Massacre Records has announced the signing of Germany's death metal warmachine DEBAUCHERY.

10 years of constant warfare have made DEBAUCHERY even more brutal and sinister. Battlefields all over the world, from Russia to China, all across Europe were left victorious. Most of the well-known festivals — Wacken, Summer Breeze, With Full Force — were destroyed. On the campaigns DEBAUCHERY followed bands like NAPALM DEATH, DESTRUCTION, SIX FEET UNDER and more. The Blood God and his Murder Squad strode beside icons like SLAYER, VENOM, IMMORTAL and SAXON — always recognizable because of their gore-drenched shows, half-naked Blood Babes and mutilated body parts.

The controversy of the band has brought DEBAUCHERY time and again in contact with the big mainstream media, be it a story in Germany’s Bild about the lesbian porn for "Death Metal Warmachine" or articles about the loss of the teacher job of the frontman. But in spite of all the brutality of the fantasy image, in real life the moral standards are of another kind: Thomas Gurrath is a vegetarian, his statement the video for "Animal Holocaust", created in cooperation with PETA.

The music is straight, groovy, dark, brutal and tells evil stories. DEBAUCHERY is more than just death metal — genres are broken, 10 years in music business, 10 years in metal, 10 years of DEBAUCHERY and now the 10th album of the Blood God. Be prepared, the new album will be released in late July.

After the release of 2011's "Break The Silence" and the headlining tour through seven European countries in support of the album, German "a cappella metal" band VAN CANTO — which consists of five singers and one drummer (no guitars, no bass, no keyboards) — took a break from live performances. They used the time to work on numerous side projects — including mastermind Stefan Schmidt's new power metal band HEAVATAR, and to recharge the batteries for their return in 2013.

In addition to making a number of festival appearances, VAN CANTO will release its fifth studio album in the fall/winter of 2013 as part of its renewed collaboration with Napalm Records.

Says Nadir, Napalm Records A&R representative: "VAN CANTO is innovative, unique and polarizing — that's the best thing that can happen to a label. You must not let a band like this go, and that's why we are proud that VAN CANTO continue to work with us. Together, we will shake the foundations of the metal world!"

Adds Stef of VAN CANTO: "To take a break for a full year was quite odd for us. Maybe there are bands that are satisfied with releasing an album every 5 years, but for us it felt quite unnatural to stay away from the stage for a full year. We have checked out new things, and are now more eager than ever to return with VAN CANTO. We are happy that Napalm Records will be the partner for our fifth album. The album will be the most heroic, heaviest and most symphonic album in our discography, and we cannot wait to enter the studio."

"384", the new Ioanna Lampropoulou-directed video from Sweden's TIAMAT, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's tenth studio album, "The Scarred People", which entered the official chart in the band's home country at position No. 11.

"The Scarred People" was recorded at Woodhouse Studios in Hagen, Germany with producer Siggi Bemm. The CD cover artwork, which was created by TIAMAT mainman Johan Edlund, can be seen below.

"The Scarred People" track listing:

01. The Scarred People
02. Winter Dawn
03. 384
04. Radiant Star
05. The Sun Also Rises
06. Before Another Wilbury Dies
07. Love Terrorists
08. Messinian Letter
09. Thunder & Lightning
10. Tiznit
11. Born To Die (digipack bonus track)
12. The Red Of The Morning Sun
13. Paradise (digipack bonus track)
14. Divided (live) (digipack bonus track)
15. Cain (live) (digipack bonus track)

In a recent intervie with Metal Underground, Edlund stated about the musican direction of "The Scarred People": "We're happy being TIAMAT; that's the only label we put on ourselves. In fact, TIAMAT is by far our own biggest influence. We often quote ourselves, what we've done in the past, when needed in the studio. There are a lot of elements both in the music and in the lyrics that we have developed over the years that feel genuinely TIAMAT, be it a clean electric guitar sound, a special way of drum patterns, certain ways to express lyrics. We often go back there and sample ourselves, so to speak."

MOTÖRHEAD has entered the studio with longtime producer Cameron Webb to begin recording the follow-up to 2010's "The Wörld Is Yours" for a tentative late summer release. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Outsider" and "Silence When You Speak to Me".

A photo from the studio can be seen below.

MOTÖRHEAD released "The Wörld Is Ours – Vol 2: Anyplace Crazy As Anywhere Else" in Germany on September 21, three days later in the rest of Europe and October 9 in North America via UDR/EMI. The follow-up to 2011's "The Wörld Is Ours – Vol 1: Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" features the band's 2011 Wacken Open Air headline appearance as well as highlights from Sonisphere (United Kingdom) and Rock In Rio (Brazil) shows.

MOTÖRHEAD's latest album, "The Wörld Is Yours", sold 7,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 94 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous effort, "Motörizer", premiered with 6,400 units back in 2008 to debut at No. 82, while 2006's "Kiss Of Death" registered a first-week tally of 3,500.

HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale joined Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES) and his touring band MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS on stage on February 22 at Bandit Rock Awards at Annexet in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the GUNS N' ROSES classic "Out Ta Get Me". Fan-filmed video footage of her appearance can be seen below.

Hale previously sang "Out Ta Get Me" with Slash on June 10, 2012 at Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She later stated about the experience: "It was so cool. When we started the song, out of habit I went into live rock mode and kind of spaced out for a second and then went into the middle section where we were just kind of riffing with the solo and just kind of lost my mind for a second. I was like, 'What's going on? Slash is right here! He’s sweating on me!' It was so cool; it was the best thing ever."

HALESTORM recorded a cover version of "Out Ta Get Me" for its 2011 EP, "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP", which saw the band putting its unique stamp on a diverse collection of classic songs, including tracks by THE BEATLES, HEART, TEMPLE OF THE DOG, SKID ROW and LADY GAGA.

HALESTORM was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 55th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on February 10 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. HALESTORM was nominated for the track "Love Bites (So Do I)" , from the band's 2012 album "The Strange Case Of…" The group was up against ANTHRAX, IRON MAIDEN, LAMB OF GOD, MARILYN MANSON and MEGADETH in the category.

ALICE COOPER drummer Glen Sobel — whose other credits include Vivian Campbell, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, SIXX: A.M. and IMPELLITTERI — was one of the special guests at the February 25 STEEL PANTHER show at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California.

Sobel joined the group for a rocking rendition of the GUNS N' ROSES classic "Sweet Child O' Mine" which also featured an appearance by Matthew and Gunnar Nelson and LIFEHOUSE guitar player Ben Carey. The Nelson brothers also provided harmonies with STEEL PANTHER on the JOURNEY classic "Don't Stop Believin'".

