One of the more prolific acts of the blood-boiling mid-late-'90s metallic hardcore scene, INTEGRITY will release new LP through a joint collaboration with A389 Recordings and Magic Bullet Records.

Legions of converted souls worldwide have hailed the name INTEGRITY for two and a half decades. Formed in 1988, the band surged out of the Cleveland underground with a seething style of metal hellbent on murder, revenge, the occult and beyond, and has continually drawn more flies into the flames every step of the way. Having toured most inhabited realms of the planet, INTEGRITY has not only become a household name over the years, but its devotees have helped maintain the name as one of the most notorious and revered. Amidst countless eras and lineup shifts, founding member Dwid Hellion continues to carry the band forward, forming his own Holy Terror Empire, and becoming as iconic within the extreme music underworld as David Koresh, Jim Jones and Pol Pot are to population control.

Hellion has stripped the birthing process of INTEGRITY's output to even more cult depths, and for the past five years and all micro releases within, has musically collaborated with multi-instrumentalist Robert Orr alone. Taking past trades forward and culminating those staples with newer practices, Hellion and Orr's latest effigy has been carved, and on June 11 — the vinyl pressing A389 and the CD via Magic Bullet — "Suicide Black Snake" will deliver the endtime yearnings of the longtime INTEGRITY message into the general public like never before.

A track from "Suicide Black Snake" entitled "Beasts As Gods" is available for free download via A389 Recordings' ninth annual label mixtape/digital compilation. The owners of Baltimore-based A389 have been offering similar free mixtapes every year since the label's foundation in 2004, utilizing it to unleash music from their most high-profile acts, as well as to shed some light on releases lying in the dark corners of their intense roster.

Nearly two hours long, the "A389 Recordings Digital Mixtape MMXIII" is was mastered at Audiosiege by Brad Boatright (FROM ASHES RISE) and features original artwork by Joshy Brettell (ILSA, EXODUS). This newest installment boasts the best yet in this ongoing series, showcasing A389 as an extremely hard-working extreme D.I.Y. label which continues to expand its horde and further infiltrate the planet with prime hardcore and metal releases.

"A389 Recordings Digital Mixtape MMXIII" track listing:

01. EYEHATEGOD - "New Orleans Is The New Vietnam"
02. IRON REAGAN - "Drop The Gun"
03. HOMEWRECKER - "Chained Hanging Victim"
04. NO ONE SURVIVES - "Fuckin' Pigs"
05. INTEGRITY - "Beasts As Gods"
06. ILSA - "Foreign Lander"
07. FULL OF HELL - "Coven Of The Larynx"
08. NOISEM - "Severed"
09. WEEKEND NACHOS - "Watch You Suffer"
10. EMPIRE OF RATS - "Untitled"
11. PICK YOUR SIDE - "Bleeding Out"
12. GOD'S AMERICA - "Fill The Cracks"
13. LIKE RATS - "Red Dawn"
14. MOLOKEN - "Casus"
15. THE GUILT OF... - "Election Of The Severed Hand"
16. SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP - "Ghost Plains”
17. YOUNG AND IN THE WAY - "Psychopathy"
18. SICK FIX - "Beyond The Map"
19. ANCIENT SHORES - "Omen"
20. SHIN TO SHIN - "Shin To Shin"
21. VILIPEND - "Fool's Gold"
22. LEFT FOR DEAD - "Kept In Line"
23. GEHENNA - "Baptized In Fallout"
24. BLIND TO FAITH - "Blood Like Water"
25. RINGWORM - "Necropolis" (1991 Demo)
26. CYNARAE - "Harbinger"
27. JARHEAD FERTILIZER - "Drowning"
28. THE LOVE BELOW - "Let Them Eat Shit"
29. EDDIE BROCK - "Boys Of Summer"
30. COUNTDOWN TO OBLVION - "Spray P.E.C."
31. UNHOLY MAJESTY - "Night Of Lead"
32. CLASSHOLE - "Full Of Hate"
33. OLD LINES - "Temple"
34. CALM THE FIRE - "Chce Mi Siê Wyæ"
35. ENFORCERS - "The End Is Near"
36. PHARAOH - "Spared"
37. JUNIOR BRUCE - "The Burden"
38. WITHDRAWAL - "Guardian Angel"
39. NOTHING - "The Rites Of Love And Death"
40. PLEASANT LIVING - "Friday Night"

INTEGRITY will embark on an extensive tour offensive leading up to and straight through the release of "Suicide Black Snake". The action begins with a one-off in New Haven, Connecticut May 23 alongside OVERCAST. The next two days will take the band's wrath to our northern allies to the first time ever as the A389 Canadian Invasion slams Montreal and Toronto. Support from HOMEWRECKER and ILSA will be provided for all three of these shows. Directly following the Canadian invasion, INTEGRITY will take part in the massive annual Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore, performing the final night of the gala. A brutal tour through the Southeast states with GEHENNA and FULL OF HELL follow, as all three acts trek to Chaos In Tejas. A massive European festival assault will consume much of July and August as well.

ANTHRAX's "Fistful Of Metal" (1984) and HALLOWS EVE's "The Neverending Sleep" (2008) are on the list of "200 Embarrassingly Bad Album Covers," one of the longer compilations in "The Merciless Book of Metal Lists", which is to be released on April 9 by Abrams Image.

A look at some of the artwork on the list, with commentary from Howie Abrams and Sacha Jenkins, the book's co-authors and New York City music scene veterans, can be found at NYTimes.com.

Touted as "the most opinionated compendium ever written concerning heavy metal," "The Merciless Book Of Metal Lists" is comprised of 208 jam-packed pages representing all that is glorious across the world of heavy metal.

Presented in the form of dozens of factual, random and often outrageous lists, this book flies the flag for true metalheads, as well as the curious observer. Where others have ventured to simply focus on who is best, "The Merciless Book Of Metal Lists" dares to call many out for being the worst. It points out the triumphs, as well as the miserable failures concerning metal, and recklessly opines on each and every aspect of it, from a diehard fan's point of view.

Abrams will appear on the "Black N Blue Takeover" online radio show on April 2 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET to discuss lists from the book and more. Howie appeared on a recent edition of the show and had so much fun, he's coming back for more. Listen to Part II on April 2 on EastVillageRadio.com.

The requisite collections of the mightiest guitarists, drummers, vocalists, etc., are in there, however, "The Merciless Book Of Metal Lists" leaves no stone unturned, often blurring the lines separating fact and hilarity. You want to know about album covers that feature goats on them? What MOTÖRHEAD icon Lemmy's warts might tell you if they could speak? The achievements IRON MAIDEN would never have reached had their original vocalist Paul Di'Anno remained in the band? Well then, this book is for you.

