Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM are hard at work at an undisclosed location in Helsinki recording ten new tracks which will comprise the band's eighth album.

"It's a nice change to the regular method where we lock ourselves up at a studio in the middle of the woods, usually also during the darkest time of the year," CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho tells Soundi magazine. "However, we did track drums at the tried-and-tested Petrax studio in Hollola this time as well, so we got our fix of that modus operandi too. But for the guitar and bass, we don't require a big facility in the countryside, so we decided to stay closer to home for this part of the session."

Laiho is finishing up the lyrics for the songs so that they are ready when phase 3 kicks in at the beginning of February. Swedish producer Peter Tägtgren (PAIN, HYPOCRISY) will then travel over for a period of ten days to oversee the keyboard and vocal recordings.

"It will be great to have Peter come over for a good stretch this time so we can really concentrate on the vocals," Alexi says. "At the moment, I'm done with the lyrics for two tracks: 'All Twisted' and 'Slowdance On Nails'. So far all the other tunes go by working titles such as 'Moto GP', 'FC Pettymys', 'Kananmuisti-ilmiö' and 'Trondheim'."

In in-depth interview with Soundi last September, CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist Roope Latvala expressed interest in taking a more prominent role in the arranging of the band material.

"In my opinion many guitar parts could be made more interesting and balanced with just minor tweaks," Roope said, perhaps inspired by his recent work with Finn composer Anssi Tikanmäki's national anthem album project.

Has this comment led to Alexi giving the former STONE axeman more leeway and responsibility in the fine-tuning of the songwriting process?

"Now that you mention it, Roope did voice his opinions more than usual this time around," Alexi says. "And maybe the others, too. As far as the actual question goes, the usual rule applies: all good ideas are taken into consideration."

The new CHILDREN OF BODOM album may also feature a special guest appearance, as Alexi reveals exclusively to Soundi, where he was once again named "Musician Of The Year" in the annual readers' poll.

"I played on ANNIHILATOR's album 'Metal' in 2007, so the way I see it, [ANNIHILATOR mainman] Jeff Waters owes BODOM a solo or two! It's payback time."

And finally, CHILDREN OF BODOM wouldn't be CHILDREN OF BODOM without some new off-the-wall cover tracks recorded during the sessions for later use as bonus tracks for the as-of-yet untitled disc, due out before the summer.

"We will be doing our versions of songs by BANANARAMA and ROXETTE, and a track chosen for us by the readers of the Japanese magazine Burrn!" Alexi says.

Professionally filmed video footage of NIGHTWISH performing the song "Ghost Love Score" on December 14, 2012 at Teatro de Flores in Buenos Aires, Argentina can be seen below.

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen told Finland's MTV.fi in November that he was pleased with the addition of singer Floor Jansen to the group and that she was only getting better with each performance.

"We have done 13 shows with her [so far] and every concert has been better than the last," he said. "We are taking it day by day as much as we can. The vibe in the band is marvellous. We are enjoying every moment."

Holopainen has known Jansen, who is Dutch, for more than 10 years already, having previously toured with her former band, AFTER FOREVER.

"We are very much on the same wavelength and we have a similar sense of humor," Holopainen said of his new bandmate.

Stepping into NIGHTWISH was made easier for Jansen by the fact that she has extensive experience in both classical and rock music.

Following AFTER FOREVER's split, Jansen launched a brand new project called REVAMP, which has thus far released one album and recently entered the studio to record a follow-up effort.

"We have been in the same circles since the late '90s," says Tuomas. "She has toured a lot and has spent a lot of time recording and performing this genre of music. So it was easier for her to come into the band."

Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of the past five years, Anette Olzon.

"[Floor is] a vocal coach herself, so she's very professional," said Tuomas. "The fact that she had about 40 hours to learn 15 songs is quite revealing. She practically learned our tour set on the flight from Amsterdam to Seattle. We're talking about a high-level professional and her attitude is fabulous as well. It can be seen in her stage presence. She clearly enjoys what she does."

Asked about the reasons for Olzon's sudden exit from the group, Tuomas told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine: "I'm sure it came as a shock to everybody. We came out with a statement [regarding the split], which pretty much says it all. It still is a private matter, and that's all we wanna say about it, like, ever. It was an amicable divorce, so to say, and made in good spirit, and we are just looking to the future. There really is no reason to go back into all the details and all that. I mean, this is not politics, this is a rock band."

Regarding whether there is a chance that Floor will become the official new NIGHTWISH lead singer, Tuomas said: "The way that we have decided is that we're gonna continue with her until the end of the festival season in 2013 — just have fun, just do the shows the best we can. I mean, the atmosphere in the band is so good at the moment, [we want to] just enjoy this what we have right now. They try not to think about NIGHTWISH at all for a few months. Everybody take a little vacation. And we already have the rehearsal place for the next album booked in 2014 — from July to September. So that's how far we have planned. But when we do the last festival show next August, after that, it's gonna be total nothing for a few months. So I would say everything is possible, but that's really not the thing that we want to be thinking about right now, because there's absolutely no reason to."

"Why Should We Say Goodbye?", a brand new song from the Brazilian female-fronted progressive power metal band VANDROYA, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the group's debut album, "One", which was released on January 18 via Inner Wound Recordings. The Japanese edition of the album wasmade available on December 19 through Spiritual Beast and the Brazilian edition will follow on February 4 via Voice Music. The CD artwork was created by Felipe Machado Franco (BLIND GUARDIAN, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, ICED EARTH) and can be seen below.

VANDROYA is one of the best-kept secrets from Brazil, led by the fantastic vocalist Daísa Munhoz (SOULSPELL). According to a press release, the band "should be a perfect fit for fans of KAMELOT, SYMPHONY X, ANGRA and SONATA ARCTICA."