In related news, Sobel will be one of the drumming notables making an appearance at this weekend's Tam Tam drum festival in Néris les Bains, France alongside Thomas Lang and Horacio Hernandez. Glen will be back behind the skins with ALICE COOPER for their March 14 festival one-off in Crans-Montana, Switzerland where they are set to headline the Moon Stage at the 10-year anniversary edition of the Caprices Festival.

Due to overwhelming demand, RushBackstage.com has brought back the RUSH Bobblehead Dolls. These dolls are polyresin ceramic, which is the highest quality bobblehead on the market. Measuring 7 inches high (approximately 18 centimeters), these dolls have heads that bobble back and forth, kinda like seeing the guys on stage. Each set consists of three dolls (Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart) in a custom printed RUSH box. These were designed with a "vintage" RUSH in mind, from the time when the band wore Chinese robes, played double neck guitars, and Neil had the most amazing moustache in rock music. These bobbleheads are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

For more information, visit RushBackstage.com.

ALICE COOPER guitarist/collaborator Dick Wagner will produce the sophomore album from Danish rock singer Maryann Cotton (born Jackie Patino), the son of KING DIAMOND bassist Hal Patino.

Commented Maryann: "Wagner is one of my biggest heroes! I have listened to all his stuff with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, AEROSMITH, KISS, etc., since I was a kid, so it's such a big thing for me to work with him! He has become one of my closest friends over the last few months. We are in very close contact, and are talking every week about the whole thing! We have some big plans and ideas for the future."

The new Maryann Cotton CD will be a full concept album, with "the most terrifying horror story ever," according to a press release. Also set to make a guest appearance on the effort is KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque

La Rocque previously played on Cotton's debut CD, last year's "Free Falling Angels", on the tracks "Crazy", "Night Train To Paris", "Miss Misery", "Shock Me" and "Maryann".

Maryann Cotton debuted his new band on September 14, 2012 at Amager Bio in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"Free Falling Angels" was released on June 15, 2012 via Pure Steel Records. The CD featured guest appearances by four musicians who performed on KING DIAMOND's 1990 album, "The Eye" — Hal Patino, guitarists Andy La Rocque and Pete Blakk, and drummer Snowy Shaw.

Maryann Cotton's career was launched in 2006 when he performed live on Danish TV as part of the "Scenen Er Din" program (Danish version of "Star Search").

Swedish viking/black metallers THYRFING will release their new album, "De Ödeslösa" (English translation: "The Fateless") on March 1 via NoiseArt Records. The band's first CD since 2008's critically acclaimed "Hels Vite" was recorded at Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren (OPETH, PARADISE LOST, WITCHCRAFT).

"De Ödeslösa" track listing:

01. Mot Helgrind
02. Fordom
03. Veners Förfall
04. Illvilja
05. Kamp
06. Relik
07. Vindöga
08. De Ödeslösa

A trailer for "De Ödeslösa" is available below.

Comments THYRFING guitarist Patrik Lindgren: "'Veners Förfall' is a track we're truly satisfied with and think it showcases the album in a great way. The song was actually written around the rather offbeat middle piano part — which I think is really different from how you usually put your piano in metal music. In the chorus we can also hear Toni Kocmut on choir vocals. Those who have been following the band through the years will surely recognize this as a familiar element of THYRING. So … here we go — hope you'll enjoy the song and appreciate it as a first teaser of 'De Ödeslösa'."

The cover artwork for "De Ödeslösa" was created by Costin Chioreanu of Twilight13Media and can be seen below.

After 17 years in the band, original member and bassist Kimmy Sjölund decided to leave THYRFING. Joakim Kristensson has since taken over the bass duties. The band also welcomed a new drummer, Dennis Ekdahl.

THYRFING 2013 is:

Jens Rydén - Vocals
Patrik Lindgren - Guitar
Fredrik Hernborg - Guitar
Joakim Kristensson - Bass
Peter Löf - Synthesizers
Dennis Ekdahl - Drums

"Hels Vite" was released in October 2008 via Regain Records. The CD was co-produced (with the band) by Jörgen Svensson of Tyroon Production and the cover artwork was created by the Swedish artist Mikael Schelén. The layout and the photos were handled by Jens Rydén.

THYRFING in 2007 announced the addition of Jens Rydén as the band's new vocalist. Jens is best known as founding member and ex-vocalist of NAGLFAR and for his one-man army PROFUNDI.

"Metal Meltdown With Dr. Metal" show, which airs on Cleveland, Ohio's WRUW-FM 91.1, recently conducted an interview with GAMMA RAY frontman and UNISONIC guitarist Kai Hansen. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

On the state of metal:

Hansen: "Metal is vital, man. Metal is like a fucking dragon with many heads, and each time a head is chopped off, a new one grows on the other side. So it's still there, it's alive, it's been mixing up with all kinds of music and influences and styles, from jazz to folk to whatever. Still, the basics, and what it's all about, is that there's a certain need for rough sounds, for aggression, for power, and for this kind of feeling of kicking ass, and that's what unites us."

On GAMMA RAY's "Master Of Confusion" EP:

Hansen: "We got two brand new songs that we actually wrote for the upcoming album, but since we saw that it would be kind of impossible to make it for a full-length album towards the tour, we said, 'Well, we don't want to go on tour naked. We want people to listen to some new stuff, at least something,' so we said, 'Let's take two songs which are in some way representative for the album and record them, and add up two cover versions plus some live stuff.'"

On covering SWEET's "Lost Angels" for the new GAMMA RAY EP:

Hansen: "Definitely one of my absolute favorite songs from SWEET. I mean, there's many, but this is one of them, a song I really love from the point they put it out. It's called 'Lost Angels', and it's very nice. It was on the later albums, but it was a great song. Actually, this is the only song from the new recorded stuff that has been drummed by previous GAMMA RAY drummer] Daniel [Zimmermann] still, because we had already recorded the drums and bass for this song, and we never finished it. So we dug it out, and this time we made it. Actually, we could see while working on this song how much this band actually has done in terms of playing and being really good. All the choirs, and the guitar work is really brilliant, and it's not so easy to reproduce or pick up. But I think we did a real good job on it. And whenever I'm going to meet Andy, I'm going to play it for him and give him a copy and see what he thinks, but I think he's going to be alright with it."

On the departure of Daniel Zimmermann:

Hansen: "It was a hard time since he left. We had the feeling, and, of course, it came along with me playing in UNISONIC and especially for Dirk and Henjo, this kind of feeling that the band starts to fall apart. And for me, it was like falling into a black hole. This lineup was stable, and we were happy, and it was great, and Daniel is somebody you cannot just replace. He was a very unique guy and unique drummer, and he was a real big part of GAMMA RAY as well. So when he actually left, we were kind of hanging there and didn't really know, because nobody really wanted to go for this 'Oh, we're looking for a drummer, let's do auditions' shit. For a while we were hoping he might change his mind, and we kept things open."

