his entire life. When I met Jeff, he didn't have all that great of a relationship with his father. But as time went on, they became very close. So that took a toll on him. He was never quite the same after that. I just don't think he cared anymore."

To read more of the interview, purchase a copy of the August 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine.

A six-year-old girl shocked the judges on "America's Got Talent" last night (Tuesday, June 25) by screaming her way through an original "heavy metal" song.

Aaralyn O'Neil, backed up on drums by brother Isaiah O'Neil, sang a track called "Zombie Skin", featuring such lyrics as "Everybody! Listen to meeeee! I am a zombieeeee! I'm gonna eat you up right now!"

Judges Howard Stern and Scary Spice Mel B. buzzed Aaralyn and Isaiah almost immediately, with Stern telling the girl, "It's not because I didn't like ('Zombie Skin'). I was afraid your voice was gonna blow out. That song really packs a punch." Fellow judge Heidi Klum added, "I'm really confused. You're so cute and sweet, and when you open your mouth, I was like, 'Whoa!'"

Watch video footage of the performance below.

Greek thrashers MEMORAIN have inked a deal with Metal Scrap Records. The band's new album, "Seven Sacrificies", will contain 11 songs and will be released before the end of the year. The CD will feature special guest appearances by David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Jed Simon (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) and Michael Gilbert (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM).

In other news, MEMORAIN has re-recorded eight tracks from its first two albums — 2002's "Digital Crimes" and 2003's "White Line" — to be made available for free download at the band's web site after the new album is released.

MEMORAIN is:

Ilias Papadakis - Guitar
Jason Mercury - Guitar
Andreas Boutos - Vocals
Dimitris Anestis - Bass
Tolis Mistiloglou - Drums

Swedish death metallers EVOCATION have finished recording of five cover versions that are going to be released as a EP on vinyl and as digital download on August 19.

"Excised And Anatomised" includes the following tracks:

Side 1:

01. … For Victory (originally by BOLT THROWER)
02. Corporal Jigsore Quandary (originally by CARCASS)
03. You Suffer (originally by NAPALM DEATH)

Side 2:

01. Enigma (originally by EDGE OF SANITY)
02. Terminal Spirit Disease (originally by AT THE GATES)

All songs were recorded at EVOCATION's own Evocation Studios. Dan Swanö took care of the mix and mastering at Unisound Studios. Cover and layout were once again created by Xaay, who has previously worked with EVOCATION on their last two studio albums.
According to a press release, "Each of the five classic songs works very well in the typical sound of EVOCATION. It's not only homage to the ancient gods of death metal. It's a tribute to the scene itself that EVOCATION has been part of since the band's founding in 1991. It's a deferential bow to the bands that have decisively influenced EVOCATION throughout the years. 'Excised And Anatomised' is not a try to play a decent copy of a classic track. It's a statement, an oath of allegiance to death metal."

The vinyl version of "Excised And Anatomised" will be released as a 12-inch EP on 180-gram vinyl with inlay for a fan-friendly price.

* White vinyl, limited to 100 copies - exclusively at CMdistro.com
* Gray vinyl, limited to 100 copies - exclusively at Nuclear Blast
* Dark-red vinyl, limited to 100 copies - available at various mailorders
* Black vinyl, limited to 700 copies - available at various mailorder

EVOCATION's fourth studio album, "Illusions Of Grandeur", was released in September 2012 via Century Media Records. The CD includes "ten tracks of supreme Swedish death metal, a perfect mélange of Stockholm rawness and Gothenburg epics," according to a press release.

"Illusions Of Grandeur" was recorded at IF Studios (IN FLAMES, THE HAUNTED) and Evocation Studios with producer Roberto Laghi (IN FLAMES) and mixed at IF Studios by Laghi. It was mastered at Bohus Sound Studios by Dragan Tanaskovic. As a very special guest, Johan Hegg of AMON AMARTH laid down vocals on the song "Into Submission".

