"Meir", the sophomore album from Norwegian adrenaline pushers of heavy rock and roll KVELERTAK, can be streamed in its entirety at Stereogum.com. It is also available below.

"Meir" (which means "more" in English) will be released on March 26 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by CONVERGE's Kurt Ballou and features cover artwork by John Dyer Baizley.

"Meir"'s first single, "Bruane Brenn", has early critical acclaim from several tastemaker outlets including Stereogum, which raves, "It's a total blast of riffs, adrenaline, football chants, and guitar solos, and in its four minutes, you get five decades of rock ‘n' roll, compressed into one massive speedball hit."

KVELERTAK's euphorically-received self-titled 2011 debut was iTunes 2011's U.S. Metal Breakthrough Artist of The Year. Pitchfork described their sound as having "monolithic walls of adrenal-gland-strangling sound" while LA Weekly named frontman Erland Hjelvik #2 on their list of top ten metal frontmen (and women) under 30.

Overseas the band has racked up numerous accolades. KVELERTAK was called "the best Norwegian debut of all time" by Norwegian rock authority Asbjørn Slettemark, named "Best Debut Album" by Metal Hammer Germany, "Best New Artist" and "Best Rock Album" at the Spellemannprisen (Norway's Grammy equivalent) and has received countless additional critical acclaim from Metal Hammer U.K. and Kerrang! who called them "the most exciting new band on the planet."

From storming 2011's SXSW festival to being personally invited by MASTODON to support them in Bergen, Norway, to Dave Grohl presenting them with their first gold discs at a sold-out show at Telenor Arena, Norway's largest indoor venue, KVELERTAK, or "chokehold" in English, are only getting started.

With the explosive first single "Bruane Brenn" to the slowed down guitar crunching of "Evig Vandrar" to the brutally chaotic "Nekrokosmos", "Meir" is an album that certainly lives up to the hype of giving the listener "more." Tight rhythms, inventive guitar hooks and melodies that seep into your consciousness, this is an album that constantly surprises.

"It is both catchy and heavy; we're pushing our limits in both ends of that spectre. It's very varied and there are a lot of surprises in store. I mean, it's unlike anything I myself have heard before, so we even managed to surprise ourselves," said lead singer Erlend Hjelvik.

KVELERTAK is Erlend Hjelvik (vocals), Vidar Landa (guitars), Bjarte Lund Rolland (guitars), Maciek Ofstad (guitars), Marvin Nygaard (bass) and Kjetil Gjermundrød (drums).

"Meir" track listing:

01. Åpenbaring
02. Spring Fra Livet
03. Trepan
04. Bruane Brenn
05. Evig Vandrar
06. Snilepisk
07. Månelyst
08. Nekrokosmos
09. Undertro
10. Tordenbrak
11. Kvelertak

A new audio interview with guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH conducted by Andrew Haug, the former host of Triple J Australia's "The Racket" radio show (originally "Full Metal Racket"; 2001-2011), air on Australia's recently launched first-ever dedicated 24/7 rock and metal online radio station, AndrewHaug.com. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

On the progress of the songwriting sessions for the new OPETH album:

Mikael: "I was working today, actually, and I have three ideas I am working on now. One is pretty much done. And the other idea is something that we kind of jammed, actually, on the last tour, on the soundchecks, which is a tribute to the band GOBLIN from Italy, which I've loved for a long time. And it sounds like GOBLIN and the song is called 'Goblin'. And the last one is all over the place, pretty much — like an evil metal song, kind of. It's a bit overblown and a bit… I wouldn't say pretentious, but it's… It's not 'less is more,' it's 'more is more.'"

On the criticism OPETH received for abandoning death metal-style vocals and pursuing a a more mystical and folk-laden sound on the band's latest album, "Heritage":

Mikael: "We have gained a lot of new fans — people who never were into metal, let alone death metal, music before who got into the band through the last record and are now kind of backtracking and getting into our older songs and older records, too.

"'Heritage' was a very good record for us. I mean, it was good on a commercial level and it was good on an artistic level, and we have a lot of positive feedback from the record. But, obviously, there's been a lot of negative feedback, too — people who absolutely hate that record and who now hate the band, and we cheated them and we're traitors and we're not metal and blah blah blah. We heard it all. I mean, it's nothing new, really; we heard that throughout our entire career, pretty much — that we're pussies, so to speak. But we don't really listen to that. It's just how people are. If some people don't like it, there's nothing you can do about it. I'm not working on, like, a recipe to kind of make everyone like what we do. I mean, we're not a commercial band in any way; we're not commercial within the metal community either. We're kind of going against the grain, pretty much. I think — even in the metal world, so to speak. And 'Heritage' is a record I particularly love. I think in our catalog, it's probably my favorite record. Basically, I've been getting closer to the music I listen to. I don't listen to new extreme metal. I think it's dull, I think it's shit — most of it. And I can't get impressed with bands that are fast, that play… Brutality, for me, does nothing. I mean, you can't be more brutal than… I've been into the whole death metal scene for ages, so it's not happening that I'm gonna be impressed by brutal music anymore. And I think metal has a new meaning to me than it did before. I think 'Heritage' is metal; I think it's rebellious, anyway. But a lot of people, obviously, would disagree. To a lot of people, metal is screaming vocals, double-bass drums, pretty much a computerized recording that sounds inhuman, and I think we just reacted towards that, I guess. To me, it's maybe a bold statement or whatever you call it, but in our catalog, I think, 'Heritage' is the most metal record. But for different reasons than trying to sound like a generic metal band."

On whether he now has more respect for a band like METALLICA for wanting to change up its sound and try different things and not fall into the trap of making the same kind of record every time:

Mikael: "You can't stay the same. It would be impossible for METALLICA to write another 'Master Of Puppets'; I don't think they want to, either. METALLICA is very interesting to me, because they shaped a whole new form of metal music with at least the first five records. They keep doing records… I mean, they did 'Load', they did 'Reload', and those records were fucking hated. I'm not sure if they were hated because of the actual music or if it was hated because of their image, or whatever it was. And then they tried to kind of get back into playing faster with 'St. Anger' and 'Death Magnetic', but I guess that didn't really do it for their fans either; it didn't really do it for me, to be honest. But they're really interesting. I mean, they're bigger than ever; they're fucking massive. If there's a festival and METALLICA is on the bill, you basically wouldn't need any other bands on the bill; they could just take all the other bands off the bill and it would still sell out, they're that fucking massive. And if you would interview all of their fans, I'm pretty sure that 90-95%, or maybe even 100%, of their fans would state that some '80s record that they did, maybe the 'black' album, is their favorite record and they don't really like the stuff that they have done since. And that's fucking ages ago. And even METALLICA themselves. I think that's quite interesting, and I've been wondering about this for quite some time: Why don't they play more new stuff live? Why do they go out and do the 'Master Of Puppets' or whatever other records that they are doing? Why don't they focus on new material? Aren't they proud of the new stuff that they do or do they just wanna please the fans? Either way, I think it's fine and it's none of my business, whatever choices they [make], but I just find it interesting. Because the way we see it, obviously, we're just a fart in the wind compared to METALLICA, but when we put out a new record, that's what we love the most and that's what we wanna promote and that's what we wanna play. But I remember seeing them just after 'St. Anger' came out and they had, like, a two-and-a-half-hour show, or whatever it was, and they played only one new song. And I didn't understand it. I didn't really like 'St. Anger', and I personally didn't wanna hear more songs than just a song or two from the new album, but I just found it interesting that they don't seem to stand behind their own material when they are actually on stage touring for this new album. They're playing 'Master Of Puppets' [instead] … It's just interesting that they have such a fucking following and they are so massive, but they haven't put — and maybe I'm talking out of my own ass here — it seems like that's the view of their fans, that they haven't really put any new music out in a long time that's had that kind of appeal, like that of the five first records. And still, they're bigger than ever."

On METALLICA's collaboration with Lou Reed, "Lulu":

Mikael: "I heard a couple of songs. I thought that was bad, to be honest. I'm kind of a fan of Lou Reed, I kind of like Lou Reed, and, obviously, I'm a massive fan of METALLICA, but that collaboration, when I heard about it… Even if I would have been proven wrong and it had been amazing, initially, I was, like, 'Oh, that's not really gonna work.' I couldn't see the connection, to be honest. But they did it, and that's what they wanna do, and I respect them and I'm always gonna be a massive fan of theirs. If I'm ever gonna meet them, I'll be, like, 'Wow, that's like meeting a Beatle,' if you know what I mean."

Niclas Müller-Hansen of Sweden's Metalshrine recently conducted an interview with WHITESNAKE/ex-DEEP PURPLE frontman David Coverdale. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metalshrine: As I understand it, there's two live albums coming out, "Live In Japan" and "Live In Britain". Why two?

David Coverdale: Because they're both extremely different. We didn't plan the Japanese project. You know, the Japanese tour was booked and we were invited to headline at Loud Park and I hadn't headlined a Japanese music festival since 1984, so that was a very exciting premise for me. They made a very generous offer and then asked if they could film three songs for a TV special. We said OK and my co-producers, Doug Aldrich and Michael McIntyre, and I, mixed the three songs and obviously watching the video and going crazy. It looked fantastic and we had them send over the rest of the footage and thought, "This could be a fabulous follow-up to 'Still Of The Night'.". And where we are now, featuring new songs for the first time. The record company we work with, Frontiers, they were absolutely positive in their response, so we added that to the mix. What we're doing with the "Made In Britain" CD, is giving it a different sonic identity. The CD from "Made In Japan" is a soundtrack and the bonus stuff features behind-the-scenes, soundcheck stuff we recorded in different Japanese venues. Having fun with some our songs, like trying an unplugged version of "Good To Be Bad" and "Tell Me How" from the "Forevermore" album. Stuff that people normally don't get to hear. For the second CD, it's "WHITESNAKE the world record." We're taking songs from all over different cities, like Oslo and there might be a Sweden Rock. I'm not sure if we legally can do that. Stuff from Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio. It's two entirely different projects, and for the end of the year, we're hoping to achieve a limited-edition box set for Christmas, called "Forevermore - The Complete Collection", which will have everything "Forevermore"-related plus outtakes, alternate mixes, acoustic versions of songs, behind-the-scenes footage. Really cool stuff. It's fascinating, Niclas, because "Forevermore" is an extraordinary jewel in the WHITESNAKE catalog. It still got legs, as they say. It's still selling significant records, and now I'm involved in a daily exercise called Twitter. A lot of people didn't know WHITESNAKE was still going because a lot of people still don't search the Internet or listen to music and they feel they've grown out of music, but then discovering that we're still playing and not only that, but flourishing as a positive force. It's amazing, so people are checking out "Good To Be Bad" and "Forevermore" since the first of January. Everything just keeps igniting the next wave of enthusiasm for WHITESNAKE, which is a great feeling.

When are we getting the David Coverdale autobiography?

David Coverdale: How white was my snake? [laughs] You know, I don't have time, man, and I'm still living it. Honestly, there's a huge obstacle for me, because I've read some of my contemporaries' work and I remember certain circumstances very differently. If I ever do this, and right now I don't have that enthusiasm, but if I do, I'm gonna be completely honest. Names will be named, because, to me, that's the only way to do it, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with being as revealing. I'm very revealing in my work, but I don't name names, so you don't know who this woman was who was behaving like a bitch or who broke my heart. [laughs]

Have you read Glenn Hughes book that he did with Joel McIver?

David Coverdale: Yeah, and it's amazing. It's my brother Glenn, and I love him dearly, but there are certain things that I remember differently, but I wish him every success. We're in touch almost every day. He sent me a pre copy and it was beautiful.

When is there gonna be a Coverdale/Hughes album?

David Coverdale: You know, I don't know. I don't even know whether it has to be an album. One of the things we're setting up with Whitesnake.com is that you're gonna be able to download new ideas that Doug and I are messing around with. Not do the big over-glossy stuff, just sharing music with people around the world and it's the first time in history that I'll be able to do that. I've just done a song for Bernie [Marsden, former WHITESNAKE guitarist] and I want him to be able to tell people what it is, but it was one of the songs that we wrote together many years ago in the early days and that was a lot of fun for me to do and it took no time at all. So it's very likely that Glenn and I could do a song or two or even three or four, like the old EP. I don't have time to make a commitment to make that kind of record. WHITESNAKE is my baby, and WHITESNAKE is a huge foundation of what I do and what helps me live. I'm not really missing anything. I know a lot of musicians, if they do a solo album, it's like, "Oh, I'm gonna play jazz guitar now. This is what I really love." But, to me, when I did "Into The Light", it's just David Coverdale being quieter and WHITESNAKE is a great opportunity for me to be a fucking lion and sometimes the lion gets a thorn in its paw: "Please, darling, help me!" The thing that's more interesting to me is something in the future where I'm hopefully gonna be doing an evening with David Coverdale, where I play intimate venues and can interact physically as opposed to Internet virtually. Physically interact with people and sing songs. Not in the huge WHITESNAKE arena or stadium style, but in a more intimate style like "Starkers…". I really have a full dance card. Sorry, Glenn! [laughs]

Another WHITESNAKE album then? Are we talking 2014 or 2015?