"One" track listing:

01. All Becomes One
02. The Last Free Land
03. No Oblivion For Eternity
04. Within Shadows
05. Anthem (For The Sun)
06. Why Should We Say Goodbye?
07. Change The Tide
08. When Heaven Decides To Call
09. This World Of Yours
10. Solar Night

The song "The Last Free Land" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

"One" can be pre-ordered at the Inner Wound store.

VANDROYA is:

Daísa Munhoz (vocals)
Marco Lambert (guitar)
Rodolfo Pagotto (guitar)
Giovanni Perlati (bass)
Otávio Nuñez (drums)

America's premier destination rock festival Rock On The Range — which has expanded to three days this year — will hit hard with performances from some of rock's biggest names. The 2013 lineup features:

SOUNDGARDEN
ALICE IN CHAINS
SMASHING PUMPKINS
KORN
BUSH
STONE SOUR
THREE DAYS GRACE
PAPA ROACH
CHEAP TRICK
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
VOLBEAT
LAMB OF GOD
SKILLET
A DAY TO REMEMBER
BUCKCHERRY
HALESTORM
HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD
ALL THAT REMAINS
DEVICE
STEEL PANTHER
SEVENDUST
SICK PUPPIES
ASKING ALEXANDRIA
POP EVIL
IN FLAMES
CLUTCH
IN THIS MOMENT
BLACK VEIL BRIDES
THE SWORD
GHOST
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE
RED
DEUCE
MIDDLE CLASS RUT
BIG WRECK
OLEANDER
OTHERWISE
RED LINE CHEMISTRY
YOUNG GUNS
THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH
MINDSET EVOLUTION
TRACER
BEWARE OF DARKNESS
HEAVEN'S BASEMENT
AMERICAN FANGS
LOVE AND DEATH
GEMINI SYNDROME

"We're really looking forward to returning to Rock On The Range with a batch of brand new killer ALICE tunes to play for everyone!" says Jerry Cantrell, ALICE IN CHAINS.

"Head is back!!," says KORN's Jonathan Davis. "Rock On The Range is going to start it all off!! Get ready, we are going to hit it hard!!"

"BUSH are thrilled to be playing Rock On The Range with such great bands," says BUSH's Gavin Rosdale. "We look forward to seeing you all out there."

"This massive lineup has scratched our seven-year itch!" says Gary Spivack, co-executive producer of the event for Right Arm Entertainment. "Getting SOUNDGARDEN for their first Ohio play in two decades and having seminal acts ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, VOLBEAT and PAPA ROACH return along with bands new to Rock On The Range that include SMASHING PUMPKINS and BUSH, and everything in between — the spectrum of rock n roll is covered…three days of constant energy. Rock On The Range is truly where rock lives."

Now in its seventh year, Rock On The Range will again take place at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, May 17, Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19, 2013. With the addition of a full slate of artists performing on Friday, festival organizers are also adding a series of additional enhancements for Rock On The Range 2013, including the new Rock On The Range Comedy Tent.

"Our goal with Rock On The Range is to constantly create new and interesting ways to expand the event and give even more value to our fans," comments Joe Litvag, co-executive producer of the event for AEG Live. "In 2013, we've added a comedy tent within the site that will be curated by The Funny Bone comedy club. Having a slate of incredible, up-and-coming comedians to riff on the rock experience will be a great change of pace for the weekend. The site layout is also changing dramatically in 2013 to create better event flow, to add more interactive fan activity to the festival, and to allow even more people to experience the higher caliber of talent on the second stage this year."

As a special limited offer, pre-sale weekend tickets startat a low price of $89.50 (plus fees), for Stadium GA tickets only, from Wednesday, January 30 through Thursday, January 31 at 10 p.m. EST. Additionally, a limited number of Stadium GA "4-ticket packs" are also available for $299 — a savings of nearly 25% — beginning on Wednesday, January 30, while supplies last.

Pre-sale tickets are available at RockOnTheRange.com. Tickets go on-sale to the general public Friday, February 1 at 10 a.m. ET. Rock On The Range is again offering premiere VIP Packages, Hotel and Ticket Bundles and Camping packages.

"Rock On The Range strives to deliver an outstanding lineup for an affordable price and this year is no different," said Ryan Smith, General Manager of Crew Stadium, co-executive producer of Rock On The Range. "With the creation of the special $89 pre-sale ticket and 4-pack bundle, rock fans can see over 40 of their favorite bands for an unprecedented value."

Presented by Right Arm Entertainment, AEG LIVE and Crew Stadium, Rock On The Range is a multi-stage music and lifestyle event featuring a potent lineup of bands on three stages and is proud to be sponsored by Monster Energy, Jägermeister, f.y.e. and U.S. Army. The nationally renowned festival, centrally located in the heart of the country, has annually drawn weekend crowds in excess of 70,000 since its inception in 2007.

Canada's black/death destroyers WEAPON have unleashed a brand new music video for the title track from their Relapse Records debut, "Embers And Revelations". Check it out below.

Vetis Monarch, leader of the horde, commented on the concept and making of the clip: "This is the first official, professionally done WEAPON music video.

"Choosing one song off 'Embers And Revelations' was tough, but we finally decided on the title track of the album because it represents WEAPON in 2013 so aptly: violent, mystical, cathartic. The video was filmed/edited by Dan Wilberg and his cohorts (who also filmed the entire making-the-album series of 'Embers And Revelations'); suffice to say, the experience was quite different for us, being in front of a bunch of cameras and such... very different from a live concert setting.