Californian death metallers RECIPROCAL have completed work on their second full-length album titled "New Order Of The Ages". The follow-up to 2009's self-titled CD was recorded with engineer Zack Orhen (ALL SHALL PERISH, BRAIN DRILL, DECREPIT BIRTH) at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland, California. The artwork was created by Jon Zig (SUFFOCATION, DEEDS OF FLESH, DISGORGE)

RECIPROCAL describes "New Order Of The Ages" as "an epic blend of all metal styles mixed in with our own aggressive and technical approach.

"We set forth to make this album for all metal fans without compromising what we feel is dark and extreme death metal.

"You may be surprised to hear the unexpected."

"New Order Of The Ages" track listing:

01. New American Century
02. Esoteric Agenda
03. Profit Before Protocol
04. Guilty Until Proven Innocent
05. Illuminati
06. New Order Of The Ages
07. Saintan
08. Mystery, Babylon The Great, Mother Of All Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth
09. Tyrannicide
10. Oblivion
11. RIP (Memento Mori)

Two songs from the album — "Illuminati" and "Tyrannicide" — can be streamed below.

RECIPROCAL consists of vocalist Jacob Enfinger (ex-GATEKEEPER), guitarist Andy McLeod (ex-DEADBYDAY, WILLOW WISP), bassist Jeff Hughell (SIX FEET UNDER, ex-BRAIN DRILL, VILE), and drummer Dustin Perle (ex-GRIMFIST)

RECIPROCAL has not yet announced an offical release date for "New Order Of The Ages", explaining that "we are looking for new label representation to release [the CD] and will update the fans as soon as a contract and release date are agreed upon."

Dave Nassie, lead guitarist for BLEEDING THROUGH, will release his first-ever solo album later this year.

BLEEDING THROUGH's "Declaration" (2008) marked Dave's first recorded appearance with the band (as a guest). He eventually joined as a full-time member, contributing to "Bleeding Through" (2010) and "The Great Fire" (2012).

Nassie recently filmed scenes for Next Level Guitar's 10-disc "Modern and Classic Rock Blues Masters", a forthcoming collection featuring a variety guitar players.

When Chris Shifflet left NO USE FOR A NAME to join FOO FIGHTERS, Dave Nassie took his place, beginning a ten-year stint with the band that included touring all over the world and several studio albums. Nassie was also a member of the short-lived project THE INNOCENT (with members of BAD RELIGION and THE DISTILLERS) and has played with INFECTIOUS GROOVES and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

Nassie has been keeping busy doing clinics for Charvel as well as private Skype lessons with students in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, South America, Japan and North America.

76 free lessons on YouTube can be seen at this location.

BLEEDING THROUGH recently announced plans to disband after 14 years in existence. They wrapped a final tour of Europe this spring and will head to Australia next month for their last appearances Down Under. A farewell U.S. tour is in the works for the fall.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello says that Edward Snowden, the now-famous/infamous National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, is a "hero" who "exposed the crimes of the government."

Snowden is a former CIA employee who faces felony charges of espionage and theft of government property after admitting he leaked classified material to Britain's The Guardian newspaper. He remained in hiding at a Moscow airport on Wednesday in an effort to evade extradition and is reportedly waiting for political asylum from Ecuador or some other sympathetic country.

Speaking to TMZ.com this past Monday night (June 24) in Los Angeles, Morello said (see video below), "I think [Snowden] should live a happy life in Ecuador. That's what I think. I think he's a hero. He exposed the crimes of the government. That we're all being spied on, all the time by the Obama administration. If anybody deserves to be in jail, it's not Snowden."

He added: "Today, I got an e-mail from Obama's campaign, or whatever, asking me for money after they've been spying on me and their drones have been killing civilians. So I decided I'm gonna take whatever amount of money that I might have donated, which would have been not that much, and I'm gonna donate it to whatever airplane or flight is gonna get Snowden to Ecuador. Whatever fund that is, that's what I'm gonna donate that money to. I'd be happy to [do that], and that means I'm guilty of espionage as well, probably. But so are you for asking the question."