David Coverdale: Well, Frontiers have discussed that with me, and I do have a full agenda, as you've heard, and there's more that that, too. I wanna do an unplugged record, and we're still talking about it, my co-producers, Doug Aldrich and Michael McIntyre, and I. For me to commit for a new studio record will take a year out of my life, whereas these other projects just take a couple of months. I might even be able to get back on the road next year. My last long tour was in 2011, and you're gonna see shorter ones now and I wanna make sure I have the physical energy and power to be able to present shows as people wanna see me. If I commit to a nine-month tour, I don't think I'm gonna be able to deliver. I'm 61 years old and I'm in great shape, but I'm still 61 years old. It's gonna be shorter tours and stuff. That's the dilemma for me, to commit to a new studio record. Believe me, I would love the challenge to go further than "Forevermore", because Doug and I and the band are so up for that. It's just taking a whole fucking year to write new songs and quality songs, because we're very critical. Anything that doesn't resonate, we just let go. Regardless if I brought it to the table or Doug. But we have a fantastic writing situation. We sit down for a cup of coffee and he'll pick a guitar up and I'll sing some Christmas song and then we've got a fucking Christmas song! It's a fabulous, natural, organic thing. The muse sits over us with joy and sprinkles ideas on us.

Read the entire interview from Metalshrine.

Brandon Marshall of Sonic Excess recently conducted an interview with former PANTERA and current KILL DEVIL HILL bassist Rex Brown. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Sonic Excess: You stated in your [newly published memoir, "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera"] several times how much you value privacy and how you preferred to stay out of the public eye. Was the decision to publish a difficult one for you?

Rex Brown: This book is just my truth about what my eyes saw. I had the really good, cheap seats. There were only four of us in the band that really knew what went on with the internal PANTERA situation. I thought it was about time for me to go ahead and spill some truths. Even with the private life I do like to lead, I think that there was something inside of me that said, "OK, Rex, it's time to go ahead and let this thing out." It's just my side of the story.

Sonic Excess: Phil [Anselmo, former PANTERA singer] has an autobiography in the works. Have you been helping him with ideas, stories, or anything like that?

Rex Brown: Hmmm… no. Phil and I are still great friends. We talked about a year ago and he said you are going to do your work, and I'm going to do mine. We are not going to talk about it in the press, and that's the way it is. I don't want to turn the fans off what he does, and he doesn't want to turn the fans off of what I do. It's an amicable decision.

Sonic Excess: Hypothetically, if PANTERA were still together, how would you want the last chapter to end?

Rex Brown: Without Dime [late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott] around, that is not an easy question. I would just answer that I just hope we would have worked our stuff out by now. We all get into the same room, beat the shit out of each other, go to rehab together, and figure it out. We can't do it without the original band. There is just no way.

Sonic Excess: Is the PANTERA reunion talk frustrating for you?

Rex Brown: Not at all. I think it's kind of funny, in a weird way. Who are you going to get to replace Dime? Who's going to be able to play the way he did? There are a ton of players our there, there are a ton of pickets out there, and we've got a ton of offers on the table, but until things are water underneath the bridge between Phil and Vince [former PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott], I just don't know. Let me say this also: I never say never. Phillip and I, we are open-armed. It's up to Vinnie if he wants to go ahead and do something like that, but I just don't see that in the immediate forecast.

Read the entire interview from Sonic Excess.

An audio snippet of a new FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH song, "Here To Die", taken from the band's forthcoming fourth album, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's new CD was recorded at Las Vegas' The Hideout Recording Studio and is due this summer. Helming the sessions once again is The Hideout's owner, Kevin Churko, the Canadian musician, sound engineer, songwriter and record producer, who has also previously worked with OZZY OSBOURNE and IN THIS MOMENT, among other acts.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is scheduled to make a number of festival appearances this summer, including the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival in the U.S.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's third album, "American Capitalist", was certified gold last year for sales of 500,000 copies. Not only is it the band's third album, but it is the third consecutive release from the group to reach the gold mark, with previous efforts "The Way Of The Fist" and "War Is The Answer" also selling more than half a million copies each. "American Capitalist" debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart when it came out in October 2011.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's most recent tour was last summer's Trespass America trek, also featuring KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, POP EVIL and others.

Frontiers Records will release WHITESNAKE's live concert, "Made In Japan", on deluxe 2CD/DVD edition, Blu-ray and DVD in North America on Tuesday, April 23.

The "Fool For Your Loving" performance clip from "Made In Japan" can be seen below.

Multi-platinum rock band WHITESNAKE co-headlined the Loud Park festival on October 15, 2011 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan during their "Forevermore World Tour". The performance was initially recorded for Japanese TV and future Loud Park promotions, but after three songs were broadcast on a Loud Park highlights program in Japan, WHITESNAKE received unprecedented requests for this performance to be made available for general release.

Having spent most of 2012 editing and mixing the Japanese concert in stunning HD as a multi-format DVD-CD in 5.1 and stereo, just prior to commencing the "Year Of The Snake" 2013 world tour, this exceptional performance is a welcome addition to the history of WHITESNAKE live releases. Now fans can relive the irresistible magic of WHITESNAKE in concert any time their heart and loins may desire!

The "Forevermore" songs alone are worth the price of admission, not forgetting the classic WHITESNAKE songs, "Is This Love", "Still Of The Night" and "Here I Go Again", all peformed at the height of their musical powers. It's all here. This is what WHITESNAKE fans, new and old, have been clamouring for. Highlights include blistering guitar work from the band's six string guitar slingers, Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach, who both celebrate their 10th anniversary with the band this year.

WHITESNAKE also features the earth-shaking rhythm section, The Wrecking Crew featuring Michael Devin (bass) and Brian Tichy (drums), who anchor the deep and dirty foundation of WHITESNAKE. The band is accompanied by the swirling sonic tapestries of special guest keyboardist Brian Ruedy, and of course, the chest beating, seductive vocals of front man and founder, David Coverdale.

After hearing the sound check recordings from the different Japanese venues, the band decided to include them in the package as special bonus content. They agreed that everything would be related to their 2011 Japanese tour. So, when you think about it, it is appropriate they've called the project "Made In Japan".