"The underlying theme of the video is that of rebirth, which is in essence the underlying theme of the new album, and WEAPON itself. We also hint at some Aghori-esque elements, and we have expanded on my appreciation of daemonic principles of the female form. This video is truly a great visualization of the ideology within our music."

WEAPON's third full-length album, "Embers And Revelations", was released in October. The CD was recorded with producer Terry Paholek at The Physics Lab in their hometown of Edmonton, Canada.

French "tortured entity" CHAOS ECHŒS, which was formed out of the ashes of the cult death metal act BLOODY SIGN, has inked a deal with Debemur Morti Productions.

Debemur Morti will unleash a vinyl version of CHAOS ECHŒS' debut, the highly-regarded "Tone Of Things To Come", in the coming weeks. In the meanwhile, you can listen to the song "The Innermost Depths Of Knowledge" on the band's Bandcamp page and buy the CD version here.

According to a press release, CHAOS ECHŒS was forned "with the intent to transport their dark death metal to a black hole of improvisations, psychedelia and trance. Another distinctive feature is their will to extract the material out of its formal and acoustic envelope to generate a hybrid vitality. Thus, from the CHAOS ECHŒS entity, various shapes can emanate: solo, duo, art installation…"

CHAOS ECHŒS is:

Kalevi Uibo - Guitar, Effects, Vocals
Ilmar Uibo - Drums, Vocals
Etienne Testart - Guitar, Effects, Vocals
Stefan Thanneur - Bass, Effects, Vocals

Hi there,

…first a late, but still fresh, Happy New Year to everyone. After getting rid of some bonus pounds gained over the last few months due to live abstinence we are now getting ready for a very busy and exciting year of creativity and efficiency. Wishful thinking, you think? Blasphemy, I would reply! As most of you may have recognized, we have been busy all during 2012 with some additional touring activity and some extra missions, such as the completion of A Traveler’s Guide to Space and Time, which is a great legacy. It features all of our material from the Virgin era in a new and accurate framework, beautifully designed by Felipe Machado. The whole box offers a great insight about that particular part of our career. Even though it took us more time than expected, we are really pleased with the final result. It’s something we are really proud of and something which you hopefully are going to enjoy as much as we do. I just got my sample yesterday, and am really blown away.

This, of course, has not been the only thing we were doing during the last year. For the sake of fun and leisure we were working on new stuff and progressed far quicker than we would have expected. Not that this means a lot in the generous production time frame of Blind Guardian. But it might secure a late 2014 release for at least one BG album. As you may have read in interviews we are intending to bring a long story to a well deserved and hopefully happy end. As already announced with A Twist in the Myth and also with At the Edge of Time, apart from a regular album there finally will also be the release of the orchestral album. Why am I so sure about not being wrong again this time? I have no idea. Nothing new here, one could say.

The difference might be that throughout the last 18 months we have recorded 7 songs in Prague. There probably is a handful of additional songs to record during this year, but they are also already finalized with regard to composition. In theory we do not need any further songs for this album but ideas simply seem to flow endlessly… The reason why this album is still far from being released is partly based on the regular album, which we definitely would like to release first. At this point in time I am in a very tricky situation. How to continue from here? I think it is probably easiest to simply continue by telling you something about the regular album since this would be next anyway. Keep in mind that “next” is relative!

Well, we have started working on four songs and already were able to finish two songs musically. The working titles are “Encrypted Time” (I think this title is inspired by André’s passion for World of Warcraft or so – I can only guess…) and “The Ocean” (here, André has been inspired by my undefined mumbling in the song). “Encrypted Time” is a modern speed metal song with some tribal aspects and some 70′s inspirations, while “The Ocean” is a very progressive (this time I talk about ELP meets Savatage art rock when I say progressive) orchestra dominated song which will give you a further glimpse of what to expect from the orchestral album. I am clueless about the right story board for “Encrypted Time” but “The Ocean” could be used as a theme opener for the orchestral project. We will see… The other four songs seem to turn out very special and obviously very different. Working titles: “The Irish Hill”, “Prophecies”, “Soundtrack 2″ and “Midtempo Song”. I cannot tell you exactly about how many times we have had a song over the years which was first called “Midtempo Song”. I am pretty sure we are not the only band abusing this spectacular title over and over again. Thank God, the title is not copyright protected, yet. We would be in trouble then. Maybe it is and that’s the reason why it barely ever ended up as a title on the album.

Out of those tracks “Prophecies” is the one which is developed the most. It is almost straight forward, has a very strong pre and main chorus and offers some “Queensrÿchish” prog (this time I do mean Queensrÿche when I say prog) elements in combination with some Blind Guardian fantasy metal. A nice one. I’ll keep it short from here: “Irish Hills” might be a surprise with some Irish melodies, which none would expect in a song with such a name… “Midtempo Song” is a great song of misunderstandings and technical failures, the result so far is a little surprising to everyone involved and has nothing to do at all with a song entitled “Midtempo Song”. I enjoy this one a lot, because I cannot remember us doing something like this. The song is still in a very early phase and André has kept it hidden from me for a while now. “Soundtrack 2″ has been the first song fragment for the new album. We had put that aside for a while, but it contains some very heavy elements, almost thrash metal like. Let’s see how this is going to end up. You see, there is a lot in the pipeline already. But there certainly will be more new stuff during the year. Even though we have already started to record some drums for the album at the end of the last year, the whole thing is going to keep us busy until the spring/summer of 2014 for sure.