On getting older:

Hansen: "I know that we're not a young band anymore, and, of course, we're at this point where you really put some concrete under what you have and make it really stable, or that you as well might lose it, and just wimp out and go down the drain, which definitely we're not planning to do."

On UNISONIC plans:

Hansen: "We came up with this 'one year is a GAMMA RAY year, one year is a UNISONIC year' policy, and we'll try to keep that working. Of course, that doesn't mean that the other band is completely resting in the respective year, but priority is one band at a time for me. Otherwise, I couldn't handle things. So now at the moment, I'm concentrating on GAMMA RAY, and I don't think about UNISONIC too much. And whenever I'm done with this here, and we've done our album and touring, it's time to get back to UNISONIC and start songwriting."

On sharing the stage with former HELLOWEEN singer Michael Kiske again:

Hansen: "It is new and old at the same time. It seems very familiar in some way, and in the other way, we're not the same persons anymore as we used to be. Only part of us is, but some other things have changed. So that's the point where you start to really find yourself and check out what the other is doing and how he's responding to things you do on stage and so on. But that was kind of easy play for us, and maybe that comes from our past."

Interview (audio):

Providence riff militia HOWL will unleash its second full-length of molten metal filth this April. Entitled "Bloodlines", the ten-track offering was recorded at the infamous Planet Z Studio in Hadley, Massachusetts with Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SOULFLY, CROWBAR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD), its metallic lead-footed sludge hitting with all the subtlety of getting shot in the face with a howitzer.

"Bloodlines" will be released via Relapse Records on April 30 in North America, April 26 in Germany, Benelux and April 29 in the rest of Europe.

"Bloodlines" track listing:

01. Attrition
02. Midnight Eyes
03. Demonic
04. One Last Nail
05. Down So Low
06. Your Hell Begins
07. With A Blade
08. Of War
09. The Mouth Of Madness
10. Embrace Your Nerve

As a precursor to the record's official detonation, HOWL will begin a mega run of live adventures scheduled to commence tomorrow in New London, Connecticut. The tour includes a slot on MetalSucks' official SXSW showcase alongside GOATWHORE, NORMA JEAN, ROYAL THUNDER, KEN MODE and GYPSYHAWK, with additional shows to be announced shortly.

Music Feeds conducted an interview with former KYUSS and current KYUSS LIVES! and VISTA CHINO drummer Brant Bjork on Sunday (February 24) at the Sydney, Australia stop of this year's Soundwave festival. You can now watch the chat below.

KYUSS LIVES! is performing its final shows as part of Soundwave. Once the festival has finished, the band will begin anew under the name VISTA CHINO.

Comprised of Bjork and fellow former KYUSS bandmates John Garcia (vocals) and Nick Oliveri (bass), along with Bruno Fevery (guitar), KYUSS LIVES! decided to change its name after a lawsuit launched by former KYUSS members Josh Homme and Scott Reeder prevented KYUSS LIVES! from recording and releasing any new material.

On whether there is a slight sense of relief that the legal dispute over the KYUSS name is over:

Brant: "Absolutely. There's always relief when conflict is resolved and people can just let go and move forward. That's where we're at and we feel great. It's always unfortunate to experience differences with specific people, but we feel great as a band. We're really, really excited to move forward into the future and focus on what it is that we do, which is play music."

On whether the change of band's name to VISTA CHINO would have happened had it not been for the lawsuit:

Brant: "That's a good question. The answer to that question is: I don't know. Possibly. We didn't really think about it. We were really just looking at what was in front of us and making our decisions based on what our present situation was. But now we just came to a point where we felt that changing the name was appropriate and was the fastest way for us to get back to playing music."

On whether changing the name has reinvigorated the band after the psychological toll that the lawsuit took:

Brant: "Yeah, it did take its toll psychologically and spiritually and certainly financially, but we are musicians, and I'm not interested ultimately in names or business or things of that nature. I'm a professional musician; music's my passon. It didn't break my musical spirit, and I think I speak for everyone else [as well]. So we just learned a lot from it. It was a strange trip, and now we're just back to rocking."

On the status of the recording and mixing sessions for the VISTA CHINO debut album:

Brant: "The record is… We're mixing it right now. And it's great. We're really, really excited. We can't wait to drop the bomb, so to speak. It’s a good record, man. I think people are gonna dig it. So we'll drop that this summer, and we'll go to work, man. We haven't formally chosen any particular song to be a single, but we are playing one VISTA CHINO track [tentatively titled 'Dragona'] here at the Soundwave, so you've just gotta kind of listen out for it.

Reactivated Swedish death/thrash metallers THE CROWN have issued the following update:

"A lot of things are happening with THE CROWN at this very moment. We are in the middle of recording a true masterpiece. Marko [Tervonen] is more or less done with his rhythm guitar work and Magnus [Olsfelt] has started with the bass stuff. He recorded a bass track for one song today before we all got together and filmed a small 'jingle' for our Japanese friends.

"Only three months until we hit Japan for the very first time. We are extremely excited about this. Hopefully we'll see YOU there.

"Last but not least, we are very proud to announce our new lineup. Yes, we have a new member in the band. His name is Robin Sörqvist and he fits the band more than perfectly. You have probably heard him in the band IMPIOUS before. He's got the lead guitar skills and the will to kick ass, just as the rest of us.

"Please embrace Robin with a big and loud HELL YEAHHHHH!!!!"

THE CROWN 2013 is:

Johan Lindstrand - Vocals
Marko Tervonen - Rhythm Guitar
Robin Sörqvist - Lead Guitar
Magnus Olsfelt - Bass
Janne Saarenpää – Drums

THE CROWN played its first concert with returning vocalist Johan Lindstrand on May 5, 2012 at Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg, Sweden. This marked the band's first appearance in Gothenburg in 12 years and was the group's only show in Sweden last year.

THE CROWN's latest album, "Doomsday King", came out in September 2010 via Century Media Records. The CD was the group's first — and only — release to feature vocalist Jonas Stålhammar.