The foreword for "The Merciless Book Of Metal Lists" comes from one of the most respected names in the genre, SLAYER guitarist extraordinaire Kerry King, with a candid and passionate afterword from PANTERA/DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo. There are numerous other contributions from band members the likes of Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), Gary Holt (EXODUS), Max Cavalera (SEPULTURA, SOULFLY), Danny Lilker (NUCLEAR ASSAULT, BRUTAL TRUTH), Katon W. De Pena (HIRAX) and many others. Additionally, several lists have been contributed by industry luminaries such as Jon and Marsha Zazula; the very people responsible for first bringing groups like METALLICA, ANTHRAX and TESTAMENT to the world at large, Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel, radio personality Eddie Trunk, former Roadrunner Records (current Nuclear Blast) A&R guru Monte Conner and more. Hell, even rapper MC Serch is featured talking about his days weeding through SLAYER's fan mail while working at Def Jam.

"This book will appeal to metalheads because it's what they love. They'll get to laugh at the industry and at themselves. Any information is good information, and metal kids want it." - Kerry King (SLAYER)

"I am an unabashed heavy metal fan, and I know as well as anyone, that metal fans can be an extremely loyal lot. But we are a very critical lot too. With each new movement, a new, defiant, outspoken, and sovereign audience is born. Music is older than all of us, so its history is ours to writhe in and absorb." - Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN)

There is no music community on earth quite like that of heavy metal, and "The Merciless Book Of Metal Lists" is its bible. Metal fans thrive on debating each and every detail about the music and it's performers, from recording production, to album cover art, to band members' appearance — no stone is left unturned... EVER. "The Merciless Book Of Metal Lists" is designed for the lot, who enthusiastically engage in and thrive on such arguments.

To pre-order "The Merciless Book Of Metal Lists", please visit Amazon.com.

French doom mongers MONOLITHE are currently busy recording their fourth full-length album at Red Reed Studio. The band's composer, Sylvain Begot, comments about Monolithe IV :

"Once again we tried to create something that would instantly evoke Monolithe's style of music and mythology without being a repetition of what we've already achieved in the past. Monolithe IV is an album of contrasts: it contains both the bleakest and most beautiful music we ever wrote. Some very eerie stuff too... This album mixes the purity of our early sort of Funeral Doom with our later thirst for progression and innovation. I like to call it "Post Funeral Doom", if that makes any sense."
If all goes according to plan, this new piece of massive sound will be released in fall 2013 via Debemur Morti Productions.

Furthermore, Debemur Morti Productions will reissue the entire Monolithe back catalogue: Monolithe I, Monolithe II and Monolithe Zero (which will feature Interlude Premier and Interlude Second as well as bonus material). These reissues will come as classy digipack CDs, will include additional liner notes and complete new artwork courtesy of Norwegian artist Robert Høyem from At The Ends. Robert is already known for crafting the cover of Monolithe's third opus, Monolithe III.

Monolithe III is streaming in its entirety on the label's Bandcamp page here and is currently available worldwide in digipack CD through your best local purveyor or through the label's webshop.

CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED — the project led by acclaimed metal drummer Richard Christy (ICED EARTH, DEATH, LEASH LAW, CONTROL DENIED, BURNING INSIDE) — will enter the studio before the end of the year to begin recording its third full-length CD for an early 2014 release. Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep, Christy said: "I have eight new songs written for the next CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED album and it is sounding so crushing! I'm hoping that we'll get into the studio later this year, probably in the winter because I love going to Audiohammer Studios in Florida when the weather is cold and miserable up north here. I recorded the drums for [CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED's second album], 'Cold Winds On Timeless Days', in Miami, Florida in December 2010 during a massive blizzard in New York City and it felt so good to not only be playing metal but also to get the hell away from the cold!"

CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED 's "Zerospan" video can be viewed below. The clip was directed and edited by Mike Schiff (CHARRED WALL's previous video, "Ghost Town") and Sean McEwen ("Albino Farm"), with special effects/make-up by Brian Spears and Pete Gerner from G and S Effects ("Stakeland"). The lead actor in the video is Bryan Haeffele.

"Zerospan" comes off CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED's sophomore album, "Cold Winds On Timeless Days", which sold around 1,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 14 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 self-titled debut album from CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED opened with around 2,200 units to enter the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart at No. 6.

"Cold Winds On Timeless Days" was released on October 11, 2011 via Metal Blade Records. Audiohammer's Jason Suecof produced and Mark Lewis mixed, while mastering was handled by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (SEPULTURA, SUFFOCATION, UNEARTH) in New Windsor, New York.

CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED's recording lineup:

* Richard Christy - Drums
* Jason Suecof - Guitar, Producer
* Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH) - Vocals
* Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, TESTAMENT) – Bass

John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON), Glenn Hughes (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, DEEP PURPLE), Billy Morrison (CAMP FREDDY), Ginger Fish (ROB ZOMBIE), Jack Russell (GREAT WHITE), Jeff Young (MEGADETH) and Marky Ramone (RAMONES) are among artists who came together to support longtime friend and publicist Nancy Sayle, who was struck with primary progressive MS in 2009. The Rock Against MS benefit concert was held last Wednesday (March 27) at the Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood, California and was hosted by Bob Coburn and Gary Moore of KLOS.

While visiting her close and dear friend as well as client, Steve Stevens and his wife Josie Stevens, Nancy informed them of this news and all the medical issues. Knowing that she would not be working as much and facing large amounts of medical bills, Stevens suggested that a benefit was in order to help her.

About multiple sclerosis: Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. MS interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and stops people from moving. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The advancement, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.1 million worldwide.

BARONESS's first North American tour supporting their critically acclaimed album, "Yellow & Green", kicks off May 24 with a performance at Union Transfer in John Baizley's adopted hometown of Philadelphia.

"It's hard to find the words to express how excited we are to announce this tour," explained guitar player Pete Adams. "Seven months ago, who knew when it would be or even if we could get back on the road. But here we are, picking right back up where we left off. A heartfelt thanks to everyone's unconditional love and support for us through, let's hope, the hardest time this band will ever see. We told you we'd be back so let's do this thing!”

Baizley confirmed that drummer Allen Blickle and bass player Matt Maggioni would not be touring with the band via a web posting on March 25, adding that the pair's departure is "not sensational" and "do[es] not come with hard feelings." Baizley went on to add that the band has already found two musicians, Nick Jost (bass) and Sebastian Thomson (drums), "who can approach our music with passion and vitality."