Going to Prague to see how the orchestra songs come alive is a very special and intense moment for us. Thanks to “Sacred Worlds” and “Wheel of Time” I can say that we have learnt a lot about scoring, recording and mixing when it comes to such music. You will notice a great improvement when you listen to the final result of this adventurous trip we have started so long ago. Last week some of us went there again to record “The Ocean” , a pure orchestral song called “Misty Mountain” and some more stuff. We once again had to realize how ambitious this whole project is and how time demanding! Luckily, everyone who is involved has understood, that there will be no compromises. We would never accept “second best” or “we fix it in the mix” here. This means that even though we can see the end of the road here, it still is a long and winding one and will demand our full concentration for the next 12 to 18 months. Charlie (Bauerfiend) and I already did some demo recordings for four of the earlier recorded orchestra songs sometime last year. We all consider this session and its result a very promising experience. Now I am ready to start proper album recordings for this one. I will do my best to finish most of the vocals during the year. This seems a very ambitious goal but is not impossible. I say that in the first days of January… Apart from the music and the concept we will also work on some additional surprises. Keep yourself prepared. One thing is for sure there will be nothing comparable to this on the market. It’s not a typical soundtrack, a typical musical, nor it is a rock opera. It is typical Blind Guardian – more or less without band. At that point, I would say this is going to stay unique until we will release part 2. The good thing: we already have some material for it and another 15-17 years before it has to be released. Chinese Democracy was yesterday.

Cheers,

Hansi

HOPE FOR THE DYING have the first single from their upcoming new album, Aletheia, due out March 19 via Facedown Records. Check out a lyric video for 'In Isolation' below:
According to a press release, "Hope For The Dying are back with over an hour of epic metal inspired by both American and European metal bands, past and present. The skill level and technicality combined with the orchestral heaviness of this new album is sure to bring many new fans to Hope For The Dying as well as completely satisfy their existing fanbase."
More details will be revealed soon.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, former THREE DAYS GRACE singer Adam Gontier has spoken out about his reasons for leaving the band he co-founded after 20 years together. The original announcement by the band and his follow-up statement seemed to have conflicting views regarding Gontier's health and his motivations, so The Pulse Of Radio asked him why he made this move now. "For me, I think the thing that broke the camel's back was, I had enough of the money coming before the music," he said. "It's not perfect timing, but it had to be done, you know. For the sake of my own mental health and well-being, I had to do it."

Gontier elaborated on what went wrong for him after playing in THREE DAYS GRACE for two decades. "You know, the music really wasn't coming from the heart," he said. "I can say that on the record 'Transit Of Venus', there's maybe one or two songs that actually do come from my heart, but a lot of songs have been written just for radio and for fans, you know, to relate to. Quite a bit of it just adds up to the fakeness of the whole industry and how you're writing hits for other people and not yourself — and that's really what the band was, has been all about."

THREE DAYS GRACE announced Gontier's departure from the group earlier this week, although he officially resigned on December 21.

The band claims that he told them he was leaving through a letter from his lawyer, with no personal discussion or contact between Gontier and his bandmates.

THREE DAYS GRACE will appear as planned on a co-headlining tour with SHINEDOWN that starts on February 1, with Matt Walst of MY DARKEST DAYS filling in on vocals. The group will announce its future plans after the tour.

The tour is in support of the band's fourth album, "Transit Of Venus", which includes the No. 1 rock radio hit "Chalk Outline".

Gontier played a benefit show in New York City on Thursday night (January 17) and plans to begin work on a solo album in the near future.

Pictured below: THREE DAYS GRACE

Max Lilja (HEVEIN, TARJA TURUNEN, ex-APOCALYPTICA) will release his solo album, "Plays Electronica By One Cello", in February.

The track listing for the CD — which showcases Max's talents as a songwriter and a master of electrified cello — is as follows:

01. I Sound My Sound
02. In SoS
03. Like This
04. Qualified
05. A State Of Mind
06. Count Phase
07. It Is In
08. You Me
09. Now
10. The End

Max was a founding member of APOCALYPTICA, and has been recording and touring with former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen since 2007. In his career, Max has played hundreds of concerts in over fifty countries.

For more information, visit www.maxthecello.com.

New York progressive rockers COHEED AND CAMBRIA performed the song "Dark Side Of Me" live on last night's (Monday, January 21) episode of Conan O'Brien's nighttime talk show on TBS, "Conan". You can now watch video footage of their appearance below.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA's latest album, "The Afterman: Ascension", sold 49,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 5 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"The Afterman" is being released in two separate full-length volumes. The first volume, "The Afterman: Ascension", was made available on both physical and digital platforms in the U.S. on October 9, 2012 via Hundred Handed/Everything Evil, and distributed through Fontana/Ingrooves (available in Canada via Universal Music Canada). The second volume, "The Afterman: Descension", is due in February.

A deluxe version of "The Afterman" includes a hardcover coffee-table book with expansive art by Heidi Taillefer and Nathan Spoor with collaborative written work from singer/creator Claudio Sanchez and writer Peter David that creates a song-by-song experience.

The two records follow-up to 2010's "Year Of The Black Rainbow", and feature new bassist Zach Cooper and returning drummer Josh Eppard, who have replaced Michael Todd and Chris Pennie, respectively.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA frontman Claudio Sanchez said of the album: "This is, without a doubt, the most honest record I've ever written. Though all the songs can be interpreted through our main character in the story, they were initially written in a very spontaneous manner. In the past, I've always had a predetermined idea of what the story was going to be when I approached the songs. With 'The Afterman' being a new story within 'The Amory Wars' arc, I allowed the events of my life to drive the concept, and therefore opened up the songwriting to a fuller degree."

ANTHRAX recently tapped SHADOWS FALL's Jon Donais to play second guitar on all currently scheduled tour dates following the departure of Rob Caggiano. Donais will temporarily fill in for ANTHRAX's upcoming shows in India, the series of Soundwave festival dates in Australia, and the North American Metal Alliance Tour.