End of January, the LINGUA MORTIS ORCHESTRA - founded by German heavy metallers RAGE as an orchestral side-project - made its live debut over the course of 2013’s 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise: On the high seas in the Caribbean, the 15-member band played two highly celebrated gigs in the packed Chorus Line Theater on board the Majesty Of The Seas cruise ship. Enthusiastic feedback by both fans and the press provided the combo with another boost of motivation for the upcoming recordings of the debut album that are due in April under the musical direction of Victor Smolski. Right in time for several booked festival shows (on this year’s Wacken Open Air, among others), Lingua Mortis Orchestra’s debut record is set for an early August release.
Victor Smolski – guitarist and head of the project – comments on the work progress: “Back from Florida’s heat to Germany’s iciness, but there can be no talk of feeling chilly – we’re boiling over with work in our studio! I’m already back in arranging and composing mode, while mountains of scores are piling up on my desk. I’m already fascinated by the new Lingua Mortis Orchestra songs due to their multifacetedness: Rock-hard tracks, some of them even heavier than those of our latest Rage record 21, are contrasted with balladic melodies of sheer beauty. The first official Lingua Mortis Orchestra album will be something very special for us, as we’ve never created anything like this before. You can look forward to a concept album with long tracks, sung by Peavy and enriched with female vocals as well as with exotic orchestra instruments. I’ll keep you posted!“

Check out the Lingua Mortis Orchestra on the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise below:

"Acid Overlord", a brand new song from Italian hard rockers TOMBSTONE HIGHWAY, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The trak comes off the band's debut album, "Ruralizer", which will be released on March 12 in Europe and April 16 in North America via Agonia Records.

TOMBSTONE HIGHWAY's music is described in a press release as "a classic blend of feisty stoner/southern rock and doom metal, with catchy guitar solos and old-school heavy metal parts that are reminiscent of LYNYRD SKYNYRD, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, PRIDE AND GLORY, DOWN, BLACK SABBATH, or even ZZ TOP. Apart from hard rock instruments, the band uses also a banjo and Hammond organs.

"Ruralizer" features guest appearances by electric guitar virtuoso Mario Percudani (HUNGRYHEART, MITCH MALLOY), Hammond maestro Paolo "Apollo" Negri (WICKED MINDS, BLACK WIDOW, HASSELVANDER) and Razor SK (FORGOTTEN TOMB).

Joe Hasselvander (PENTAGRAM, THE HOUNDS OF HASSELVANDER) commented on the release: "Absolutely cool! Good old swamp-infested blues metal!"

"Ruralizer" will consist of eight original songs and a cover of MOUNTAIN's "Mississippi Queen", with a running time of almost 50 minutes. The album will be made available on digipack CD and digital download. "Ruralizer" was recorded at Elfo Studios by Daniele Mandelli who is also in charge of mix and mastering.

The band commented: "We're very proud of how the album came out and we strongly believe it's the perfect way to begin our legacy. People into heavy, ballsy southern-tinged hard rock should take note!"

"Ruralizer" track listing:

01. Old Blood
02. Acid Overlord
03. Graveyard Blues
04. Hellfire Rodeo
05. Ruralizer
06. Bite The Dust (And Bleed)
07. At The Bitter End
08. Mississippi Queen (MOUNTAIN cover)
09. Hangman's Friend

British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH were recently forced to cancel their 2013 North American tour with THE FACELESS, DECAPITATED and THE AGONIST due to "immigration issues beyond the band's control."

In a new blog post, CRADLE OF FILTH frontman vocalist Dani "Filth" Davey commented on the cancelation, saying that "there is still no one more pissed off about this than me, over nothing more than a silly visa issue. Still, what can you do, the more you complain about the immigration laws, the less likely we are to get in next time we intend to tour."

He continued: "Unfortunately, there is no way of getting around this problem, whatever anybody says, and believe me, we have tried vigorously through various official channels and at some expense,. It is just a hard, cold fact of entry into the U.S. at the moment. So, better that we postpone/cancel than lead people on any further in the hope that CRADLE will be making at least some of these current dates, including Canada, which comes cost-wise part and parcel of touring North America as a whole. It truly is a royal nightmare, as the tour obviously took a lengthy time to route and organize, plus there are the other bands, booking agents, bus companies, local promoters, venues, venue staff and, of course, our loyal fans in attendance to consider. Still, if it's any consolation at all, it does mean that there is a distinct possibility that when the visas are eventually processed, we will be able to come back to the States on a much longer tour, seeing as there was a huge amount of people on our Facebook page complaining about the band not playing anywhere near where they lived. Believe me when I say this, we hear you, and the next tour will take all these requests into ardent consideration. So, if you want CRADLE to come to your country, town or city, make your sepulchral voice heard now… Fuck it, speak to the local promoters if you have to!

"I'd like to end this section of my blog by offering a massive apology to everybody that has been let down by this cancellation, especially the all-important Crewdle Of Filth, THE AGONIST, DECAPITATED and THE FACELESS. If there was any way we could change this, we indefatigably would. Without question. Our friends and fans are the most important thing to this band. Period."

CRADLE OF FILTH's tenth studio album, "The Manticore And Other Horrors", sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 96 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous full-length effort, "Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa", opened with 5,800 units in November 2010 to land at No. 99.

CRADLE OF FILTH's 2008 CD, "Godspeed On The Devil's Thunder", premiered with a little over 11,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 48. This was slightly less than the first-week tally registered by 2006's "Thornography", which shifted nearly 13,000 copies the first week out to enter The Billboard chart at No. 66, and "Nymphetamine", which premiered with almost 14,000 copies back in October 2004.

"The Manticore And Other Horrors" was released in North America on October 30, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Recorded in eight weeks at both Springvale and Grindstone studios (where it was also mixed by Scott Atkins), Suffolk, "The Manticore And Other Horrors" is a testament to the longevity of the 'FILTH, as not only does it reek of CRADLE's (feared or revered) brand of delicious metal vamperotica, but this thoroughly modern album places the band firmly in fresh killing fields anew.

On February 20, acclaimed vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (DIO DISCIPLES, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) played a solo headlining concert at Unplug The Plug 6 at Le Plug Rock Bar in Tunis, Tunisia. Joining Owens on stage were Marcel Coenen (SUNCAGED, STORMRIDER) and Marc "Speedy" Reign (MORGOTH, DESTRUCTION) along with members of the local Tunisian band CARTHAGODS. Fan-filmed video footage of Owens' performance can be seen below.

Featured songs in the video:

* Scream Machine (BEYOND FEAR)
* Starting Over (TIM "RIPPER" OWENS)
* The Human Race (BEYOND FEAR)
* Hell Bent For Leather (JUDAS PRIEST)

Released in May 2009, Owens' first solo album, "Play My Game", landed at position No. 66 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.