CD track listing:

CD 1

01. Best Years
02. Give Me All Your Love Tonight
03. Love Ain't No Stranger
04. Is This Love
05. Steal Your Heart Away
06. Forevermore
07. Six String Showdown
08. Love Will Set You Free
09. Drum Solo
10. Fool For Your Loving
11. Here I Go Again
12. Still Of The Night

Bonus CD 2 - Soundcheck

01. Love Will Set You Free
02. Steal Your Heart Away
03. Fare Thee Well (Acoustic Version)
04. One Of These Days (Acoustic Version)
05. Lay Down Your Love
06. Evil Ways
07. Good To Be Bad (Acoustic Version)
08. Tell Me How (Acoustic Version)

DVD and Blu-ray track listing:

01. Best Years
02. Give Me All Your Love Tonight
03. Love Ain't No Stranger
04. Is This Love
05. Steal Your Heart Away
06. Forevermore
07. Six String Showdown
08. Love Will Set You Free
09. Drum Solo
10. Fool For Your Loving
11. Here I Go Again
12. Still Of The Night
13. Forevermore (fan video)
14. Steal Your Heart Away (fan video)

The musicians:

David Coverdale (vocals)
Doug Aldrich (guitar)
Reb Beach (guitar)
Michael Devin (bass)
Briian Tichy (drums)

Special guest:

Brian Ruedy (keyboards)

"Fool For Your Loving" performance clip:

Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH entered Hertz studio in Bialystok, Poland at the end of February to begin recording their next album for a late 2013 release via Nuclear Blast in Europe and Metal Blade in North America.

A few photos from the drum-recording sessions can be seen at HertzRecording.com.

Speaking to Metal Storm last December, BEHEMOTH bassist Orion (real name: Tomasz Wróblewski) stated about the band's plans for the new CD: "We have scheduled the studio for the end of February. If everything goes as planned, the album will be done in the summer and we plan on releasing it in the fall of 2013."

He added: "The last recording session — I don't even remember how many studios were involved… Like, six or seven, and lots of sound engineers as well; that's just the way we work. This time we will probably do most of the work in Hertz Studio, but we might do some stuff in other places as well. Plus we are still talking about mixing of the album and that's going to be probably somewhere else other than Poland."

In an interview with Rock N Roll Industries conducted aboard Barge To Hell — the world's most extreme metal cruise — which sailed on December 3, 2012 from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas and returned to the real world on December 7, 2012, BEHEMOTH guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski stated about the progress of the songwriting sessions for BEHEMOTH's next album: "I'm really thinking about my record. I'm dreaming my record, I'm eating my record, I'm shitting my record… I mean, everything just comes to the same thing: this artistic release that's gonna take place in the fall next year. That's the plan. We already made a rough plan. We should be entering the studio in late February. We're demoing stuff now. It's actually a rehearsal studio. So this is a thing we've never done before: we get into the studio, we set up the equipment, and we just play. And we record stuff. So it's very creative. It's new and it's different energy, too. I mean, we still use our rehearsal room, but it's good to change the environment. And then in January and February, we decided to move to Warsaw to work on the record. It should be very stimulating; this change of rooms and change of cities, it can be very stimulating. But we've got plenty of stuff written already; I'm guessing 30 or 40 minutes of music is done. But I keep on writing. I'm so hyped and I'm so into delivering new stuff. I have this thought: every time I come up with a new theme or a new song idea, I think it's actually better than the one before. So I hope that this process stops at a certain point and I'm, like, 'OK, over. This is it. We're working on this bunch of songs and that's it.' Because this way I can go on forever."

In an April 2012 interview with Metal Blast, Nergal offered more information about BEHEMOTH's mindset going into the next album. "We want to take our time and not rush ourselves in any way," he said. "It looks like it might be the most important album in our career. I want to make the most honest record and I won't be bending to anyone's rules or expectations, including [BEHEMOTH's record labels] Metal Blade or Nuclear Blast. Every next BEHEMOTH album is a surprise and is never the same. . . We don't want to stress ourselves because the music business and the direction it takes is not as I would like it to be. That means we will be going against the current again and just do as we will and please. Whatever we do is going to be BEHEMOTH, 100%. It is the state of our will and nobody can deny it. I can tell you that we aren't going to come out with a reggae or country album; it's going to be BEHEMOTH, it's going to be extreme. But don't be surprised if people listened to it and said, 'Fuck, they did it. It's so amazing.' [laughs] That's what I like to say when I listen to my own music. I love to surprise myself. I hate things that are predictable. I want to surprise myself and surprise other people, as well. . . Don't get me wrong, I am a huge AC/DC fan and I expect AC/DC to be AC/DC, but don't expect BEHEMOTH to put out another 'The Apostasy', 'Demigod' or 'Evangelion' album, because that will not happen."

BEHEMOTH's ninth full-length studio album, "Evangelion", sold 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 56 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released in the U.S. in August 2009 through Metal Blade, the CD was mixed at Miloco Studios in London, England by Colin Richardson, who has previously worked with MACHINE HEAD, SLIPKNOT, NAPALM DEATH and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, among many others.

Munich, Germany-based epic black metallers SYCRONOMICA will release their new mini-CD, "Neverest", on April 2 via Nocturnal Empire Productions. The effort, which has a running time of more than 32 minutes, contains two brand new tracks; the band's first demo from 1998 ("Durch Das Geäst") which has long been out of stock; and the recently filmed video for the song "Neverest".

"Neverest" track listing:

01. Neverest
02. Jukai - Das Meer aus Bäumen
03. Intro *
04. Durch das Geäst *
05. Fever Dreams *
06. Painful Grieving *
07. Neverest (video)

* Demo 1998

The release party for the "Neverest" MCD will take place on March 31 at the Dark Easter Metal Meeting in Munich where SYCRONOMICA will perform " a special show with a unique setlist" alongside ENSLAVED, BETHLEHEM, DARK FORTRESS and HELRUNAR, among others.

The "Neverest" video was filmed in April 2012 at the Ragnarök festival in Germany by Felix Opahle and Wolfgang Lanzenberger and it features additional original footage from Bavarian alps and the Himalayan mountains. The track was recorded in October 2011 at SOS Studios in Munich by Michael Zech (SECRETS OF THE MOON, ex-NEGURA BUNGET).

SYCRONOMICA's third album, "Sycroscope", was released in October 2009 via the Bavarian label Silverwolf Productions. The CD was recorded at Munich's Helion Studios, where both of SYCRONOMICA's previous albums — "Paths" (2004) and "Gate" (2006) — were tracked. The cover artwork was created by drummer Michael Bayer.

SYCRONOMICA 2013 is:

Oliver Walther - Vocals
Florian Winter - Keyboards
Johannes Jüde - Guitar
Ruben Raff - Bass
Christian Metz - Guitar
Thomas Hagl - Drums

The official Facebook page of Tom Keifer, best known as the singer/songwriter/guitarist of the Philadelphia-based blues-rock band CINDERELLA, has been updated with the following message:

"Tom caught that flu that was going around while on tour. Instead of cancelling dates, he continued on. That flu, left untreated, turned into pneumonia very quickly. He is being treated, resting and will be fine. He greatly appreciates the well wishes and concern."

Keifer's debut solo album, "The Way Life Goes", will be released on April 30 via Merovee Records (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group). The collection of 14 new songs ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots that have always been present in his unique sound that has generated the sale of over 15 million records worldwide for CINDERELLA.