SWORN IN will release their debut full-length album, The Death Card, on August 20th on Razor & Tie. Fans can pre-order the new album in various merch bundles now here. The Death Card was produced by the band and was recorded, mixed and mastered by Brian Hood (A PLEA FOR PURGING, GIDEON).

The Death Card tracklisting:
‘XIII’
‘Hypocrisy’
‘Mindless’
‘Dead Soul’
‘Senseless’
‘A Song For The Nameless’
‘Snake Eyes’
‘Deadpan’
‘Mute’
‘Three Cheers’
‘Bitter Blood’
‘Death’
‘Return (Heartless)’
Check out a live video for ‘A Song For The Nameless’ below:

Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED are finally back in the spotlight after almost a year without public activity and restructuring behind closed doors, following a major switch of lineups around fall of 2012. But the time has finally come to break the silence and announce the return of THE HAUNTED to form...

THE HAUNTED's 2013 lineup (from left to right in photo below):

* Patrik Jensen - Guitar
* Ola Englund (SIX FEET UNDER, FEARED) - Guitar
* Marco Aro (THE RESISTANCE, FACE DOWN) - Vocals
* Jonas Björler - Bass
* Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST) - Drums

A video introduction to the new lineup with interviews and fresh rehearsal room footage can be seen below.

THE HAUNTED's founding member and guitarist Patrik Jensen checked in to comment on the recent developments as follows: "THE HAUNTED went through some difficult times last year. Losing three band members is a pretty huge blow to any band. Jonas and I agreed immediately that we wanted to continue with the band, but we wanted to take our time and not rush into anything. Meanwhile, news from THE HAUNTED's camp have been pretty scarce. This changes starting today.

"We are very happy to be able to present you a full band lineup. Some of you might recognize a few faces, some of you might not. Adrian Erlandsson is back on drums and Marco Aro is back on vocals. Adrian you might know from playing on our first album and Marco sang on 'The Haunted Made Me Do It', 'Live Rounds In Tokyo' and 'One Kill Wonder'. On guitar we also have Ola Englund bringing some pretty heavy chops to the band.

"We're all VERY excited about having THE HAUNTED back in working shape again and we can't wait to get back out on the road to play for our very patient and faithful fans again. A new album is also already in the works and if you are familiar with the individual band members of this new lineup, you can be assured that the new material will grab you by the throat from the get-go!

"A huge 'thanks' goes out to all the people that responded to our call for new members applications. You put a lot of time and effort into your auditions and we are very grateful to have had such talented and cool people wanting to join the band! We truly appreciated your support!"

Vocalist Marco Aro (ex-FACE DOWN, also in THE RESISTANCE) was previously involved with THE HAUNTED for three acclaimed releases between 1999 and 2003 as well as for several worldwide touring campaigns. Drummer Adrian Erlandsson (also in AT THE GATES and PARADISE LOST) belonged to the original lineup of THE HAUNTED together the Björler twins after the demise of their previous legendary group, AT THE GATES. Together with Jensen, they launched THE HAUNTED's self-titled debut in 1998, an album which has been widely considered as the kick-start for a new era in the thrash metal movement and which, despite its initial underground status, climbed to be a massively inspirational record for a whole new generation of musicians and bands in the following decade. Guitarist Ola Englund is a highly talented young player from Sweden, who has recently been active as touring and recording member of U.S. death metal institution SIX FEET UNDER. Together with guitarist Jensen and bassist Jonas Björler, THE HAUNTED's announcement of this new formation promises to be only the beginning of greater things to come.

Expect more news about THE HAUNTED's next album and their upcoming touring plans soon.