Owens is without doubt among the most important metal vocalists of the past 15 years. When he succeeded Rob Halford, joining JUDAS PRIEST in May 1996, the press rubbed their eyes, surprised as well as impressed: Owens had previously been a fairly unknown quantity to international music journalists and only a few new of him from the band WINTERS BANE, but he recorded his first PRIEST album, the Grammy-nominated "Jugulator" (1997) with more aplomb than even insiders had expected. Following successful tours with the British metal legends, the strong studio recording "Demolition" (2001), and the live recordings, "Meltdown - 98 Live" (1998) and "Live In London" (2003), and the movie "Rock Star" that was loosely based on Tim's experience with JUDAS PRIEST, Halford's return put an end to Owens' stint with JUDAS PRIEST. More or less immediately, he was enlisted by Jon Schaffer to team up with ICED EARTH and sang on "The Glorious Burden" in spring 2004. Three years later, Owens followed suit with the ICED EARTH album "Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Pt. I)", which succeeded the self-titled highly praised debut by his own band BEYOND FEAR. Spring 2008 saw Owens move on to join one of the world's best guitar players Yngwie Malmsteen, debuting with a sensational vocal performance on "Perpetual Flame".

Fame and fortune have always played a minor role in KINGDOM COME mastermind Lenny Wolf's longstanding career. In fact, his more than 30 years as an artist have been fuelled first and foremost by musical challenges and the desire to keep evolving. His credo has always been authenticity before commercial considerations.

"Naturally, nobody is happier than I am when my music is loved by as many fans as possible," he says, "but these kinds of aspects are irrelevant when it comes to creating a new album. The only thing that matters is testing myself as an artist and embarking on new paths."

To avoid any misunderstandings: the new KINGDOM COME album, "Outlier", presents flawless rock music with a welcome tendency towards melancholia and a gift for anthems. But with "Outlier", Lenny is starting a new chapter of his diverse creative career, expertly positioning his charismatic voice between traditional rock structures and modern sound elements, which add a third dimension to this album.

"I simply felt the need to delve deep inside of me and run riot in the infinite expanse of the audio cosmos. The result is a friction of mercilessly mechanical, heartless sound collages, combined with my typical melancholy-melodious style," Wolf explains the album's artfully interwoven experimental approach to his sound, which never detracts from the familiar atmospheric basic mood of his songs. "A whole number of souls happen to dwell in my breast, which is why experimentation and the development of my musical existence simply belong together." Lenny purposely takes into account that this approach may also lead to friction and requires an open mind of its listeners: "It's of secondary importance to me whether this is clever in business terms. To me, it's all about creating optimum varieties of sound signals which go through the ear straight into the heart. Some call it a vocation. Hallelujah."

A vocation which is reflected in ten haunting, stirring and diverse songs. Some numbers are welcome reminders of KINGDOM COME's glorious past, other songs document a future-oriented direction.

"I could have written a track such as 'Let The Silence Talk' back in 1988 during our 'In Your Face' period, whereas listening to 'Rough Ride Rallye' and 'When Colors Break The Grey' for the first time may have you think: Oops, what's all this about," Lenny confesses, knowing fully well that it's precisely those opposite poles which make "Outlier" a very special album. Especially since "one song by itself cannot reflect the character of a whole album. To understand this record, you have to take time and become one with those compositions, some of which are extremely diverse."

"Outlier" is well worth the effort, especially in view of the album's deep lyrical content. As ever, Lenny's lyrics are personal snapshots straight from his soul, touching on autobiographical subjects on "Don't Want You To Wait" and documenting — for example on "God Does Not Sing Our Song" and "Skip The Cover And Feel" — an attitude which is as fierce as ever and deeply rooted in Lenny Wolf. He has also consciously chosen the album title in line with this: "The term 'Outlier' suits me to a tee. It symbolizes my whole personality, the musical media I work with, the story of my life."

"Outlier" was recorded at Wolf's own Hamburg studio, the Two Square Noise Factory. With the exception of the solo guitar parts contributed by Eric Förster, all instruments were recorded by the KINGDOM COME boss himself. In addition, Wolf produced, engineered, mixed and mastered his new album.

"Eighteen months of struggle and madness lie behind me, a period which saw me go through the usual alternating bath of euphoria and doubt," he says. "As an artist, you can never be quite sure just what you've cooked up, but I happen to be an idealist and simply have to keep embarking on new adventurous journeys. The path of predictability has never satisfied me."

"Outlier" is KINGDOM COME's first studio album featuring completely new material since the arrival of their 2009 release, "Magnified". The album is bound to provoke discussion, in every respect, which is precisely the intention Lenny has with his compositions: "I never write to please anybody, I simply stretch my means of expression as a musician as far as possible. Always in the hope that others will like the result."

"Outlier" will be released worldwide through SPV/Steamhammer and will be available as CD and download in Germany on April 26, in the rest of Europe on April 29 and in the U.S./Canada on May 7.

"Outlier" track listing:

01. God Does Not Sing Our Song (04:05
02. Running High Distortion (04:14
03. Rough Ride Ralleye (04:35
04. Let The Silence Talk (03:29
05. Holy Curtain (03:59
06. The Trap Is Alive (04:41
07. Skip The Cover And Feel (03:37
08. Don`t Want You To Wait (04:31
09. Such A Shame (03:18
10. When Colors Break The Grey (05:03

A single, "God Does Not Sing Our Song", will be released digitally worldwide on April 5.

"God Does Not Sing Our Song" single track listing:

01. God Does Not Sing Our Song (radio version)
02. God Does Not Sing Our Song (album version) (taken from "Outlier")
03. Should I (taken from "Rendered Waters")

In his new autobiography, "Shut Up And Give Me The Mic", Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER has nothing nice to say about KROKUS, the veteran hard rockers from Switzerland. For an entire chapter, he rages about KROKUS, calls the band "Crapus" and states: "You have no idea how close you came landing on the bottom of a lake."

The reason for his outburst: KROKUS commissioned Snider's wife Suzette in 1982 to sew stage outfits for the band's U.S. tour, but the former KROKUS manager refused to pay her for her services.

"These guys ripped off my wife and threatened her," says Snider, who points out that his wife's mother emigrated from Switzerland.

"I was proud of this rock band from the home country of my mother," says Suzette. But the pride has turned into rage.

KROKUS bassist/producer Chris Von Rohr recalls: "The clothes did not match at all our expectations. Too much harlequin style. So we made a bonfire of it."

Many years have passed and KROKUS are older and wiser. "If we have not treated his wife with due respect, we are sorry," Von Rohr says

Von Rohr proposes to Dee and his wife to bury the hatchet and drink a beer or two together at a festival this year where both bands will perform in reconciliation of an event that happened over 30 years ago.

Swiss newspaper Blick reached Snider by phone and submitted KROKUS' peace offer. "If they are serious, I think it's a nice gesture," says Snider. "But I have to ask my wife first if she is ready to forgive KROKUS."

Dallas, Texas-based producer/engineer/mixer Kerry Crafton has finished mixing the long-awaited fourth and final release from the legendary Texas thrash metal band RIGOR MORTIS. Entitled "Slaves To The Grave", the CD was recorded at 13th Planet Studio in El Paso, Texas in February 2012. Mike Scaccia produced the sessions and MINISTRY frontman Al Jourgensen was the executive producer. Completion of the CD was delayed while Scaccia was on a European tour with the band MINISTRY and then by Scaccia's sudden passing.