Caggiano announced his departure from ANTHRAX on January 4 to focus on his other passion: producing records.

Asked if Caggiano's departure was a surprise, Ian told MTV Hive: "We didn't know he was planning on leaving while we were tracking [the new covers EP, 'Anthems']. He was literally finishing solos in Berlin on the last days of the tour. It wasn't until after the tour ended and we started having conversations, and just to put it in a nutshell, he just needs to do his own thing at this point in time. We knew he had a record that he was going to be doing possibly [referring to the new VOLBEAT album, which Caggiano is co-producing. — Ed.]. We had already told him, if you need to take a hiatus, that's fine. The best thing I can say is that he's on a mission to do his own thing at this point. And I'm certainly not going to stand in his way."

Regarding how ANTHRAX ended up picking Donais to fill in for the upcoming tour, Ian said: "It was actually Rob. He had already spoken to Jon and had kind of filled him in about what his plan was. He didn't want to leave us hanging. As much as it sucks, this whole thing has been friendly. I may think Rob has made a mistake by leaving the band, but at the same time he's my friend and I back his decision all the way in whatever he needs to do. He feels the same about us. We all know Jon. I've actually worked with him before on [comedian] Brian Posehn's record. We all know he's a great lead guitar player. And Jon said absolutely he wanted to do it."

Ian also revealed that ANTHRAX has started compiling ideas for the follow-up to 2011's "Worship Music", which recently passed the 100,000 sales mark in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"We did demo a song while we were over in Germany," Ian said. "We thought might get used in this TV show. So that kind of gave us the kick in the ass to start working. We also had a song that we never finished for 'Worship Music', because it just needed some rewriting. At the time, we were happy with the album and didn't think it was missing anything, but then we started reworking this track on the tour in Europe and we finished it. I'd say it's about 90 percent now. Once that one gets finished, I can say we started writing. I'm pretty sure this song will be on the next record. And I know Charlie's [Benante, drums] got a pretty good vault of ideas built up from over the last year, and I certainly have ideas. It's just a case of getting together at some point in 2013. We're not doing much touring this year. By August, we're done and the rest of the year we're off, so we'll be in writing mode and hopefully in recording mode by the end of the year."

Swedish singer Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE, KAMELOT) has recorded a song with former STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki for an as-yet-undisclosed project. Ryd is on her way to Gothenburg to film a video for the track, which she says "sounds great."

Tolkki recently opened a new mixing and mastering studio, Studiotolkki, in Helsinki, Finland.

The guitarist last year made his "Loneliness Of A Thousand Years" book available for free download at this location.

Tolkki drew up and signed an official waiver on May 20, 2008 giving up all rights to the STRATOVARIUS name. The remaining STRATOVARIUS members — Timo Kotipelto (vocals), Jens Johansson (keyboards) and Lauri Porra (bass) — have since recorded and released three additional STRATOVARIUS albums with guitarist Matias Kupiainen.

AMARANTHE entered the studio last September to begin recording its sophomore album for an early 2013 release. The follow-up to 2011's "Amaranthe" was once again recorded at Hansen studios in Ribe, Denmark with producer Jacob Hansen.

HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale is one of many guests appearing on the self-titled debut album from DEVICE, the new industrial rock act led by DISTURBED frontman David Draiman. Draiman, who duets with Hale on a cover of the Ozzy Osbourne/Lita Ford song "Close My Eyes Forever", told Revolver: "For years I'd wanted to re-do 'Close My Eyes Forever' by Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne. I always thought it was a fantastic idea and needed the right combination of elements and events and needed to have the right woman to play the role of Lita in this song, and Lzzy Hale, in my opinion, is the strongest, most distinctive voice, female voice in rock today. I think that she's just as good as it gets."

Lzzy told The Pulse Of Radio how she felt about being asked to sing. "I'm humbled," she said. "My brother [HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale] was freaking out because my brother and I have been huge DISTURBED fans since [their 2000 debut] 'The Sickness' came out, you know. So this is a huge moment for him and I, like, 'Oh my god, I can't believe this is actually happening.' Got a little fangirl for a second."

In addition to Hale, the lineup of guests on the DEVICE disc includes AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows, SYSTEM OF A DOWN vocalist Serj Tankian, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler and ex-DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes.

The set is due out on April 9, with a first single called "Vilify" slated to arrive at radio stations in mid-February.

Lenardo will not be part of the DEVICE touring band due to previous commitments.

Other members of the live lineup include EVANESCENCE drummer Will Hunt and DOPE guitarist Virus.

In a recent video interview with Artisan News Service, Draiman spoke about how DEVICE came together. "I was first approached by Geno Lenardo, who was working on a number of tracks for the 'Underworld' soundtrack for the last 'Underworld' film that came out… and he asked me if I would be interested in being a part of one of the tracks and I asked him to send me the music that he had in mind and I was able to make a really compelling and powerful song," he said. "[I] found that working with him as a songwriting partner was very easy and fluid. He's a very strong songwriter in his own right."

"Mindfuck", the new video from German metallers EMERGENCY GATE, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's fifth album, "You", which will be released on the following dates:

Jan. 28 - France, UK (via ZYX Music)
Jan. 25 – Rest Of Europe (via ZYX Music)
Feb. 01 - South America (via Icarus Music)
Mar. 06 - Japan (via Rubicon)

A video teaser for "You", featuring commentary from Mille Petrozza (KREATOR), Chris Bay (FREEDOM CALL) and Stefano Fiori (GRAVEWORM), can be seen below.