"This record was a labor of love," Keifer told TriCities.com. "When I started this record, CINDERELLA was in the middle of a lawsuit with Sony Records. This record is not in any way to be taken as me stepping away from CINDERELLA."

"I took a lot of time making this record," he continued. "I made it over 10 years. I wanted to make something I loved. My wife, Savannah (Snow), co-wrote a lot of the songs with me. It was a blessing to me.

"Each song has something to do with life. It's just life, love, love lost, being crazy, going crazy, being lost. The record, there's no change, really, in style. It has the peaks and valleys.

"I've always approached music, played music that I like. I've never chased trends through CINDERELLA and with this album. It reflects what's in me."

"The Way Life Goes" track listing:

01. Solid Ground
02. A Different Light
03. It's Not Enough
04. Cold Day In Hell
05. Thick And Thin
06. Ask Me Yesterday
07. Fools Paradise
08. The Flower Song
09. Mood Elevator
10. Welcome To My Mind
11. You Showed Me
12. Ain't That A Bitch
13. The Way Life Goes
14. Babylon

As previously reported, Tom Keifer will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday, May 1 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with Keifer by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). The show will be streamed on the "Rockline" web site for two weeks beginning the afternoon after the live broadcast.

For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.

Alpha WolfHunters conducted an interview with DEF-CON-ONE, the British metal band featuring former VENOM and MPIRE OF EVIL drummer Antony "Antton" Lant (brother of VENOM frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant), at this year's Hammerfest, which was held March 13-16 at Hafan y Mor Holiday Park, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, Wales. You can now watch the chat below.

DEF-CON-ONE's debut album, "Warface", was released last June via Scarlet Records.

With influences covering a wide range of musical styles, from modern metal to old-school rock and punk, DEF-CON-ONE has been described by the organizers of Bloodstock Open Air festival (where the band played in 2011) as a bar fight between MACHINE HEAD, SLAYER and PANTERA.

DEF-CON-ONE is on a mission to spread its sound and infect the world with songs such as the "Warface" title track (audio stream available below) and "Steeped In Pain", which offer up huge slabs of aggressive, groove-laden riffs, beats and vocals.

A solid couple of years of gigs in 2011 and 2012 increased DEF-CON-ONE's fan base and saw them play the length and breadth of the U.K.

Boston-born and now New York City-based veteran avant-metallers KAYO DOT, led by Toby Driver, will enter Avast Studios in Seattle, Washington in April with producer Randall Dunn (SUNNO))), WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, BLACK MOUNTAIN) to record their seventh album, "Hubardo". This CD will mark the 10th anniversary of KAYO DOT's debut and landmark release, "Choirs Of The Eye".

"Hubardo" is an approximately 90-minute conceptual epic double-album, with story and lyrics written by longtime lyricist and former MAUDLIN OF THE WELL vocalist Jason Byron. Musically, the album covers the spectrum of all of the band's works, from the sparse doomy elements of "Choirs Of The Eye", to the blast-beat, woodwind-driven "Gamma Knife", the chorus-bass goth fusion of "Coyote", and even lush orchestrated prog moments harkening back to the days of their previous band, MAUDLIN OF THE WELL, and, as with all the band's releases, Toby Driver and Co. venturing into new territory.

The album sees a returning cast of characters, with Toby Driver on bass, keyboards, guitars and vocals, Terran Olson on keyboards and woodwinds, Daniel Means on woodwinds and synth, Mia Matsumiya on violin, Tim Byrnes on trumpet and horn in F, the first proper studio recording with Keith Abrams on drums, and the first recording contribution of longtime live collaborator Ron Varod on guitar. "Hubardo" will also feature a very special guest vocal appearance by Jason Byron — his first recorded appearance since MAUDLIN OF THE WELL's 2001 albums, "Bath" and "Leaving Your Body Map".

This album will be self-released on the band's own imprint, Ice Level Music, and pre-orders will be taken to help fund the recording and travel costs. Pre-orders will be offered in 3xLP deluxe, standard, and digital-only editions, featuring limited 200g colored vinyl in triple gatefold (six huge panels of artwork), a five-chapter poem by Jason Byron entitled "The Sword Of Satan", signed poster, T-shirt, guitar pick, and sticker.

"Hubardo" track listing:

01. The Black Stone
02. Crown-In-The-Muck
03. Thief
04. Vision Adjustment To Another Wavelength
05. Zodelida Caosaji (To Water The Earth)
06. The First Matter (Saturn In The Guise Of Sadness)
07. The Second Operation (Lunar Water)
08. Floodgate
09. And He Built Him A Boat
10. Passing The River
11. The Wait Of The World

POWERWOLF have issued an update from Studio Fredman, where they are working on their upcoming new studio album, expected this summer via Napalm Records.

Says the band: "Checking in from Gothenburg, Sweden, where we are about to lay final touches to the upcoming album at Studio Fredman. Feels great to finalize this monster project that kept us breathless and busy for the past seven months, and I dare say it sounds absolutely amazing so far. This is going to be a damn catchy and intense album. Furious, epic, heavy and wolfish to the max!

Some more days of metal and mayhem ahead here in Sweden until we can send white smoke through the studio chimney... exiting times! Can't wait until this beast of an album gets unleashed upon you this summer."
Previously commenting on their follow-up to the Blood Of The Saints album, Powerwolf stated: "There will be fast stuff, heavy stuff and epic stuff as well as some unholy little surprises - and all of that in the most typical, Powerwolfish way you can imagine."

Stay tuned for further updates. More on Powerwolf at this location.

Vocalist JEFF SCOTT SOTO (TALISMAN, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) is featured in a new interview with Greece-based Rock Overdose. An excerpt from the discussion is available below:
RockOverdose.gr: You first came into prominence during your stint with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN. It surely has been quite some time since then, but what are your memories from back then?

Jeff Scott Soto: "It was a great time but also one that has a lot of discolored memories as well. I learned more than I expected so soon after joining him, and I mean that in a negative way! The business is ugly already, so the people you surround yourself with should be ones who have your back and that you can trust…not any fault to Yngwie, but he was pretty much in it for himself we as his backup band were helpless sidemen with no chance for growing or making something of ourselves while we were with him. Clearly you can see why I left so soon after starting with him, even at 19 years old, I knew I had so much more to offer as an artist."