IMPRECATION have released their first full-length, Satanae Tenebris Infinita, out now on Dark Descent Records.

Satanae Tenebris Infinita is being released on CD and vinyl formats to stores and distros worldwide and can be purchased directly through the label at DarkDescentRecords.com with digital downloads available on Bandcamp.

Hailing from Texas, Imprecation have been firmly entrenched in death metal's underground since their inception in 1991. The early '90s saw the band release a couple of acclaimed demos and an EP (Drowned Records) followed by a compilation of material in 1995 titled Theurgia Goetia Summa on Repulse Records (later reissued several times). Not long after this essential death metal compilation, the band went on hiatus until its resurrection in 2009. Cited as highly influential by many death metal bands today, Imprecation's debut full-length, Satanae Tenebris Infinita is Imprecation in top form. Satanae Tenebris Infinita is definitely not a departure from Imprecation's earlier style but a continuation of the destiny that was interrupted due to the band's break back in 1998. The album is 40 minutes of pure, unadulterated death metal the way it was meant to be played complete with cover art from long-time ally, Mr. Chris Moyen (ABOMINANT, INCANTATION).
Check out the tracks ‘Blood Dominion’ and ‘From Beyond The Fiery Temples’ below:



Satanae Tenebris Infinita tracklisting:
‘Blood Dominion’
‘From Beyond The Fiery Temples’
‘Hosanna Ex Inferis’
‘The Coils Of Eden’
‘Chapel Of Rotting Flesh’
‘Rancid Blood On Blackened Thorns’
‘Of The Black Earth’



Imprecation is:
Ruben Elizondo (drums, keyboards)
Dave Herrera (vocals)
Danny Hiller (guitar)
Milton Luna (guitar)
David Ramirez (bass)

Horror death metal act ÆVANGELIST are currently putting the final touch to their second album titled Omen Ex Simulacra.

The successor of their debut De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis, released in 2012, should be available in the coming months through Debemur Morti Productions.

Omen Ex Simulcara tracklisting:

‘Veils’
‘Mirror Of Eden’
‘Hell-Synthesis’
‘Prayer For Ascetic Misery’
‘Relinquished Destiny’
‘Seclusion’
‘Abysscape’

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi has hired Rachael at Heavy Leather NYC to make his new guitar straps, which were designed by Shirts & Destroy. He say: "The guitars I use are pretty heavy and it makes a huge difference when you're playing a long show to have a comfortable strap. That they also look great is a real bonus!"

Iommi recently donated his used guitar strings to Wear Your Music, an organization that turns used guitar strings into jewelry. All profits made from the sale of Tony's guitar strings will go to the Nordoff-Robbins charity.

Iommi is frequently referred to as the inventor of heavy metal with his trademark riffs. Having sliced off the ends of three fingers in a factory accident when first starting out, Tony switched to very light gauge strings. These make his bracelets especially unique.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will release its sixth studio album, "Hail To The King", on August 27. The title and the cover artwork (see below) were uncovered via an online scavenger hunt that led fans to different web sites that were hosting puzzle pieces.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will celebrate the album release by playing a free show at the Hollywood Palladium on August 26.

The new disc was once again produced by Mike Elizondo and will follow up 2010's "Nightmare", which earned the band its first No. 1 album on The Billboard 200 chart.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows last year hinted at the direction of the band's next studio LP, telling Metal Hammer that it will not sound like "Carry On", the group's contribution to the video game "Call Of Duty: Black Ops II". Shadows explained, "The new album has a lot more of a [BLACK] SABBATH / [LED] ZEPPELIN feel to it than 'Carry On'. There's definitely more SABBATH in what we're writing, and we're proud of 'Carry On', but this album is going to be on a whole new level."