Scaccia brought the tracks back to Dallas to be mixed by longtime friend Crafton. Crafton engineered the first RIGOR MORTIS album, "Rigor Mortis", for Capitol Records in 1988. Crafton was the producer, engineer and mixer on the third RIGOR MORTIS release for Triple X Records, "Rigor Mortis vs The Earth". He now closes out the RIGOR MORTIS legacy by mixing the band's final CD.

Mixing began in December and Crafton and Scaccia had only one day together to begin the mixing process before the tragic onstage passing of Scaccia at the Rail Club in Ft. Worth while playing with RIGOR MORTIS.

Commented Crafton: "After Mikey died, it was very hard to open up the session and get back to mixing. I expected to have my buddy Mike with me as I did all the mixes. Instead, we had just one day together to set up basic tones and for him to explain what was what. It was a couple of weeks before I was able to begin again. When I got back to it, I found it both heartbreaking and cathartic. Though Mike was gone physically, I still was blessed with his musical presence every day as I soldiered on through the tears.

"This record is amazing. Mike, Bruce Corbitt, Harden Harrison and Casey Orr all performed brilliantly in the recording of this album and I believe they all did the best work of their lives. I feel very lucky to have had the chance to mix this project for such a great group of musicians and friends. The depth and breadth of the material is really awesome. This will, obviously, be the last project from RIGOR MORTIS, but it is a great final musical statement."

The CD is currently being shopped to several interested labels and a release is expected this summer.

Former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland has released the following statement regarding his dismissal from the group:

"I learned of my supposed 'termination' from STONE TEMPLE PILOTS this morning by reading about it in the press. Not sure how I can be 'terminated' from a band that I founded, fronted and co-wrote many of its biggest hits, but that's something for the lawyers to figure out. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to seeing all of my fans on my solo tour which starts this Friday."

Weiland is getting ready to embark on a tour where he will perform songs from the first two STONE TEMPLE PILOTS albums, 1992's "Core" and 1994's "Purple".

"Originally, it was an idea I came up with for STP for the anniversary of 'Core' to do the 'Core' album in its entirety," Weiland told MLive. "The rest of the guys didn't want to do it. So, it was still something that there was a lot of public interest in. Having that said, the idea was brought up to me through management. I talked to the guys in my solo band, THE WILDABOUTS, and they were totally into it, as were the promoters. It worked out."

Weiland and THE WILDABOUTS will kick off the 20-city trek, dubbed the "Purple At The Core Tour", on March 1 in Flint, Michigan. The singer will stop by several U.S. cities during the run, including New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Boston, Houston, and Dallas.

In a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, Weiland stated about the status of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS: "I think we kind of overplayed ourselves by playing the same set over and over. I think the band needs to take some time off and be creative again. I always felt that our creativity and the growth we made within making records as artists was equally as important as we were as a live band. The transformation from 'Core' to where we ended up before we took that time off, when I started with VELVET REVOLVER, was enormous. I think we need to get back to that. I don't think that touring consistently with a greatest-hits package gets you anywhere. It diminishes things."

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS guitarist Dean DeLeo told New Jersey radio station WRAT in a March 2012 interview that contrary to earlier reports, the quartet was not in the studio recording its seventh studio effort. When asked if the band would work on a new disc anytime soon, DeLeo answered, "Possibly, we're just kind of enjoying home life right now and raising our kids and enjoying the loves of our lives."

Word of a new STP album first surfaced as early as the fall of 2010, just months after the band released its self-titled sixth effort.

That 2010 album came nine years after STP's last record, "Shangri-La-Dee-Da", and followed the band's 2008 reunion after a seven-year hiatus.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS released their first-ever live DVD/Blu-ray last June. Entitled "Alive In The Windy City", the effort contained the band's entire concert from March 27, 2010 at the Riviera Theater in Chicago, Illinois.

Reactivated British extreme metal legends CARCASS have set "Surgical Steel" as the title of their first studio album in 17 years, to e released later this year via an as-yet-undetermined record label. The band's first studio outing since 1996's "Swansong" will be the first to feature new drummer Dan Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and also features guest vocals from original sticksman Ken Owen. The CD was produced by Colin Richardson, who has previously worked with FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE.

CARCASS guitarist Bill Steer tells U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine: "I found myself playing riffs that sounded like CARCASS. This was after the band had finished the whole reunion cycle of shows and festivals. So, officially, I would have been playing with other bands and stuff, but for some reason whenever I picked up a guitar at home I was coming up with riffs that sounded like CARCASS. I got on the phone to Jeff [Walker, bass/vocals] and said, 'We could have a crack at writing a couple of tunes and seeing if they're strong enough and take it from there.' We also agreed if it didn't sound like carcass or have that kind of vibe to it, we would just drop it. So that was the thing, we got together and started working on some stuff and just immediately got the excitement back very quickly."

Adds Bill: "It definitely sounds like CARCASS. I think we just generally by accident captured the flavor of past music that we have done and you can't help but push it forward. We have really been creative and when you are looking at things like guitar harmonies, it's way more adventurous on this record. It's not just parallel harmony like we did in the past, things branch off in different directions.

"A lot of what is happening now is based on rhythms rather than actual riffs. We were discussing this a lot during record sessions about how the riff is almost dying or dead already. People spend a lot of time chugging on the bottom string [but] that's a rhythm, it's not a riff. We can't write a song, never mind an album, without it being choc-full of riffs."

States Jeff Walker: "I'd like to feel like we are giving CARCASS fans what they want again. I'm a realist and I think Bill has realized and Dan know what people like about CARCASS. We're definitely delivering."

While the final track listing has yet to be confirmed, the following songs were recorded during the sessions:

* The Master Butcher's Apron
* The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills
* A Congealed Clot Of Blood
* A Wraith In The Apparatus
* 316l Grade Surgical Steel
* Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System
* Captive Bolt Pistol
* Intensive Battery Brooding
* None Compliance To Astm F899-12 Standard
* Mount Of Execution
* 1985/Thrasher's Abattoir
* Unfit For Human Consumption
* Zochrot
* Livestock Marketplace

Guitarist Michael Amott and drummer Daniel Erlandsson, who have been touring with CARCASS since the band's reunion was announced in 2007, are no longer involved with the group due to scheduling conflicts with their main band, ARCH ENEMY. "For live, we'll obviously add another guitarist — we have someone in mind but we are not interested in a 'name' player," Walker told Decibel magazine in December.