"You" track listing:

01. Mindfuck
02. Force United
03. Moshpit
04. Feeling Inside
05. Liar's Truth
06. Breathless
07. Revolution
08. You
09. Lean On Words
10. Regret
11. Back From The Grave
12. Say Goodbye
13. Dark Passenger (limited edition only)
14. Dead Down Below (limited edition only)
15. Contest The Fight (limited edition only)

EMERGENCY GATE's "Remembrance - The Early Days" EP was released on December 9, 2011 through Twilight Zone Records.

EMERGENCY GATE is:

Matthias Kupka - Vocals
Vlad Doose - Guitars
Udo Simon - Guitars
Mario Lochert - Bass
Daniel Schmidle - Synths
Chris Widmann – Drums

Tampa, Florida's THE ABSENCE has announced the addition of guitarist Per Nilsson (SCAR SYMMETRY) to the group's ranks. The band has entered the studio with guitarist-turned-producer James Murphy (TESTAMENT, DEATH, OBITUARY) to begin recording a new EP and will release a single from these sessions soon.

Commented Per: "Six years ago, [THE ABSENCE] guys asked me to do a guest solo for the 'Riders' album and we've been friends ever since. I've followed their career as a fan and when they reached out asking me to join the band, it was a no-brainer.

"I am super excited to be a part of THE ABSENCE family. We've been jamming out some new tunes and I feel like we've got some killer stuff in the works for ya! Between Patrick and me, there's gonna be some INSANE guitar-shreddin' on the new tunes!"

THE ABSENCE 2013 is:

Jamie Stewart: Vocals
Patrick Pintavalle: Guitar
Per Nilsson: Guitar
Jeramie Kling: Drums
Mike Leon: Bass

THE ABSENCE's third album, "Enemy Unbound", sold around 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 55 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.

"Enemy Unbound" was released on September 14, 2010 via Metal Blade Records. The CD was once again recorded at the Erik Rutan-owned Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida in November 2009, with Brian Elliott engineering and Peter Joseph and Patrick Pintavalle producing. Going along with the saying "If it's not broke, don't fix it," the band tapped Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY, CARNAL FORGE) of Black Lounge Studios in Sweden to handle both mixing and mastering on "Enemy Unbound". Guest musicians on the CD include Tom Englund of EVERGREY and Andy Wood.

As a founding member of both MANOWAR and the DICTATORS, guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman needs no introduction. But it's been a while since the metal masses heard from Ross, leading some to wonder if or when he would return. The wait is now over, as his newly formed outfit, DEATH DEALER, is ready to rock and take the world by storm, with their debut album, "Warmaster".

"The DEATH DEALER sound is a mighty combination of five very talented, seasoned musicians," explains Ross. "It's classic power metal with the brutal edge of thrash, speed, and precision." And when he says the band is comprised of talented and seasoned musicians, he's not kidding, as DEATH DEALER also includes vocalist Sean Peck (CAGE), guitarist Stu Marshall (producer and guitarist for such voices as Udo Dirkschneider and Steve Grimmett), bassist Mike Davis (HALFORD, LIZZY BORDEN), and drummer Kenny "Rhino" Earl (MANOWAR).

Formed last year via correspondence over the Internet, as soon as work commenced on the material, Ross knew he had met his metallic match. "Well, after they sent the first tune over, I was blown away, then Stu and Sean tell me they want me to join this band, called DEATH DEALER. I say, 'Who else is in the band? They say, 'Rhino on drums.' I'm in! Stu goes, 'It was either you or we would have asked KK Downing to be on guitar.' Wow!"

As evidenced by such tunes as "Death Dealer", "Never to Kneel" and "The Devil's Mile", for fans of authentic, no-holds-barred, manly heavy metal, "Warmaster" is an absolute godsend. And soon, DEATH DEALER will be converting metalheads worldwide to their cause. "Our future plans? Obviously to put DEATH DEALER on the worldwide metal map, and to engage large crowds and render them shocked and satisfied," says Ross.

For more information, visit www.deathdealer.co.

"Empty Desire", the new video from Christian metallers RIVERA BOMMA, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's third album, "Infinite Journey Of Soul", which will be released on January 22 via Retroactive Records.

Having two metal releases on several overseas labels, RIVERA BOMMA storm the U.S. with their first new effort in seven years. Featuring a stunning collection of musicians, the band features Johnny Bomma (ex-HADES) delivering vocal chops with grit, elegance, and swagger. Rivera began studying classical guitar and flamenco before discovering the likes of Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker and Yngwie Malmsteen — incorporating all of those influences in his axe-ellent guitar work. Also playing on the new album is talented drummer Ed Faust, and on bass you will hear the thundering tones of none other than Mike LePond of progressive metal giants SYMPHONY X!

With two strong albums in RIVERA BOMMA's back catalog, fans always wondered what the band could produce if all the right pieces to the puzzle came together… The band offers a definitive answer with the release of "Infinite Journey Of Soul" on the U.S.-based Christian label, Retroactive Records.

"Infinite Journey Of Soul" track listing:

01. I.J.O.S. (intro)
02. Infinite Journey Of Soul
03. Empty Desire
04. In Blood
05. Via Dolorosa
06. Angel And Demons
07. Horizon's End
08. In My Dreams
09. The Maker
10. Before The End - MMXIII (solo)

On December 10, 2012, Jason Saulnier of the MusicLegends.ca web site conducted an interview with Danish producer Flemming Rasmussen (METALLICA, RAINBOW, BLIND GUARDIAN, MORBID ANGEL, EVILE). You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

In a 2011 interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Rasmussen stated about how he initially became involved with METALLICA: "I worked on an album with Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, 'Difficult To Cure'. METALLICA had their first record out, 'Kill 'Em All'. They wanted to try out something different and record in Europe. The dollar at that time was so strong that they thought they could spend more time in a studio based in Europe than they could do in the U.S. They decided to call me up, to ask if I was interested. I did not know them at all; I did not know who they were at that time."