Go to this location for the complete interview.
Soto is gearing up for his first full European tour since 2009. Dates are as follows:

April
4 - Belfast, Ireland - The Limelight
5 - Birmingham, England - The Asylum
6 - London, England - Camden Underworld
7 - Rotherham, England - Hard Rock Hell AOR Festival
11 - Kerkrade, Netherlands - Rock Temple
12 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob
13 - Hamburg, Germany - Rock N' Roll Warehouse
16 - Essen, Germany - Turock
17 - Cergy Vaureal (Paris), France - Le Forum
19 - Lichtenfels, Germany - Paunchy Cats
20 - Budapest, Hungary - Club 202
22 - Serbia - TBC
24 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Venue TBA
25 - Thessaloniki, Greece - 8ball
26 - Athens, Greece - Kyttaro Live
29 - Milan, Italy - Blue Rose Saloon

May
2 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Razzmatazz 3
3 - Valladolid, Spain - Sala Porta Caeli
4 - Santiago de Compastella, Spain - Sala Capitol
5 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Caracol

Soto will be touring with the most recent band lineup, comprising Jorge Salán (guitar), Fernando Mainer (bass), ‘BJ’ (guitar/keys and vocals) and Edu Cominato (drums/vocals) and will be showcasing his current solo album, Damage Control, as well as tracks from across his solo and front-man roles right across his outstanding career.

More on Jeff Scott Soto at this location.

Wichita, Kansas' TRANSCENDENCY has inked a deal with up-and-coming label At Your Command Records.

Commented At Your Command Records owner Chelsea Steele: "When I first listened to TRANSCENDENCY's EP, 'Human/Complex', I realized this band had something going on. They were melodic yet heavy, catchy and entertaining. If that was only their first effort I can only imagine what will come next with more experience under their belts. More people need to know about them, there's a little bit of something for everyone in their music."

TRANSCENDENCY's Kendall Crocombe added: "We're all really excited to be a part of this label. Writing the best music we can, having big plans for the future, and now getting some great support and help behind this band is something that we're all looking forward to in furthering our futures with the band we've all put so much into."

"Human/Complex" came out last September and was followed by the release of the "Reshape, Reform" single this past January.

Kendall continued: "Our plans for this upcoming spring and summer are to start really hitting the road as much as we can and playing for new audiences. We are also hard at work writing for our next release which is going great so far. We're all really eager to see what people think of us pushing our songwriting and sound to places and levels it hasn't gone before. There are a lot of things we've wanted to try and haven't gotten the chance to yet and we feel this release will really show us for what we each individually are."

TRANSCENDENCY has long been in the works, and until recently has finally pulled together all the resources to make that long planned vision come to life. With each member bringing strong assets to the table, the band has successfully blended those skills and many aspects of progressive metal to create a sound that captures melody and beauty, but is relentless in its aggressiveness and determination for the listener to hear its message and feelings.

Cyclone Empire has announced the release of Effigies Of Desolation, a double CD from German death/doom outfit, OPHIS.
The release will include an exclusive reissue of their debut album, Streams Of Misery, and their longtime sold-out EP Nostrae Mortis Signaculum, plus some previously unreleased bonus material. The exclusive digipack reissue will be released on April 26th,accompanied with a performance at the famous Doom Shall Rise Festival.

Says Ophis: “When Cyclone Empire voiced interest in re-releasing our first two records, the Nostrae Mortis Signaculum EP (2004) and the debut album Stream Of Misery (2007), it was both a surprise and an honour. Both records were out of print and sold out (except for maybe some rest stocks in small distros), but since they were not THAT old (at least not the debut), it was sort of a compliment to see that there is still some professional interest in those records. To keep up our standards of offering a worthy product, we added some bonus tracks from our very own archives - demos and live recordings - which are somewhat raw and imperfect, but combined with the tracks from the official CDs they show a picture of Ophis' early years in all its facettes. In our eyes, this is not a simple re-release, it is a compilation of old Ophis stuff and a view behind the scenes as well - that's why we chose to give it a new name and an exclusive artwork. Enjoy the suffering!"
Effegies Of Desolation tracklisting:

CD1: Stream Of Misery

'Godforsaken'
'Beneath Sardonic Skies'
'Dead Inside'
'Pazuzu'
'Dolor Nil Finis'
'Black Wish'
'Thy Flesh Consumed'

CD2: Nostrae Mortis Signaculum

'Funeral'
'Kennel of Estrangement'
'Convert to Nihilism'
'Nostrae Mortis Signaculum'

+ 5 unreleased bonus tracks.
More on Ophis at this location.

On April 9th, Purple Pyramid (a subsidiary of Cleopatra Records) will release a special CD/DVD combo, CONSPIRACY Live, featuring the giants of prog rock, Chris Squire and Billy Sherwood (both currently or formerly with YES).

The CD has been remastered to fully enhance the unmistakable vocals of Chris Squire, and the exceptional, intricate musicianship spearheaded by Billy Sherwood. Sherwood said the recording was, “a very special and unique event. It has stood the test of time…”

From the modern classic title track to the more moody downtempo 'Red Light Ahead', Conspiracy Live showcases renditions of songs from both Conspiracy studio albums, as well as from Squire’s Fish Out Of Water, which as Sherwood says, “has hardly ever been played live.”

Bonus material on the DVD includes interviews with the band - Chris Squire (bass, guitar, vocals), Billy Sherwood (guitar, vocals), Jay Schellen (drums), Michael Sherwood (keyboards, vocoder, vocals) and Scott Walton (keyboards, synth bass) – as well as behind-scenes footage and a photo gallery.
Tracklistings:

CD:
'Conspiracy'
'Days Of Wonder'
'New World'
'Red Light Ahead'
'Confess'
'The More We Live'
'Hold Out Your Hand' / 'You By My Side'
'Universal Garden'

DVD:
'Conspiracy'
'Days Of Wonder'
'Universal Garden'
'New World'
'The More We Lice'
'Hold Out Your Hand'
'You By My Side'
'Confess'
'Red Light Ahead'

Chilean thrash band WARBREATH released their debut album, Gates Of Beyond, on March 17th via Digmetalworld Records. The album was recorded by Ignacio Figueroa at Ignacio Figueroa's Estudios in Viña del Mar, Chile.

The cover cover was designed by Christopher Peters (aka Trejoe) at Deviant Art. Check it out below:
Gates Of Beyond tracklisting:
'Evilution'
'Devastation'
'Hell Fire'
'Wander'
'Seed Of Fire'
'Bound To No Man's Land'
'Kill The Mind'
'On My Way To Acheron'

A new lyric video for the song 'Devastation' can be viewed below:
Warbreath is:

Carlos Escobar: Lead Vocals/ Rhythm Guitars
Lead Ronny: Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals
Alex Cluster: Bass / Backing Vocals
Gustavo Lara: Drums / Backing Vocals

More on Warbreath at this location.

Israel/Greece-based progressive metal act REIGN OF THE ARCHITECT recently signed a deal with Pitch Black Records, who will be releasing the band's debut album, Rise, on April 16th (May 14th in the US).
The album features guest appearances from Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY), Mike LePond (SYMPHONY X) and Joost Van Den Broek (AYREON, AFTER FOREVER). The fifteen tracks, spread over three “acts” on this album make up what is part one of a two part concept, telling a tale of love, destruction and survival in the aftermath of this power struggle.