"Yellow & Green" tour dates:

May 24 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
May 25 - Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live
May 26 - Norfolk, VA - Jewish Mother
May 28 - Charleston, SC - The Music Farm
May 29 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
May 31 - Dallas, TX - Trees
Jun. 01 - Austin, TX - Chaos in Tejas (Mohawk)
Jun. 02 - Houston, TX - Free Press Summer Festival
Jun. 04 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre
Jun. 05 - St. Louis, MO - The Firebird
Jun. 08 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Pyramid Scheme
Jun. 09 - Madison, WI - The Majestic Theatre
Jun. 11 - Indianapolis, IN - Deluxe @ Old National Centre
Jun. 12 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Ballroom
Jun. 14 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small's
Jun. 15 - Huntington, WV - V Club
Jun. 13-16 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
Aug. 10-11 Montreal, QC Heavy MTL

INTER ARMA opens May 25-26; TRUE WIDOW opens May 28-31; COLISEUM opens June 4-15

Tickets for all headlining dates are on sale on Friday, April 5 at 12 noon eastern.

BARONESS was sidelined when their tour bus plunged off a viaduct in the Bath area of England on Aug. 15, leaving the band and crew members with a variety of serious injuries. "Yellow & Green" had been released less than a month when the accident happened, and with just four shows remaining in the six-week trek before the band could return home to enjoy the praise that was being heaped upon the double-album. Singer/guitar player Baizley suffered extensive injuries, which, at one point, clouded the future of both the band and his return to music.

In October, after an unprecedented outpouring from fans, peers and friends, Baizley posted an open letter in which he painfully recounted the horrific crash, ending the ten-paragraph note with a fierce determination to return to music and touring. By December, a clip of Baizley and Adams performing an acoustic rendition of "Stretchmarker" was posted on the BARONESS web site with a brief note that started with "Simply put: it's time to get back to it." With that, BARONESS's return to touring was not a matter of if but when. Adams and Baizley made their first public appearance with a performance in late January at Decibel magazine's 100th-issue celebration in Philadelphia. Earlier this month, Baizley ventured to SXSW for a solo performance at Invisible Oranges/Brooklyn Vegan's showcase as well as pair of art exhibits.

Photo credit: Jimmy Hubbard

"New Infernal Rebirth", the new video from the Chicagoland-based band STARKILL, can be seen below. Featuring a unique blend of symphonic black metal, power metal, and melodic death metal, the song comes off the group's full-length album, "Fires Of Life", which is due out April 29 in Europe and April 30 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD artwork was created by renowned metal artist Joshua Belanger and it "properly portrays the epic musical styling of the band," according to a press release.

"Fires of Life" track listing

01. Whispers Of Heresy
02. Fires Of Life
03. Sword, Spear, Blood, Fire
04. Below The Darkest Depths
05. Immortal Hunt
06. New Infernal Rebirth
07. Strength In The Shadow
08. This Is Battle; This Is Our Day
09. Withdrawn From All Humanity
10. Wash Away The Blood With Rain

Right after "Fires of Life" is released, STARKILL will head out on tour with HYPOCRISY, KRISIUN, ABORTED, and ARSIS. The band will also play a few headlining and supporting shows after their stint on the trek.

STARKILL was formed at the tail end of 2008 by Parker Jameson, Spencer Weidner and Charlie Federici. The band makes no qualms about wearing their influences on their sleeves. They combine what they love — melodic death metal, shredding guitars, blasting drum beats and the epic sounds of modern film scores — and make some of the most promising metal music heard this side of the Atlantic in years.

STARKILL is:

Parker Jameson: Lead Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards, Orchestral Programming
Spencer Weidner: Drums
Charlie Federici: Guitar
Mike Buetsch: Bass

"Un Pensiero Per Il Destino", a brand new song from CHAOSTAR, the band led by SEPTICFLESH guitarist Christos Antoniou, can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track comes off CHAOSTAR's fourth album, "Anomima", which will be released on May 10 in Europe and May 14 in North America via Season Of Mist. The limited-edition version of the CD will come with a bonus DVD entitled "Anomimata". A trailer for the DVD can be seen below.

"Anomima" will feature guest appearances by David Vincent (MORBID ANGEL) and Fernando Ribeiro (MOONSPELL).

The cover artwork was designed by Metastazis and can be seen below.

Commented Christos: "David narrates the prologue of the most vicious song on the album, shading his dark and imposing shadow over the band's music. I consider that cooperation as one of the most representative of CHAOSTAR's new work. A tragic heroine taken from the ancient Greek tragedies meets the devilish power of the unsurpassable voice of Mr. Vincent."

With regards to Ribeiro's involvement with the CD, Antoniou said, "His deep gothic voice will give a completely powerful atmosphere to a duet."

CHAOSTAR's current lineup is as follows:

Christos Antoniou: Composer/Synths
Androniki Skoula: Vocals
Fotis Benardo: Percussion
George Diamandopoulos: Traditional Instruments
Charalampos Paritsis: Electric Violin
John Thermos: Synths

After the independent release of their first record, "The Underworld" (2000), CHAOSTAR signed a deal with the French label Holy Records, which issued the "Chaostar" (2000), "Threnody" (2001) and "The Scarlet Queen" (2004) albums, as well as the compilation "Underworld" (2007).

When SEPTTICFLESH returned from a self-imposed creative break with their highly successful album "Communion" (2008) on Season Of Mist, Christos also revived CHAOSTAR and placed his trust in the same label.

"Resilience", the fifth studio album from Texas heavy rockers DROWNING POOL, is available for streaming in its entirety at AOL Music. The CD is scheduled for release on April 9 via Eleven Seven Music. The band teamed up with producer Kato Khandwalla at House of Loud Studios in New Jersey, as well as John Feldmann (THE USED, STORY OF THE YEAR), and completed the album in Dallas.

The band says of "Resilience": "Ultimately, it isn't a new beginning or an end. It's a continuation of the DROWNING POOL legacy — and a fitting one at that."

"Resilience" track listing:

01. Anytime Anyplace
02. Die For Nothing
03. One Finger And A Fist
04. Digging These Holes
05. Saturday Night
06. Low Crawl
07. Life Of Misery
08. Broken Again
09. Understand
10. Bleed Wth You
11. Skip To The End

Bonus tracks:

12. In Memory Of
13. Blindfold

DROWNING POOL bassist Stevie Benton recently spoke to AOL's Noisecreep about the latest addition to the group lineup: singer Jasen Moreno. Moreno, who previously fronted fellow Texas band THE SUICIDE HOOK, is DROWNING POOL's fourth and newest frontman. Jasen replaces vocalist Ryan McCombs, who exited the group at the end of 2011 after a six-year stint in the lineup.