Regarding the sound of the forthcoming CARCASS album, Walker stated: "We've taken stylistic cues from all the albums because it's in our blood, but it's no rehash or mess of ideas. I think it sounds almost like the missing link between the third and forth albums but with some groove in there. I've jokingly christened some parts 'trad blast' and some 'death sleaze'… don't think for a minute this is just some nostalgic throwback album — we're setting up another 17 years of ideas for other bands to copy and clean up on. [laughs]"

Asked if this means we'll be hearing some death metal vocals out of Bill for the first time since "Necroticism", Walker told Decibel, "Yes, already in the can. It's more along the lines of how I envisioned him backing me up on 'Heartwork'. That said, my own vocals have a hell of a lot more range than they did in the past solely down to the luxury of having time to record them — I did all the vox for 'Heartwork' in two days and it shows! Also, (hopefully) [drummer] Ken [Owen] [who is not involved in the band's current reunion because he suffered a near-fatal brain hemorrhage in February 1999 and has had some rather serious health problems since then. — Ed.] will make an appearance — we just need to tidy a few loose ends before the mix."

CARCASS is in the process of booking a number of live shows for 2013, including appearances at year's Maryland Deathfest, Germany's Party.San Open Air, Czech Republic's Brutal Assault, U.K.'s Damnation, The Netherlands' Neurotic Deathfest and Chile's Metal Fest.

CARCASS' last album, 1996's "Swansong", was re-released in July 2008 via Earache Records. The reissue came fully remastered on a DualDisc (combined CD and DVD) in a deluxe digipak with extra artwork and a free sticker sheet featuring exclusive CARCASS designs, and included part 5 of a mini-documentary series entitled "The Pathologist's Report" as bonus video material, plus an exclusive bonus track, "Deathrider Da".

METALLICA, in conjunction with their friends C3 Presents, are pleased to announce the lineup for the 2013 Orion Music + More festival, to be held at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan on June 8 and 9. Headliners will include METALLICA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, RISE AGAINST, DEFTONES and BASSNECTAR, while the festival will also feature amazing acts including GOGOL BORDELLO, FOALS, TOMAHAWK, THE JOY FORMIDABLE, DEATH GRIPS and local Detroit bands THE DIRTBOMBS, DEATH and BATTLECROSS.

"Last year's Orion Music + More festival was hands down the highlight of the METALLICA calendar. A great time was had by all, especially the band members," said METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich. "The fact that it also resonated with enough of our fans and friends that it warrants another go-around in '13 is beyond exciting. I can think of no better place than the Motor City, with its rich and diverse history of music, for the second ride on our Orion festival train. Bring it the fuck on!"

Orion Music + More will feature more than 30 bands across five live music stages plus a lifestyle element that reflects each of METALLICA's band members many personal interests. Detroit will see the return of James Hetfield's Custom Car & Motorcycle Show, Kirk Hammett's Crypt, Lars Ulrich's Hit the Lights Film Tent and Robert Trujillo's Vans Vert Ramp alongside the Metallica Museum and many other fan favorite attractions.

The METALLICA Met Club fan club presale starts February 26 at 10 a.m. (Eastern) and runs through February 28 at 10 p.m. (Eastern). Met Club members get first dibs on buying festival tickets with a couple of options to choose from:

* A super special price at $125 including all fees for a 2-Day Pass or
* The Met Club Ultra 2-Day Pass, which includes Front of Stage Viewing for METALLICA's set, Exclusive Ultra Lounge Access and more for $225 including all fees!

Orion Music + More E-list members will get a chance to purchase $150 2-Day Passes before they go on-sale to the public. This presale starts February 27 at 10 a.m. (Eastern) and runs through February 28 at 10 p.m. (Eastern).

Tickets will go on-sale to the public on March 1 at 10 a.m. (Eastern) for $150 for a 2-Day Pass including all fees.

2013 Orion Music + More festival lineup:

METALLICA
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
RISE AGAINST
DEFTONES
BASSNECTAR
DROPKICK MURPHYS
GOGOL BORDELLO
FLAG
SILVERSUN PICKUPS
FOALS
TOMAHAWK
DESTROID (EXCISION + KJ SAWKA + DOWNLINK)
THE JOY FORMIDABLE
DATSIK
BORGORE
JAPANDROIDS
DILLON FRANCIS
ADVENTURE CLUB
12TH PLANET
DEATH GRIPS
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN
DIRTYPHONICS
THE DIRTBOMBS
DEATH
FU MANCHU
THE BRONX
FIDLAR
ALL SHALL PERISH
THE ORWELLS
BATTLECROSS
CAULDRON

In a new interview with John Parks from Legendary Rock Interviews, former BLACK SABBATH singer Tony Martin talks about his solo work, the current goings on with Sabbath and much more. An excerpt follows:
Q: You are very forthright with the fans who have supported and continued to support you during your career. Do you think that the current situation with Bill Ward and the Sabbath situation is one of the more divisive or difficult things fans have had to swallow over the years?

A: "The Bill Ward thing is weird cause they always loved Bill. In fact, they never had a bad thing to say about him so I don’t quite get why they wouldn’t take time out to nurture him back into the fold. If he had any problems I cant see how a period of rehearsal and help from his band would not fix them and if its about money then WHAT THE FUCK??. He IS the original drummer, so yes he should be given a good cut of whatever, BUT I am not privy to the conversations between them so I don’t really know. I just see bands like DEF LEPPARD who’s drummer had an arm RIPPED off in a car accident and they waited for YEARS until he developed a drum kit he could play with ONE ARM!!!!! Amazing dedication, which proves so well that nothing is impossible these days. THAT is why I dont get the Bill Ward thing."

Q: "You’ve been on the inside at various points and have maintained communication with your fans possibly more than any other member of the band. Do you think Black Sabbath fans have a tremendous amount of patience and forgiveness for some of the business end of things?

A: "Sabbath fans are just as awesome as other rock fans, they will always want to see what the next chapter of the story is EVEN if it is just to criticize. In some ways it is a reflection of life in general, we don’t wanna look sometimes but we HAVE to! Not sure its patience as much as the human condition, but I DO know that rock fans in general are the most loyal and determined fans in the world. Great to see old timers STILL wearing the shirts and young things singing songs that were written WAY before they were born... All good... all good!! I just wish people regarded the music itself more respectfully, its become a worthless art now and music has become a cheap throw away product, a fate that it does not deserve."

Read the full interview at this location.

Earlier this year, Martin signed a new publishing contract with Sony/ATV Music Publishing Limited.

Says Tony: "Very pleased!! Signed by Alan Bambrough... Looking forward to working with you Alan. VERY cool."

Nuclear Blast Entertainment has announced the newest addition to its growing label roster: ANTI-MORTEM.