Reign Of The Architect is the brainchild of Yuval Kramer (AMASEFFER guitarist), and was formed in 2008 in Israel. He comments on the new album, stating: "The story-line is an allegory of the powers that rage inside the human soul. Titles like "good" and "evil", "right" or "wrong" are subjective terms which we only use to legitimize our actions. We wanted to focus on the survival instinct, which, in times of need, forces us to victimize ourselves and bend the rules just to turn the scale. Then we have to destroy this self and re-build a new one who will eventually do exactly the same in the next similar situation. We wanted to point out this eternal battle between creation and destruction that wages inside the human psyche since the beginning of time, to grasp this feeling of being alone when it is most crowded."

An introduction video from Reign Of The Architect can be seen below:
More on Reign Of The Architect at this location.

Sweden’s SWORDWIELDER has signed to Cubo De Sangre Records. The label will release the group's full-length debut album this spring. They are recording the still-untitled album in Gothenburg.
The band self-released a four-song demo in 2012 as a limited CD-R and cassette. The demo is still available on Bandcamp.
Swordwielder will be playing the K-Town Hardcore Fest in Copenhagen, Denmark on June 21st.

Polish doom metallers EVANGELIST will release their sophomore effort, entitled Doominicanes, on May 17th via Doomentia Records as a standard jewel case CD, digipack CD and LP.
Doominicanes will include the following tracks:

‘Blood Curse’
‘Pain And Rapture’
‘Martyr’s Commandment’
‘To Praise To Bless To Preach’
‘Militis Fidelis Deus’
'Pain and Rapture' can be heard below:
More on Evangelist at this location.

Beginning/Relieve, the first release on Karisma Records from the label’s latest signing SEVEN IMPALE, is set to appear world-wide on April 5th. The five-track EP will be released digitally, and serves as an appetizer for the debut full-length album, which the band will shortly begin recording at the Duper Studios in Bergen. Iver Sandøy, who produced KRAKOW’s Diin and co-produced ENSLAVED’s Riitiir, will be at the helm. The title track from 'Beginning/Relieve' recently debuted on Karisma Record’s SoundCloud page and can be heard below:
Formed in Bergen, Norway in 2010, Seven Impale’s relatively young lineup consists of Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards. What sets the band apart from many of the new arrivals on the scene is the diversity of musical disciplines that the members bring with them. From classical orchestra to big band, metal to jazz and rock to electronic, Seven Impale have fused all their experience and influences and created a sound that is uniquely theirs. From the hard-hitting 'Blind To All' to the progressive and jazzy 'What Am I Sane For?' and the softer 'Measure 15', 'Beginning/Relieve' shows some of the many sides of the band and is the perfect introduction for the great things fans can expect from them.
Tracklisting for Beginning/Relieve as follows:
'Mind Riot'
'Blind to All'
'Beginning/Relieve'
'Measure 15'
'What am I Sane For?'

More information about Seven Impale can be found on the band’s Facebook page.

Denver, CO metal group ARCANIUM will release their sophomore album Ontogenesis on May 7th.

Vocalist J Sinn comments: “Ontogenesis is not only our sophomore album; it’s our rebirth into the worldwide music scene. The new sound of Arcanium since the addition of our second guitarist Adam Stewart has changed incredibly. Our fans across the world will dig the new intense sound.”
As Arcanium eagerly awaits arrival of the release date, they will prepare for their album release party, which will take place in Fort Collins, CO. Following the record release, the band plans extensive national and worldwide touring through mid and late 2013.

Check out the first single from the album ‘Blindsided’ below:

For more info visit Arcanium.info.

Toronto, Ontario metallers RECKON WITH ONE check in with the following update from guitarist Mark Anthony K:

"It’s that time again for another RWO update and I’m pleased to say that it starts with some great news! We have found our new bass player... that didn’t take very long!
Once again it shows how small the world is. His name is Rene Klinkenburg (pictured above), a native of the Netherlands who now lives in
British Columbia. Ironically Rene came into the picture when Michael (vocals) remembered another bass player who he gave vocal lessons to years before, and who also was in a RUSH tribute band called TEST 4 ECHO. After a few phone calls and hearing some recorded work, it was an easy decision. He also loves much of the same music we do like Rush, MEGADETH, IRON MAIDEN, etc.

Also, thanks to his quick learning skills, he will appear on the new RWO CD, Tornadic, on the title track and the Rush cover.

Well that’s all for now. But there might be an additional update this month as a few other things are waiting on being confirmed before I
report them so... check back soon for more news!!"

More on Reckon With One at this location.

Italian cinematic metallers RHAPSODY have announced that guitarist Dominique Leurquin is recovering quickly after the last year’s terrible injury to his left hand. Dominique injured himself with a circular saw while working at home. One wrong movement and the saw reached the center of his hand.
“We just received a video from our beloved Dodo where he was performing a couple of Rhapsody licks”, says Luca Turilli. “Just some months ago it would have looked like an impossible thing, but now we really hope to have him back on stage with us as soon as possible, maybe this year and hopefully for the important date of September 5th, when our band will headline the Progpower festival of Atlanta. Well done Dominique!”
On their way to sound more cinematic than ever before, Rhapsody recently announced a special long-term collaboration with the amazing Czech conductor Petr Pololanik and his Capellen Orchestra & Choir. Nominated for Hollywood Music in Media Award in 2011, Petr and his orchestra worked for acclaimed music composers (Thomas Bergersen, Trevor Morris, Jo Blankenburg, Henry Lai), leading trailer music companies (Two Steps From Hell, Position Music, Audiomachine) and revolutionary sample libraries (Garritan, Sonokinetic, 8Dio). His recordings were featured in award winning movies and videogames (Sim City 4, Transformers and many others).
“I had the chance to know my friend Petr some years ago, while I and my old band mates were recording some orchestral parts for the Rhapsody album Symphony Of Enchanted Lands – Part 2,”, says Luca Turilli. And adds: “In the meantime he and his orchestra became a ‘must’ for many Hollywood composers and in the last couple of years, also thanks to his new recording studio featuring cutting-edge technology, he established himself as one of the ‘main men’ of the whole soundtrack-related music scene. Therefore it is a true honor for me, Alessandro, Patrice, Alex and Dominique, to have joined our forces with such an inspiring and wonderful person.”

Alessandro Conti, the singer, continues: “This magic collaboration will lead to many artistic surprises and special live and studio events that will be revealed in the months to come. Moreover our fans will have the possibility to enjoy the majestic sound of the full orchestra and choir, featuring all in all more than 100 people, on our next full length release! Yes, I am speaking about the new Rhapsody album, planned to be released by Nuclear Blast in the late spring of 2014. Be ready and stay cinematic!”