Asked how DROWNING POOL's chemistry has been affected by the singer changes over the years, Benton said: "Well, it's a forced form of band evolution, I would say, certainly not something you strive for and not something that I would advise other bands to do, because it's a lot of extra work and it's hard on you at times, but for us, we still had a such great time with Dave [Williams, DROWNING POOL's original singer] and such great vibes still remains and we've been trying to recapture that ever since then. It feels cheap to stick with a chemistry that just doesn't feel right and so maybe that's why we've had a lot of turnover. We knew if we switched singers again that a lot of people would look at it and make comments, but for us it seemed like it was worth it to take that shot at capturing the best chemistry we ever had. So we did. Look, sometimes you have to shift gears and I'm sure some of our ex-singers feel the same way: 'I can't wait to get the hell out of here.'"

He added: "One thing we have learned is that each singer has strong points and weak points and we've learned to craft the sound of the band that will benefit the singer at the time. It can be tricky at times to learn the nuances of it, but this time around, one fortunate thing is Jasen, our new singer, is a Dallas guy, we've know him for years and so it's not like having a stranger coming in. We had a great idea about him though, who he is and what he is about, and so we've been able to hit the ground running."

Moreno made his live debut as a member of DROWNING POOL on July 8, 2012 at a club in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

In an exclusive interview in the September 2012 issue of Guitar World magazine, Moreno said, "I am extremely happy and very grateful to be a part of the DROWNING POOL family. Everyone's been so welcoming, especially the fans. I can't praise them enough. They've made me feel right at home."

"In Memory Of" was released in August 2012 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the passing of the band's original singer, Dave Williams.

Williams died on tour in 2002 after singing on the band's debut, "Sinner". He was replaced by Jason "Gong" Jones, who also contributed to one record, "Desensitized", before being shown the door in 2004.

DROWNING POOL's video for the song "Saturday Night" was directed by Jon Bertorelli and produced by Daniel Livschultz, both of Vulpine Films.

In conjunction with Record Store Day, Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS will release a limited-edition vinyl version of their "The Fall Of Ideals" album (Razor & Tie). Available for the first time ever on vinyl, the LP is ALL THAT REMAINS' 2006 critically acclaimed metalcore classic. The album was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, UNDEROATH) and features 11 songs, including the hits "This Calling", "The Air I Breathe", "Six" and "Not Alone". The vinyl is pressed in a striking blue/black swirl color.

Purchase on April 20 at official Record Store Day at participating stores.

Founded in 2007 and officially kicked off in 2008 by METALLICA, Record Store Day takes place on the third Saturday of every April and brings together artists and independently owned record stores around the world to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and sold in independent stores.

ALL THAT REMAINS is wrapping up its tour with HELLYEAH, IN THIS MOMENT and NONPOINT and will soon head out for a series of festival dates in April And May. The band continues to tour in support of its 2012 release, "A War You Cannot Win" (Razor & Tie).

ALL THAT REMAINS' second single form the new album, "Asking Too Much", is quickly climbing the Top 40 at Active Rock Radio on both Media Base and BDS Charts.

The band's first single, "Stand Up", spent three weeks at #1 at Active Rock Radio. This marked ALL THAT REMAINS' first -ever #1 radio single and the group's fifth consecutive Top 10 single at the format.

"A War You Cannot Win" debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard Top 200 with over 24,700 units sold in its first week and has sold over 65,000 to date.

"Sabbath Cadabra" is a compilation album released by Metal Hammer Greece, which features Greek bands covering tracks from BLACK SABBATH's entire career. The CD will be given away for free with Metal Hammer Greece issue #340, on sale Tuesday, April 2.

Commented Metal Hammer Greece: "BLACK SABBATH invented heavy metal. The least we could do in order to celebrate their legacy is to gather some of the best Greek bands and have them play SABBATH's ecstatic music. Enjoy and worship the riff lords."

"Sabbath Cadabra" track listing:

* ROTTING CHRIST - "Black Sabbath"
* INNERWISH - "Neon Knights"
* SEPTEMBER CODE - "Fairies Wear Boots"
* SORROWS PATH - "Killing Yourself to Live"
* NIGHTFALL - "Jerusalem"
* BATTLEROAR - "Falling off the Edge of the World"
* PLANET OF ZEUS - "Behind the Wall of Sleep"
* POTERGEIST VS. BOOGIE MAN - "The Wizard"
* HEATHENDOM - "Voodoo"
* TARDIVE DYSKINESIA - "Into the Void"
* 1000MODS - "Snowblind"
* ROCK 'N' ROLL CHILDREN - "Children of the Sea"

You can listen to sample of the compilation in the YouTube clip below.

Place your order via e-mail: sales@hammer.gr.

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on "One Of Us Is The Killer", the fifth full-length album from the New Jersey-based "mathcore" act THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The CD will be released on May 14 through the band's own Party Smasher Inc., in partnership with Sumerian Records in North America. Party Smasher's partnership with BMG covers the rest of the world, including licensing deals with Grind House for Japan and Remote Control in Australia.

"One Of Us Is The Killer" was recorded in Southern California with longtime producer Steve Evetts (GLASSJAW, THE CURE, SUICIDE SILENCE), with additional production at guitarist/co-founder Ben Weinman's studio. Mastering will be handled by Tom Baker (DEFTONES, NINE INCH NAILS, BEASTIE BOYS).

The album represents a new holistic pinnacle of the band's constantly evolving and engaging dynamics.

Speaking to AOL's Noisecreep, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN vocalist Greg Puciato stated about the recording process for the band's forthcoming CD: "DILLINGER is a different beast in tracking than most normal bands. Even Steve has told me that there's no other band that he has recorded that requires this amount of attention to detail. We take a longer amount of time to do one thing than most bands take to do ten. At this point, talking to Ben about it, we only do this once every three years on average so ten years from now I don't want to look back and think, 'Fuck man, we should have finished that one three weeks earlier!' Who cares? You want it to be right and you want it to be the thing that was the closest to what your vision actually was."

Regarding the direction of the new THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN material, Puciato said: "I can hear [the influence of old punk and hardcore records] a lot. I can definitely hear that in some of the riffs, which are really aggressive. It's not a blatant hardcore record or anything like that. I actually think this is the most all over the place and weirdest record we've ever written. It's the first one since I joined the band where Ben has sent me songs and I've been like, 'What the fuck is happening? This sounds like a beehive!'"