Formed in 2008 and fronted by vocalist Larado Romo, ANTI-MORTEM's line-up includes older brother-guitarist Nevada Romo, guitarist Zain Smith, bassist Corey Henderson and drummer Levi Dickerson. With over 300 shows to their name, these Chickasha, Oklahoma natives (aged between 18 and 22) spent their formative nights and weekends woodshedding their sound on the concert stage they built themselves in the Smith family barn (originally intended to store an old car collection).

While Zain's parents were away working on the weekends, ANTI-MORTEM would turn their barn rehearsal space into a makeshift venue and hone their chops by inviting friends and family in Chickasha over for an afternoon of gravel-throated vocals, crunch-laden riffs, thick grooves, and some good ol'-fashioned Southern hospitality.

Nuclear Blast Entertainment President Monte Conner states: "ANTI-MORTEM connect with a fist-to-the-face, combining the power of American heavy metal and the down-home flavor of the classic Southern rock and blues they were raised on. I've been watching them develop for the past two years and they are now ready to show the world how a good ass-kicking is delivered."

"We are beyond pumped to be signing with Nuclear Blast Entertainment and to have Monte Conner in our corner," shares ANTI-MORTEM vocalist Larado Romo. "We are looking forward to a very long worldwide career with Nuclear Blast and are excited to finally have the opportunity to spread our music and message."

ANTI-MORTEM will record their debut album in March with Hollywood-based producer Bob Marlette (BLACK STONE CHERRY, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, SHINEDOWN, ROB ZOMBIE). The band's first full-length will be released later this year.

ANTI-MORTEM's debut music video for "Stagnant Water" can be seen below. You can also download a free demo version of the song. The track was produced by Provo Provenzano and the video was directed by Clark Deal — both fellow Oklahoma natives.

ANTI-MORTEM are managed by Justin Arcangel at 5B Artist Management, whose roster includes SLIPKNOT, TRIVIUM, AMON AMARTH and AS I LAY DYING.

Drummer Jason Rullo of progressive metallers SYMPHONY X was admitted last week to the hospital for heart failure. Jason spent a week in the hospital, and has since been released. He has started a rehab program and has been told that his recovery will take a minimum of 3-6 months under doctors' care.

Commented Jason: "I would just like to say that I am happy to be home with my family after what was quite a week. We had a few scary days in there, but I made it through what was hopefully the worst of it.

"Doctors say I have a very good chance for a full recovery, so I plan to be back at 100%, even if it takes awhile. I will go through cardiac rehab so I can be monitored while returning to form, so that I'll know when it's safe for me to return to drumming the way I always have, if not better.

"Thanks to my friends and family for the support, and to the fans, I love you all!"

SYMPHONY X's ninth studio album, "Iconoclast", sold more than 7,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 76 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous CD, "Paradise Lost", opened with around 6,500 copies back in July 2007.

"Iconoclast" was released in Europe on June 17, 2011 and in North America on June 21, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA have commenced the songwriting process for their next album, tentatively due in late 2013 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Several photos from the first day of the writing sessions can be found at this location.

SEPULTURA played its first show with drummer Eloy Casagrande (GLÓRIA, ANDRÉ MATOS) on November 25, 2011 in Lichtenfels, Germany.

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA as the replacement for Jean Dolabella, who left the band because he could no longer handle being away from home for long periods of time.

Eloy is a 21-year-old drum prodigy from São Paulo, Brazil who won the Modern Drummer "Undiscovered Drummer" contest as a teenager in 2006.

Asked what Casagrande has added to the band, SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green told Metal Hammer, "Definitely the fact that he's young and that energy helps a lot. He's a very disciplined drummer — he's been playing since he was seven. And he's been doing a lot of things by himself and playing with different people, and that's really, really impressive. He had a lot of things put together before we even met him; he's already done so much. And I think with us, a combination us together, it's a great learning process for him to grow and at the same time, we're learning a lot from him, so we can do this together. And this is something extremely important when you're doing a band that's been together for so long, to have this connection. And we felt this connection with him immediately. And we could tell that he was very focused and very committed to doing extremely good music."

Dolabella left SEPULTURA after a five-year run of relentless touring and two studio albums. He joined SEPULTURA in 2006 following the departure of the band's original drummer, Igor Cavalera.

SEPULTURA has spent most of the past year and half on tour in support of its 12th studio album, and Nuclear Blast Records debut, "Kairos", which hit stores in July 2011.

If you wanna rock hard, you need the right beer.

AC/DC, the infamous hard rock legends from Down Under, have been delivering true rock for the last 40 years. Now they give their name for true, pint-sized Australian taste as well.

"AC/DC Premium Lager Beer" is 568mL of true German Premium Lager with mouthwatering 5.0% alc.

This lager fires up your tongue like TNT, comes with a great beer-loving taste and is brewed in accordance with the rock 'n' roll manifesto of 1973 and the German purity law of 1516.

Other bands who have released signature brands of alcohol include KISS, MOTÖRHEAD, WHITESNAKE and WARRANT.

For more information, visit ACDC-Beer.com.

AC/DC last year expanded the availability of their range of wines following their official release in 2011 in Australia. AC/DC The Wine has become a huge hit with fans while also achieving critical acclaim.

San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT have released the following statement:

"To all our friends in China and Taiwan:

"It is with regret that we must inform you of the cancellation of our performances in Shanghai and Taipei until further notice due to visa issues beyond the control of the band or promoter. Fans in the Asian Pacific region are encouraged to come visit us at our shows in Japan. As we had a terrific experience performing in China and Taiwan in 2007, we eagerly await the resolution of the visa issues and hope to visit again very soon.

"Thanks for your understanding and your undying support."

TESTAMENT's February 15 concert at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, New York as part of "The Dark Roots Of Thrash" tour was professionally filmed for a 90-minute DVD, to be released later this year via Nuclear Blast.

"We haven't shot a live DVD or CD since our 'Live In London' release and we've had two killer albums since then," commented Chuck Billy. "We thought it would be cool to put out a live DVD/CD focusing on the last three records ('The Gathering', 'The Formation Of Damnation' and 'Dark Roots Of Earth') mixed in with a good amount of classics, too. Last time we recorded anything live in America was for 'Live At The Fillmore' on the West Coast. This time we thought we'd give the East Coast a chance to show the world how crazy and loud they can be."

TESTAMENT's new album, "Dark Roots Of Earth", sold more than 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No, 12 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on July 31, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records.

"Dark Roots Of Earth" was produced, mixed and mastered by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE, ACCEPT, EXODUS). Special bonus tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS, TED NUGENT, NIGHT RANGER) at his Trident Studios. The cover artwork for the effort (see below) was painted by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS and GWAR, among others.