Asked about the early studio sessions with METALLICA, Rasmussen said: "In our studio sessions, we worked pretty hard, at the same time having some really magical and inspiring moment. For example, songs like 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' were fully composed at the Sweet Silence Studio. 'Master Of Puppets' was totally composed when they came into the studio. They used to produce really good demos before going into the recording sessions. I really appreciated that. Their first idea was to start in the States looking for a pro studio, but then they decided to continue at Sweet Silence again. On that record everything flowed easily. 'Master' took about four months to be finished, 'Ride The Lightning' two months. For '…And Justice For All' we recorded four months in a row, with no days off! Its production was a bit more hard as compared to the others. Cliff Burton [METALLICA bassist] had already died, and the situation was a bit strange at that time."

General Gribbsphiiser, founder of Norwegian black metallers SLAGMAUR, is offering up the artwork to the band's new six-track full-length album, which the band has been working on for three years. Titled Thill Smitts Terror, the album is expected to be completed in the spring for release later this year.

Says the band, "Each picture that are connected to the release of Thill Smitts Terror is limited to 20 items each picture. On their last album, Von Rov Shelter, each picture was sold with frame and was gone in few days. So if you are a collector of rare art you better hurry up!"
For more details visit Slagmaur on Facebook.

Thill Smitts Terror will continue where Von Rov Shelter left off, delving more and more deeply into the disturbing world that Slagmaur conjures up by combining modern and classical instruments with children’s nursery rhymes and fairy tales. It is a world where classically constructed melodies blend seamlessly with aggressive black metal to create a nightmare scenario straight from the pit of hell.

A pre-production version of 'Drummer Of Tedworth', a track from the album can be heard below:
Mysterious and secretive, Slagmaur was formed in the remote reaches of North Western Norway, in 2006. The band have never revealed their true identities, always appearing heavily costumed and disguised. Nor have they ever revealed how they create the sinister music that invades the listeners mind with layer upon layer of sound, revealing a different facet each time depending on the listener’s current mood.
Thill Smitts Terror sees Gribbsphiiser himself take on vocal vocal duties following the death of Steingrim and the departure of Åtselgribb. Wardr (drums, keys) has also left the band to pursue other projects, but remains an honorary member, and is replaced by Dominaus Kracker who hails from the band’s home island of Fosen, and had previously contributed to Von Rov Shelter and worked on the production side of Mare. Guest appearances by musicians from Fosen and Nidaros will also be featured.

Former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon performed two solo tracks — "Like A Show Inside My Head" and "Watching Me From Afar" — as well as a BEATLES medley at the opening gala for Sweden's Helsingborg Arena on November 30, 2012. Also appearing at the event were SOILWORK/THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA members Björn Strid and David Andersson (guitar).

Fan-filmed video footage of Olzon's performance can be seen below. Photos of the ceremony are available at this location.

Prior to the event, Anette stated: "When I was asked to perform in the opening gala, I got so happy and proud but also really sad when it clashed with mine and NIGHTWISH South American tour. Now when me and NIGHTWISH have gone separate ways, the window again opened and I am so happy to stand in the arena in front of all dear people from Helsingborg. And for the very first time I will perform my own solo songs that has never been performed before, so it is a very special evening for me in every way."

Helsingborg Arena started to be built in 2009 and is Helsingborg's new main arena for indoor sports, concerts, events, meetings and other events. The location and the arenas multi-functionality has opened for it to be a new meeting place for the cities citizens and incoming guests. The arena holds up to 5,500 people.

TONY HARNELL & THE WILDFLOWERS FEATURING BUMBLEFOOT, the band featuring former TNT singer Tony Harnell alongside GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, made its live debut this past Friday, January 18 at The Cutting Room in New York City.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below. A review is available at Hot Metal.

Since leaving TNT in 2006, Harnell has been recording hard rock, metal and acoustic rock albums and has been putting on entertaining acoustic shows to sold-out crowds in the the New York City area with his current backing group, which features guitarist Jason Hagen, Amy Harnell (vocals, percussion) and newest member, Cassandra Sotos (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, MARK WOOD), on seven-string electric violin.

Thal and Harnell met 20 years ago when Tony was forming a new band after TNT took a break in 1992, and in January 2012, Ron and Tony were reunited at the NAMM convention in Anaheim, California, where they started discussing the possibility of working together.

After Ron attended one of Tony's performances in August 2012, which Thal proclaimed was "the best acoustic show he had ever seen," Tony, being a fan of Ron's otherworldly and original fretwork, asked if he'd like to join him on the project and contribute to his EP, which was already underway. Harnell states: "In addition to Ron's superhuman and beautiful guitar playing, he also happens to have a great voice and writes amazing songs, which will greatly add to this project both live and in the studio." Thal has also been a longtime fan of Harnell's songwriting and vocal artistry, so the new coalition seems more than natural.

With the new lineup and EP on the way, the group will tour nationally and internationally as a foursome featuring Harnell, Thal, Amy Harnell and Sotos under the name TONY HARNELL & THE WILDFLOWERS FEATURING BUMBLEFOOT. Hagen will remain an integral part of songwriting and recording and will be appearing with the group for local performances. Harnell adds: "Ron's live appearances with this project will be subject to his schedule with GN'R, but he'll be with us for the live shows whenever possible."

Harnell and Thal have also been discussing other plans for a full electric band and have already started to reach out to some well-known musicians to join them.