"Dancing With The Dead", the new video from Knoxville, Tennessee hard rockers 10 YEARS, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's sixth studio album, "Minus The Machine", which was released on August 7, 2012 via the band's own label, Palehorse Records. The disc follows up the band's last effort for a major label, 2010's "Feeding The Wolves", and bassist Lewis Cosby told The Pulse Of Radio that becoming independent again gave the band a new jolt of energy. "This time around, it felt like we were an unsigned artist again and we were able to do whatever the hell we wanted to do," he said. "Complete freedom, complete control — there's not a track on this record that we're not just super-proud of. It was such a pleasant experience this time, we really had fun."

Singer Jesse Hasek said about the album, "We're proud of this album in its entirety. That speaks volumes to us because we're our own worst critics. We pick everything apart. An album is your child, it's your baby, and you know it better than anyone. To sit back and be 100 percent proud of what we've accomplished is so gratifying, and we think everything else will fall into place."

"Feeding The Wolves" featured the hit singles "Shoot It Out" and "Fix Me". The band's previous hits include "Beautiful" and the chart-topping "Wasteland".

Californian rockers PAPA ROACH have made "Set Me Off", the bonus track from the Japanese version of their latest album, "The Connection", available for free download using the widget below.

"The Connection" sold 22,000 copies in its first week of release to debut at No. 17 on the Billboard album chart.

PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix underwent surgery in September to remove nodes from his vocal cords. Shaddix's condition forced him to stop singing and led his band to drop off last summer's Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival tour.

Shaddix told The Pulse Of Radio that pulling out of that tour and going straight into surgery was probably the smartest thing he could have done. "Best decision I ever made," he said. "You know, it was a tough decision, but best decision. Went in and got the surgery — I was freaking out. I remember I was going into surgery, I'm like, tear rolling down my face, like, 'God, please guide this surgeon's hands,' cause, you know, I mean, shit could go bad real quick."

Shaddix told Loudwire, "I couldn't talk at all so that sucked. It was the longest silence of my life since I was born; I just wanted to talk so bad."

Even before his vocal problems started, Shaddix admitted in several new interviews that he came close to committing suicide earlier last year as he struggled with both marital problems and falling off the wagon.

A live studio performance of the song "Step Up" from Texas heavy rockers DROWNING POOL can be seen below (courtesy of Revolver magazine). The video showcases the band's new lead singer, Jasen Moreno.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, DROWNING POOL guitarist C.J. Pierce admitted in a new interview with Billboard that he went through a "little bout of depression" after the band's last singer, Ryan McCombs, left the group in 2011. Pierce called McCombs' departure after six years "frustrating . . . like 'Here we go again,'" but added, "Now I look back, and things happen for a reason. It led us on this path and now we've got our favorite musician we've ever worked with, hands down. So we had to go through all the rest of it to get to this point."

DROWNING POOL's new singer — their third since the death of original frontman Dave Williams in 2002 — is fellow Dallas resident Jasen Moreno, and Pierce told The Pulse Of Radio a little about him. "Super great guy to work with, man," he said. "He's been by far the most respectful guy we've worked with since, you know, Dave's passing, and it's been nothing but awesome. We've written more songs with him in this past year than I think we've ever written in our whole career. He's a singer/songwriter as well. It's just fun to work with somebody else who's as passionate about it as you are, you know what I mean?"

Pierce told Billboard the band has known Moreno since the late '90s, saying, "He's been that guy on the scene; he was always great but never got his shot."

Moreno makes his debut with the group on its fifth studio album, "Resilience", which is due out on April 9. The first single is "Saturday Night".

Pierce said the record "has the staple DROWNING POOL sound . . . It's definitely more of a heavy record than we've done before, though."

DROWNING POOL recently spent time on the road with FLYLEAF, who are also introducing a new singer named Kristen May.

Acclaimed musician, record producer and engineer Billy Sherwood has "withdrawn" from remixing "Frequency Unknown", the new album from the Geoff Tate-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE, due to "scheduling issues." He writes on Facebook: "I'm in the middle of many projects, both studio productions and live stuff.... (Prog Collective 2, Steve Miller tribute, William Shatner solo record, starting a DOORS tribute soon, playing live in a few days with Eddie Jobson in Mexico, also just got interesting offer to play bass with a prog icon for a few gigs in June, I will announce 'who' when it gets closer). While I was excited about taking the QUEENSRŸCHE gig, reality is there is not enough time in my schedule at present... and so... I wish them luck on the project!"

Deadline Music/Cleopatra last week released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET regarding the reports that "Frequency Unknown" was being remixed by Sherwood:

"Since previews of the new QUEENSRŸCHE album were made available to the general public on iTunes and other digital retailers, some of the response has been less than positive. Some complained about the overall quality of the recordings, and in particular the mix. We here at Deadline Music have the utmost confidence in the powerful songwriting and outstanding performances from Geoff Tate and crew on this album, but we also want the fans to know that we are listening to them as well! So, in the interest of democratic free choice, Deadline Music has commissioned the superbly talented musician/producer Billy Sherwood (formerly of YES) to remix the album. Now fans will be able to decide which mix they feel best represents the album: the original mix, which will be released on April 23rd, or the new mix by Billy Sherwood that will be made available at a future date to be announced…. WE REMIX, YOU DECIDE!"

"Frequency Unknown" was produced by Jason Slater at a studio in Northern California.

Although a lineup for Tate's QUEENSRŸCHE was originally announced in the fall of 2012, things have changed. The band will now feature Tate along with bassist Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, DIO, WHITESNAKE, QUIET RIOT), guitarist Kelly Gray (QUEENSRŸCHE 1998-2001), keyboardist Randy Gane and new additions, guitarist Robert Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, HURRICANE) and drummer Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO, RHINO BUCKET). Guest musicians on the CD include K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST), Chris Poland (MEGADETH), Ty Tabor (KING'S X), Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, TESTAMENT, EXODUS), Lita Ford, Brad Gillis (NIGHT RANGER), Dave Meniketti (Y&T) and Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN).

"Frequency Unknown" is packaged with bonus tracks — four QUEENSRŸCHE classics, newly recorded, including the smash hit single "Silent Lucidity".