On April 26th, Germany's ATROCITY will release their new album, Okkult, via Napalm Records. A sample of the new song 'Death By Metal' is currently available via the band's official Facebook page here.
The Okkult tracklist is as follows:

'Pandaemonium'
'Death By Metal'
'March Of The Undying'
'Haunted By Demons'
'Murder Blood Assassination'
'Necromancy Divine'
'Satans Braut'
'Todesstimmen'
'Masaya (Boca Del Infierno)'
'When Empires Fall To Dust'
'Beyond Perpetual Ice'
'La Voisine'

Okkult was produced By Alexander Krull at Mastersound Studio; the artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann.

Check out the song 'Pandaemonium' here.

Okkult is the kickstart to an album trilogy... musically Atrocity show an enormous tension width, and deliver a very powerful, homogeneous and atmospheric album: On the one hand with much bombast and big choirs a la 'March Of The Undying'; on the other hand Atrocity deliver equally purist, brutal metal songs, which get under your skin just as intensely, closely and authentically.

The overall sound is perfectly harmonized. The earthy, brilliant production sounds intoxicating and gives the musical pieces the necessary energy, atmosphere and roughness to dive immediately into the lyrical concept. This is anything but one-dimensional:

The lyrics relate to occult magic, mysterious places, conspiracy theories and mysteries that are still unsolved. Thus Atrocity turn John Milton’s vision of 'Pandemonium' into reality in an imposing way. With 'Death By Metal', a mystical tale from long ago, Atrocity have composed a tribute to their own musical roots, as well as it is their own band anthem. The band takes us with 'Haunted By Demons' on a Scottish Haunted Castle, and brings in 'Necromancy Divine' the ancient necromancer Erictho back to life. Moreover, the Okkult cover motif is dedicated to her. With overwhelming power the gates of hell are opened in 'Masaya (Boca Del Inferno)'. The epic 'When Empires Fall To Dust' set the mystical prophecies of a mysterious, French Freemason from the First World War to music. Never before has the Ides of March been staged musically as gripping as in 'Murder Blood Assassination'. Also the myths surrounding the Antarctic have never before been turned into such a hymnic piece of music ('Beyond Perpetual Ice'). As a culmination the poisoner and witch 'La Voisine' does her mischief in the Paris of the 17th Century.

To celebrate the release of Okkult, Atrocity will be playing a special release show at Rock It in Aalen, Germany on April 27th. It will be the first time the band will play material from the first part of the Okkult trilogy; expect a very raw and brutal set with highlights of the extreme musical side of Atrocity and songs that haven't been played live for a long time. The first 100 people attending will receive a special custom Okkult guitar pick.

Italian blackened metallers AZRATH-11 have released thier second full-length, entitled Ov Tentacles And Spirals, via Punishment 18 Records.
The artist who realized the album artwork was Marco Hasmann (BLASPHEMER, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, VILE, etc.). Mastering was done at Hertz Studios (BEHEMOTH, DECAPITATED, VADER, etc.).
Tracklisting:

'Awaiting The Inexorable' (intro)
'Emblem Ov Primordial Tides'
'Enraging The Water Spirit'
'Maelstrom Descent'
'Domination Ov The Streams'
'Surge'
'Sunset Ov The Abysmal Embrace'
'Beholding The Oceans'
'Let The Realms Rise'
'He Who Dwells The Depths'
'God Ov Emptiness' (MORBID ANGEL Cover)

More on Azrath-11 at this location.

Australia's MY DYNAMITE have released a video for their track, 'Fork In Your Tongue', featured on the band's self-titled debut album, available via Listenable Records. Check out the new clip below:
My Dynamite will spread their groovy hard rock to the European masses, having announced the following shows:

April
5 - Barcelona Spain Rocksound
6 - Castellon Spain Pub d'Leyend
7 - Estepona Spain Louie Louie
8 - Cadiz Spain Supersonic
10 - Madrid Spain Wurlitzer Ballroom
11 - Plasencia Spain Sala Impacto
12 - Cangas Spain Salason
13 - Gijon Spain Acapulco
14 - Monzon Spain Serjo's Zona Rock
15 - Zaragoza Spain
16 - Lierganes Spain Los Picos
19 - Arras France Blue Devils
20 - Lichtervelde Belgium Delirium
21 - Oostende Belgium Manuscript
24 - Bremen Germany Meisenfrei
26 - Nürnberg Germany Pegnitzbühne
27 - Weiden Germany Salute
30 - Tüttlingen Germany Schützenhaus

May
1 - Bartenheim France Caf Conc
2 - Krefeld Germany Kulturrampe
3 - Isernhagen Germany Bluesgarage
4 - Uster Switzerland Rock City
More on My Dynamite at this location.

The trailer for the new album from progressive rock instrumental band BORDONI is now available to view below:
Songs of Future Past features performances by Joel Hoekstra (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, NIGHT RANGER, Rock Of Ages), Arjen Anthony Lucassen (AYREON), Joe Stump (HOLY HELL, REIGN OF TERROR) Lars Eric Mattsson (MATTSSON, BOOK OF REFLECTIONS), Dave Reffett (SHREDDING THE ENVELOPE), Scott Tipping (MAGIC BOX) and Bill Fornari (CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY) with the core of the band consisting of Andrew Bordoni on guitar, Scott Stevenson on keys, Shawn Sommer on bass and Tom Hipskind on drums.
Due to some recent developments the proceeds from the first 400 copies of the album will now go towards supporting Cal’s Angels, helping grant wishes for children with cancer and offering financial aid to their families. For more information on Cal’s Angels visit this location.

Songs Of Future Past will be released on April 28th and is available for pre-order at this location.

Bordoni will be performing live at the EvenFlow in Geneva, IL the day of the release. The concert is free admission for all ages. More info on the event flyer below:

Chilean thrash metal band WARCHEST has released ‘Fear Of The Machine’, its third music video promoting its debut album Aftershock. The music video was directed by Axel Marinkovic with the assistance of Raimundo Correa (Warchest's bass player) at Oxido bar in Santiago, Chile.

Check out the video below:
Guitarist and vocalist Chris Pelaez comments: "This video release has the mission of give the last breed to our first album (this is the track n.10 of it), before we start full committed to the new one. And also to showcase our two newer members to the fans that already knows our work. We picked this track to show our thrash metal side on a live environment.”
Aftershock tracklisting:
‘Aftershock’
‘The Entrance’
‘Contradiction’
‘Warchest’
‘Prelude’
‘Let Me Down’
‘Alone’
‘Mental Mess’
‘Army Of Revolution’
‘Fear Of The Machine’

Stream the full album at this location.