The new CD is the first to be wholly written without drummer and key songwriter James "The Rev" Sullivan, who died in December 2009. Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio that didn't stop the band from deciding to take a different direction. "We had a decision to make on this one," he said. "The decision was, okay, do we just make a record that everyone expects us to make, or do we just move forward and make another, different record that we feel more comfortable with, and we chose the latter. So right now we're looking forward to doing something new and exciting and fresh, and hopefully people give it a shot and like it."

U.K. deathcore/hardcore outfit SHOT DOWN STAY DOWN has inked a deal with Standby Records. The label will release the band's debut LP, "Dodge This", digitally on July 23.

Based out of York, in North Yorkshire, England, the five-piece, with their raw sound and highly aggressive live performance, have shared stages with the likes of MISS MAY I, BETRAYAL, THICK AS BLOOD and many others.

Formed in early April 2011, SHOT DOWN STAY DOWN quickly established their place in the local music scene. After the untimely end of rising York band KILL THE CAPTAIN (during which former members Danny Worsnop and Sam Bettley left to pursue careers in ASKING ALEXANDRIA), vocalist Ashley Oldroyd and guitarist Abram Welburn joined up with Oliver Altham (guitar), Cameron Bland (bass) and Andrew McMullon (drums) to form SHOT DOWN STAY DOWN.

Drawing on past experiences and driven by their thirst to perform, SHOT DOWN STAY DOWN set about writing their six-track EP "Tyrants" (a free digital release). Recorded at Innersound Studios with good friends Joe and Sam Graves from York band WITH ONE LAST BREATH, they were able to create a sound that truly reflects their passion.

The following two years saw them perform extensively around the United Kingdom. The relentless effect of hard work and determination is paying off and an insatiable enthusiasm that encourages people to get involved has only propelled the band forward. The positive responses from a tour in August 2012 and a packed show in Sheffield with MISS MAY I have given SHOT DOWN STAY DOWN the momentum to expand and gain many friends along the way.

SHOT DOWN STAY DOWN returned to work with Sam and Joe Graves in late 2012 to produce the first full-length release: "Dodge This", a sarcastic, groove-ridden experience with enough bounce to send King Kong into space.

Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON will release their new, self-titled studio album on September 8 in Europe via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by SATYRICON frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven and was recorded in Norway, and mixed by Adam Kasper. The effort will feature a guest appearance by Sivert Høyem, the Norwegian singer best known as the vocalist of the rock band MADRUGADA.

Comments Satyr: "We are back! Sorry it took so long, but we needed the time to be able pull off a record like this.

"Comparing this one to previous records is time wasted, it is SATYRICON; constantly on the move.

"Naming this record 'Satyricon' was the most obvious thing in the world. We have never done a record which captures the spirit of this band in such a way. Ever. It will demand a lot from you as a listener, but I know you will love it. It will grow on you and that is why it will stay with you forever.

"We won't tour as much in the future as we used to, and that will just make every tour more special. This album and this tour is for you and ourselves. It is our moment!"

Check out photos from the studio at this location.

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep at this year's Inferno festival, Satyr stated about SATYRICON's upcoming album: "To me, it sounds very authentic, it's organic-sounding. And in this digital age where music is mostly played through computers, a lot of that analog vibe gets lost in translation when you play music through medias like that, but I still wanna do it because there's nothing quite like it. To me, it just makes everything sound the way it's supposed to sound — it's dynamical; the music is alive, it's not overly compressed, the levels are not pushed. So, musically speaking, it's a very atmospheric record… This record is full of life. There are a lot of surprises here, but I think it's gonna be a record that's gonna help the black metal movement perhaps find a new way for the future."

SATYRICON has always pushed boundaries and never conformed to what was "expected". That mindset continues to this day, as they awill take part in a very special, exclusive show on September 8 at Oslo's Norwegian National Opera House, where they will perform together with Norway's 55-strong National Opera Chorus.

The special event is part of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, and fans of both SATYRICON and the National Opera Chorus can look forward to a very unique and exciting evening, which coincides with the worldwide release of SATYRICON's new CDtitled.