"Frequency Unknown" track listing:

01. When Lightning Strikes
02. Running Backwards
03. Fallen
04. Life Without You
05. In The Hands Of God
06. Cold
07. The Weight Of The World
08. Slave
09. Dare
10. Everything

Bonus tracks: (2013 versions)

11. Silent Lucidity
12. Empire
13. Jet City Woman
14. I Don t Believe In Love

The video for "F.R.E.A.K.S.", a brand new song from the French progressive metalcore outfit AS THEY BURN, can be seen below. Vocalist Kevin Trevor delivers an in-your-face performance alongside labelmate and EMMURE frontman Frankie Palmeri and Aaron Matts from BETRAYING THE MARTYRS. The track comes off the group's new album, "Will, Love, Life", which was released on February 19 via Victory Records.

AS THEY BURN took part in this year's Bonecrusher Fest, which kicks off March 1 in Cologne, Germany. They steamrolled seventeen cities in Europe alongside JOB FOR A COWBOY, BENEATH THE MASSACRE and more. New York heavyweights EMMURE will headline the twenty-nine date "The Mosh Lives" European tour that begins April 5.

Emerging from the streets of Paris, AS THEY BURN was formed in 2007 by bassist Ronald Pastor, guitarist Fabio Meschini and drummer Milton Bakech. Vocalist Kévin Traore, known for his chillingly aggressive vocals, was enlisted shortly thereafter, along with guitarist Hoby Arinosy.

AS THEY BURN's debut album, "Aeon's War", was digitally released on June 20, 2011.

"The Hills Of California", the new video from TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon, can be seen below. The song comes off Hannon's solo album, "Gypsy Highway", which came out in 2010. Frank described the CD as "an acoustic collection of songs that are very close to my heart… sort of like autobiographical stories that I wrote and sang completely on my own with acoustic guitar. The title track, 'Gypsy Highway', is my story of leaving on the road and flying out of Tulsa, Oklahoma from Rocklahoma. I mention Willie Nelson in the song because it seems that 'On the road again…' always echos through my head when I leave home.

"As a kid, I loved some of the artist my mom was into like Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash was my first concert ever. The 'storytelling' style of songwriting has always been fascinating to me, like the song 'Me And Bobby McGee', for example. Singing is a whole another world for me and it took me a long time to find my voice as a lead singer and feel comfortable exposing my soul that way.

"On 'Gypsy Highway', I wrote, sang and played all the instruments and it is definitely an 'acoustic'-type album that shares a lot of my roots and life experiences from the heart.

"On this new album I play acoustic and electric guitars dobro slide, banjo, fretless bass, jembe drums, drums and percussion, flute, cello, piano and organ, lead vocals and background harmonies. I engineered the album while playing as well which could get real tricky at times pushing the 'record' button.

"At a young age, I learned to overdub music on a four- track cassette deck, and so composing all the instruments together on an album actually wasn't too hard. It's like putting together puzzle pieces and make it fit to sound as good as you can. Robbie Furiosi also played some guest drums on three of the songs."

Hannon's latest project, "Six String Soldiers", is a collaboration with OF THE EARTH (O.T.E.) members Mike Araiza and Jeff Sandoval. The CD was recorded at Hannon's Sacramento, California home studio features guest appearances by legendary guitarists Dickey Betts from THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, Rick Derringer, Pat Travers and Dave Meniketti of Y&T.

DISTURBED/DEVICE frontman David Draiman contributed "vocal/singing help" on two tracks that will appear on the new MEGADETH album, "Super Collider". MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine wrote on Facebook: "Draiman delivered on 'Forget To Remember' and 'Dance In The Rain'. The songs are way better too!" Draiman added: "I had the distinct honor and privilege of working with the legendary Mr. Dave Mustaine on a few songs for the new MEGADETH record (no guest vocs, just wrote together)."

"Super Collider" is scheduled for a June 4 release via Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, which is distributed by Universal Music Enterprises(UMe). Horn player Bob Findley — who previously appeared on the track "Silent Scorn" from MEGADETH's 2001 CD, "The World Needs A Hero" — is a featured guest on the song "A House Divided" on the new album. Other tracks set to appear on the effort include "The Blackest Crow", "Super Collider", "Forget To Remember", "Dance In The Rain", "Burn" and "King Maker".

"Super Collider" is MEGADETH's first release since its recent split with Roadrunner Records.

Ex-IRON MAIDEN guitarist Dennis Stratton rejoined his former band, PRAYING MANTIS, on stage this past Saturday, March 30 at the Very 'Eavy Festival in Stadskanaal, The Netherlands. Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Stratton participated in the recording and production of IRON MAIDEN's self-titled first album in December 1979. He also appeared in the home video recording "Live At The Ruskin" in early 1980 (released in 2004 as part of "The Early Days" DVD set), MAIDEN's first video "Women in Uniform", the "Women In Uniform" single, some subsequent single releases, as well as in the band's first appearance on British TV ("Running Free" performed live on "Top Of The Pops") and the "Live!! +One" album.

In a 2012 interview with Critical Mass, Stratton stated about his collaboration with PRAYING MANTIS: "The problem we had there was, again, PRAYING MANTIS consisted of myself, Tino and Chris Troy. But I went into that band in 1990 to go to Japan to celebrate 10 years of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. And [Paul] Di'Anno [vocals] came with us, which was a bit of a mistake, but there you go. And as PRAYING MANTIS went along, year after year, the record company wanted us to stay with them and record more albums. So, basically, Bruce was on drums, Bruce Bisland, and we used to get a singer in. We had all different vocalists. But myself, Chris and Tino were the nucleus of the band who wrote all the material. And we rehearsed and recorded the album. Bruce would then put the drums down and then we would get a singer in to do the album and the tour in Japan. Di'Anno only came with us once, and it was a big mistake. Clive [Burr, former IRON MAIDEN drummer] came in as a debt for Bruce because we were due to go over to Japan to do the tour as usual. But they wanted us to record a double CD/DVD live in Tokyo and Bruce fell off his bike and broke his arm. So, basically, we grabbed Clive and said, 'Look, Clive, we've got this recording to do.' So Clive came in and he sort of learned the songs. He came to Japan with us and did the recording. And, yeah, it was fine. It's just a shame that when we came back that Clive then found out that he was ill and slowly got worse."

Regarding the time he spent playing with MAIDEN, Stratton said: "The debut album could have been better. Better produced. Better played. Because it was quite rushed. I joined the band and they were waiting to record the album for EMI. And I got Clive in and we rehearsed and, basically, the album was recorded. It was very, very rushed because we were booked to go on tour with JUDAS PRIEST … But then in them days we were very young and I think that if the five of us had stayed together a little bit longer, we might have been a little bit different. Y'know, the lineup changes started and people were arguing, so yeah… When I look back on it, some of them are great memories. But I also had lots of memories before MAIDEN, with REMUS DOWN BOULEVARD and STATUS QUO. So the short time, the two years with MAIDEN, from '79 to '80, there's lots of good memories. The KISS tour and everything else. And they still are good memories."