Swindon, UK-based progressive rockers PENDRAGON return with their brand new live release, Out Of Order Comes Chaos. The album contains a show recorded in Katowice during the Polish leg of the tour promoting the band’s most recent album, Passion.

The subtle beauty of Pendragon’s music, exquisite setlist, the band’s unstoppable energy – all these things make for a one of a kind experience and nothing less than what you’ve come to expect from such neo-prog-rock titans as Pendragon! The double album is set to be released via Metal Mind Productions on March 4th in Europe and April 9th in North America (via MVD).

Out Of Order Comes Chaos tracklisting:

CD 1:

'Passion
'Back In The Spotlight'
'Ghosts'
'Not Of This World'
'Comatose'
'If I Were The Wind'
'Empathy'

CD 2:

'This Green And Pleasant Land'
'Shane'
'Feeding Frenzy'
'Last Man On Earth'
'Indigo'
'Prayer'
'Paintbox'
Pendragon have announced a few gigs around Europe. The confirmed dates are:

May
2 - The Assembly - Leamington Spa, UK
3 - The Boerderij - Zoetermeer, Holland
4 - Chez Paulette, Pagney Derriere Barine, Nr - Nancy, France
5 - Sala Polivalente - Verona, Italy
6 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
8 - Blue Note - Poznan, Poland
9 - Proxima - Warsaw, Poland
10 - Rude Boy - Bielsko Biala, Poland

More on Pendragon at this location.

Something new from Canada has made its way across the BW&BK desk. Vancouver-based OVER THE COALS have released a new video for their song 'My Worth', which is expected to appear on the band's forthcoming EP. Check it out below:
The song is currently available for purchase via Bandcamp here. For information and updates on Over The Coals go to their official Facebook page.

Over The Coals is:

Max Matthews - drums
Adam Repetowski - guitars
Susie Myers - vocals
Ryan Skuce - bass
Richard Kingston - guitars

Mexico City's metallers ACRANIA have collaborated with the promising young filmmaker Armando Salomo, and King Bong Entertainment to premier their first video clip entitled 'Treason, Politics & Death'.
The performance portion of the clip was shot on the Film Training Center in Mexico City, with state of the art video equipment and an excellent crew,

"The song is about the social conflict in Managua, so we used stock images of conflicts in Latin America, interleaved with footage of the band playing to reinforce the overall protest feel of the song," stated drummer J.C. Chávez.

'Treason, Politics & Death' comes off the band's second album, An Uncertain Collision, which was released on October 20th. The CD was recorded at Circo Volador Studios in Mexico City and was engineered and mixed by J.C. Chávez and Luis Oropeza. The album features an amazing artwork made by Berlin-based artist Eliran Kantor (ATHEIST, TESTAMENT, SODOM).

A Hero For The World - the self-titled debut album from the epic melodic metal band with the same name, to be released worldwide through Jacob K Music (Hong Kong) on March 29th on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and in Limited Edition Digipak.

The artwork was created by Jobert Mello from Brazil; the man behind the album covers of SABATON, PRIMAL FEAR, HYSTERICA and many more.

A Hero For The World tracklisting:
'We Are Forever'
'Eternal Shadows'
'Free Forever'
'Let It Go'
'Heaven's Eyes'
'Alive'
'End Of Time'
'Over Land And Sea'
'A Quest For The Brave'
'One Hope Of Light'

For audio samples visit Reverbnation.com

Jacob Kaasgaard (vocals, keyboards, composer) and David Sivelind (guitar and bass) are both originally from Sweden, but now live in the Philippines. The drums are played by virtuoso drummer Andy Gentile from Los Angeles, USA. Guest female vocals are sung by Louiebeth Aratan from the Philippines.

For more details visit Facebook.

Heavy metal band NIGHTGLOW have inked a deal with logic(il)logic Records who will release their debut album We Rise, in March. Born as cover band in 2003, Nightglow has been touring Northern Italy and Europe since 2006 as a well-known and appreciated cover band of MANOWAR; later on, the band started working on its own music and recorded We Rise, eight tracks of pure old school heavy metal.
A short video teaser by Michael Gardenia can be viewed below:



Nightglow are:

Daniele "Abba"Abate - vocals
Davide "Fantu" Fantuzzi - bass
Andrea "Moret" Moretti - guitar
Giulio "GNG" Negrini - guitar
Marco "Riskio" Romani - drums

New York, NY thrash metallers PIROSAINT have announced that they have parted ways with vocalist, Nick Scandiffio. Scandiffio joined the band in November 2012 to replace original frontman, Gonzalo Rodriguez.

Drummer Ignacio Orellana commented: "Unfortunately he was offered a better option for its future (a work offer) so he won't be available for the band's recording schedule. We are currently finishing the recordings of the instrument tracks for our new mini EP album and as a band Pirosaint has always been about moving forward no matter what obstacles present themselves and are eagerly beginning the search for a new vocalist immediately."
Musicians in Poughkeepsie, NY area who are Interested in trying out are asked to send an email to booking@pirosaint.com.

More info can be found at the band’s website.

The new single from Windsor, ON power metal group FINAL STAGE, Demons Will Fly is now available for online streaming and digital download. Demons Will Fly was recorded at Metal Works Studios in Mississuaga, ON (RUSH, TRIUMPH, KIM MITCHELL, FATES WARNING), and Spectre Sound in Windsor, ON (BETRAYER, WOODS OF YPRES, RANDY BLYTHE). The song was mixed and mastered by Glenn Fricker. This is the first song to feature new member Chris Wilbur on bass and backing vocals.

Check out the track below:
For more information visit Finalstage.ca.