Fan-filmed video footage of SKID ROW's March 22 performance at the Bob Rocks concert at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen below.

After recently signing with Megaforce Records for North America to release their new EP, "United World Rebellion - Chapter One", American rockers SKID ROW have just inked a deal with Germany's UDR Music for the rest of the world.

The first new release from SKID ROW since 2006's "Revolutions Per Minute", "United World Rebellion - Chapter One" is the first of three plus three EPs that will be made available over the next 18 months. Some of the sessions for the CD, which was mastered in February, took place at Open Sky Studio, the Atlanta, Georgia-based facility owned and operated by producer/drummer Mike Froedge (DREADED MARCO, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DOUBLEDRIVE, SPEED X), and the Bonehead Studio, also in Atlanta.

Release dates are as follows:

North America: April 16
European Union: May 24
United Kingdom: May 27
Rest of the world: May 27

Explained SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan: "We wanted to do something different. Living in an age of information overload, it seemed like the perfect time to try something new. We came up with the idea to release three consecutive EPs over the course of the next year or so. This way we have new music out there on a consistent basis. And who better to do that with than Megaforce? They practically invented the EP! 'United World Rebellion – Chapter One' ROCKS!"

SKID ROW singer Johnny Solinger recently stated about "United World Rebellion - Chapter One": "This truly is a special record. Can't wait for you all to hear it."

"United World Rebellion - Chapter One" track listing:

01. Kings Of Demolition
02. Let's Go
03. This Is Killing Me
04. Get Up
05. Stiches

Check out audio samples at Amazon.com.

To coincide with the "United World Rebellion - Chapter One" release, SKID ROW will embark on a world tour beginning April 4 in Ipswitch, England. This will carry them through the U.K., along with stops in the Czech Republic, Sweden, Mexico and Korea, just to name a few. In the coming months, this will be followed by a full-on North American tour.

SKID ROW's last album "Revolutions Per Minute", was released on October 24, 2006 via SPV Records.

The band in 2010 parted ways with drummer Dave Gara and replaced him with Atlanta native Rob Hammersmith.

Rob spent many years touring and recording with Atlanta-based rockers ROCKETS TO RUIN and has performed with GUNFIRE 76, the band featuring MURDERDOLLS frontman Wednesday 13.

Italy's MORTUARY DRAPE will reissue two of its classic albums on CD and vinyl through Peaceville Records in 2013, starting with Tolling 13 Knell on May 27, plus Buried in Time to follow June/July. Each release has been fully remastered, with work overseen by the band, including bonus tracks on each release, plus updated layout.

Often regarded as one of the band's strongest works, the Tolling 13 Knell album delivers an eerie concoction of evil metal riffing and dark occult atmosphere to unnerving effect. This reissue also contains extra tracks in the form of re-recorded versions of the infamous Doom Return demo songs. These new versions were recorded during the Tolling 13 Knell sessions.

"It's a great pleasure that Peaceville Records have taken these two reissues into consideration. I personally thank Paul and all the label's staff," said long-standing and sole-remaining member, Wildness Perversions.

"I've enriched these two re-releases with new bonus tracks and unpublished photos. I have also taken care of the reissues' layouts myself, trying to make them more captivating. I'm also sure that now they could have a better distribution, wider than before, satisfying all our fans all over the world which with the previous printings couldn't get these parts of our discography.

"We are looking to release a best-of album containing songs from all our records, and the new album (played by the new line-up) is going to be finished in April. Stay tuned on our websites to know more about all our new releases and to check out the next gigs."

Mortuary Drape were formed in Italy in 1986 as a trio. Highly inspired by the dark arts and combining early influences from the old metal gods, Mortuary Drape developed its own unique style, defining itself as black occult metal. After releasing the demo Necromancy in 1987, which spread the band's name throughout the underground, it was not until 1992 that the first official release surfaced with Into the Drape. This was followed by the debut full-length album, the classic All The Witches Dance, in 1994.

Mortuary Drape has recently been busy recording its latest, as yet unnamed album, as well as performing some high profile shows across the globe.

"Hearts In The Gutter", the new video from reactivated Greek progressive metallers WASTEFALL, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's long-awaited new EP, "Meridiem", which will be released on April 12. You will be able to purchase it via iTunes, Amazon MP3, Deezer, Google Play, Xbox Music and many other digital stores. You will also be able to obtain a copy through the official WASTEFALL site. Limited physical copies will be available sometime after the digital release.

Commented the band: "In Greece 2013, where every heart aches under the pressure of a merciless present, WASTEFALL present their aesthetic statement on the matter. From an abandoned factory to a forsaken building which gives shelter to a homeless man, the video is an observation on the gradual decline in the south. Four actors (Anna Apostolidou, Isaak Emmanouil, Tassos Petropoulos, Despina Rapti) and the band try to comment on loss and hope. To the south it is. The video is directed by Domemik Papaemmanouil for Lensorama visual team."

"Meridiem" EP track listing:

01. Recycle The Elite
02. Hearts In The Gutter
03. Vulturnus
04. The Poetics Of Flight
05. Revolution Jar

WASTEFALL will film a video for the song "Hearts In The Gutter" on March 23-24 with the LensOrama visual team. The final clip will make its online debut on April 12.

WASTEFALL will kick off the "To The South" Greek tour on April 19 in Kalamata.

WASTEFALL recently amicably parted ways with keyboardist Christos Kyrkilis. The group stated: "Since Domenik [Papaemmanouil, guitar/vocals] is more than efficient, he is going to take charge the keyboards concerning the studio recordings. It's better for the chemistry of the band to remain as a quartet."

Since drummer Kostis Papalexopoulos is still in exile in London, WASTEFALL recruited Konstantinos Galimis (AGNOSIA, ex-RAVENCULT) as his replacement.

WASTEFALL's third album, "Self Exile", was released in 2006 via Sensory Records. The CD was mixed and mastered by Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, TNT, JORN LANDE) at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark.

German despondent rockers AUTUMNBLAZE have released a stop-motion music video for "Invisible Fields", a new track taken from the group's upcoming full-length effort entitled "Every Sun Is Fragile". The clip was created by Philip L. Ward of Meph Production. Also available is a six-minute audio snippet of "Every Sun Is Fragile".

The "Every Sun Is Fragile" artwork will be made available in two different formats; the normal jewel case CD version and a limited-edition slipcase CD version. The slipcase CD edition will feature an alternate cover and will be made available in limited quantities.

"Every Sun Is Fragile" track listing:

01. Opening
02. New Ghosts In Town
03. Invisible Fields
04. Im Spiegel
05. Mein Engel, Der Aus Augen Fließt
06. Every Sun Is Fragile
07. Cold Soul
08. How I Learned To Burn My Teardrops
09. A Place For Paper Diamonds
10. Verglimmt

AUTUMNBLAZE is:

Markus Baltes – Vocals, Guitar
Andreas - Guitar
Arisjel – Drums, Backing Vocals

Brian Giffin of Australia's Loud magazine recently conducted an interview with guitarist Fredrik Åkesson of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Loud: The reaction to "Heritage" was very mixed. I quite enjoyed it, but I know a lot of people didn't. What are your own thoughts about the album now?

Fredrik: I'm proud of the album. I think it's a very good album. I understand the controversy about it, but it was something the band needed to do — something different to break out of the box, or however you want to put it. And also the album is called "Heritage". It's about the musical heritage of the band. It's a bit of a flirt with old hard rock themes, [like the] Ronnie James Dio tribute track, for instance or, you know, there's a bit of RUSH in there or some Swedish folk.

Loud: What direction is OPETH likely to go in this time?

Fredrik: Um... well, I would have to say, in a somewhat different direction to "Heritage". [laughs] It won't be a step back, but it will be different. Maybe more intense in a way. You'll have to wait and see. I was in the studio today and put down my solos and I was very happy about it. The song I heard that Mikael [Åkerfeldt, guitar/vocals] wrote today sounds very cool. I think that's all I can say at this point! I'm sorry. [laughs]

Loud: Are you working with Steven Wilson again this time?

Fredrik: It's too early to say. Right now we're in the writing process. Maybe later on, I would say.

Loud: You're actually working on new stuff at the moment. How long is it going to be before we see a new OPETH album?

Fredrik: The plan is to try and record at the end of September, when we're done with all the touring. This is the longest break we've had between albums. I think the longest break we had before this was before "Watershed". It's not gonna happen this year, most likely the year after.

Read the entire interview from Loud magazine.

The Age Of Metal conducted an interview with guitarist Gary Holt of San Francisco thrash metal veterans EXODUS prior to their March 24 concert in Tempe, Arizona during the "Metal Alliance Tour" with ANTHRAX, HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE and HOLY GRAIL. You can now watch the chat below.

On EXODUS' next studio album:

Holt: "It's gonna be brutal. They all are, though, but we try to do something a little bit different each time out while maintaining our identity, and this one will be no different. I'm certainly writing really angry stuff."

On why EXODUS was forced to miss a couple of shows on the "Metal Alliance Tour" — at the the House of Blues venues in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and Anaheim, California, both properties owned by the Disney corporation — while headliners ANTHRAX were still allowed to play:

Holt: "Well, ANTHRAX… Probably, it could be lyrically, because they're more about politics, we're more about killing people, Satan and shit. I think it has to do with our audience, though, 'cause ANTHRAX's and the other bands' audiences are rowdy, too, but some of our fans get a little bit overboard. I mean, we've been banned from the Whisky [A Go Go] for a number of years — since the last time we played there. I mean, we sold the place out, they madea million dollars and they still won't have us back — 'cause the crowd was too off the hook; they were afraid they'd smash the place into pieces. It could have something to do with that. It could just have to do with our relationship with Satan and the Dark One… I don't know. It's a good question, because until their tour got canceled, they had no problem booking CRADLE OF FILTH, but not EXODUS. So I think it might be they're afraid of the audience — the 'wall of death' and all that shit. They don't want someone getting hurt. I don't want anyone getting hurt."

On playing with SLAYER for the past couple of years as the temporary replacement for Jeff Hanneman, who is still recovering from necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease which he is believed to have gotten from a spider bite:

Holt: "I'm playing with a lot of old friends — I've been best friends with those guys forever — so it wasn't, like, 'Oh, you're going in and playing with SLAYER'; I never viewed it like that. I'm just doing something different and it's kind of cool and I get to go out and play some songs I've always loved. It's fun and we have a good time."

On whether there is a chance that he will participate in the recording process for the next SLAYER album:

Holt: "I have no idea. We're just all hoping Jeff gets better. I'm just keeping his seat warm until he's ready come back and bring the pain."

After two years of absence from touring, THE WAY OF PURITY will be back on the road in Europe with CRYPTOPSY, CATTLE DECAPITATION and DECREPIT BIRTH and will also perform a UK headline tour. The combo will present the new album Equate live during April and May with a new and intense live set and performance.

Bass player "without name" stated: "After the last tour with GORGOROTH we have been struggling to find a new balance in our project as we changed our singer and our sound developed in a more complex entity with computer / synths / effects / spoken parts / intros ... Everything needed to be tested really hard to make sure that we will be able to blow the audience away at this time ... The set will be continuous, non-stop with real high picks of emotion, I promise. We are ready now."
Furthermore The Way Of Purity announced important cooperations for the new album.

Singer Marja Panic stated: "We started writing our new album with our russian friend Stielas Storhett and our producer Jonathan Mazzeo ... After this quite big work we felt that we wanted to give the final emotional touch with massive and continuous orchestrations so we asked Marianna Alfieri, known for being guitar player on Kirlian Camera, to work with us at that stage. She made such intense, passionate and incredibly tragical compositions to enhance our ideas. Now we are ready to fly to Romania to produce the vocals with Ageru Pamantului, former singer in NEGURA BUNGET. After this last process we will enter Realsound and Mathlab Studios in Italy to record the whole project. We still have to ask Christian Donaldson if he wants to mix this album but we have time during the tour, I am quite sure that we will be able to work with him again."

For more details and tour dates visit The Way Of Purity on Facebook.

Sabian Cymbals have issued the following statement on the passing of the company founder, Robert "RZ" Zildjian, who died on March 28th. He was 89 years old.
"It is with deep, deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Robert "RZ" Zildjian, our beloved founder and leader. A tireless and dynamic force, he inspired each one of us in the Sabian family to work harder, to reach farther, to make a difference - and he led us by example. We mourn his passing, and we will miss him for a long time to come. But we are better people for having known RZ, and we are richer for having worked alongside him. We draw comfort from the knowledge that his spirit will live on in the music made by artists the world over.

Rest in peace, RZ."

Go to the Sabian Facebook page here to read and post condolences.