German epic pagan metallers WOLFCHANT will release their new album, "Embraced By Fire", on March 1 via NoiseArt Records. According to the band, the follow-up to 2011's "Call Of The Black Winds" is "the most elaborate and detailed album in our band history so far! We've made sure to create catchy and interesting song structures and to deploy a multifarious instrumentation. Andre Hofmann of Forte Fortissimo studio supplied a very forceful and clear sound, which fits perfectly to the new songs."

"Embraced By Fire" track listing:

01. Devouring Flames
02. Embraced By Fire
03. Element
04. Turning Into Red
05. Einsame Wacht
06. Autumns Breath
07. Freier Geist
08. Winters Triumph

A seven-minute "Embraced By Fire" preview is available in the YouTube clip below.

WOLFCHANT was recently featured in the Cartoon Network's "Aqua Something You Know Whatever". Three members of the band appear in the episode called "Totem Pole" as the band TOTEM POLE performing the song "Polegasm". Check out snippets at this location.

"Aqua Something You Know Whatever" began its long run on Adult Swim under the title "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" for its first seven seasons, then was renamed "Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1" for a season before the creators decided to change the title again.

WOLFCHANT will take part in the Paganfest Europe tour alongside ALESTORM, ARKONA, EX DEO, THYRFING and BORNHOLM.

Finnish metal marauders FINNTROLL have posted a sketch of the artwork for their forthcoming album. Check it out below.

FINNTROLL's sixth CD was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki. The follow-up to 2010's "Nifelvind" will be released worldwide through Century Media Records in late March.

In regards to the new album, FINNTROLL commented on their studio blog: "Combining our trademark sound with even more influences from non- traditional genres in metal music, we have created 11 songs which show you everything we want to offer. And boy, wasn't that one of the hardest tasks for some time. After all, how do you keep your sound fresh, yet familiar, after 6 albums and 15 years?

"At some point, we were afraid that the songs are not melodic enough. Then we started to fear they became too melodic. Then we let the songs rest for a while and molded them more in a way that the non-melodic stuff got something to hum with, and the cheesy pop songs were arranged more stripped and aggressive. We were confident, yet sometimes scared what will people think of the stuff we've been doing so hard. What if they hate it? That would be fine, but if they would hate it because the material was uninspiring, boring and done-to-death, that would be a huge disappointment. So, we kept pushing and tried to keep it fresh all the time, while still having the 'this has to be FINNTROLL because no other band sounds this insane' — grinning going on."

Fan-filmed video footage of FINNTROLL performing a brand new song during their November 3, 2012 concert in Giessen, Germany as part of this year's Heidenfest tour can be seen below.

FINNTROLL in 2011 released a special tour edition of their latest album, "Nifelvind". The digipak tour edition came with new artwork by the band's guitarist, Skrymer, and an extra CD including three brand-new cover versions: "Insects" (OINGO BOINGO), "Can You Forgive Her?" (PET SHOP BOYS) and "The God That Failed" (METALLICA). The cover versions were recorded and mixed at Sonic Pump Studios between June 27, 2011 and July 4, 2011 by FINNTROLL and Nino Laurenne.

"Nifelvind" was released in North America on March 9, 2010 via Century Media Records.

San Francisco-based atmospheric death metal band FALLUJAH will enter the studio in mid-February to record new music that will be released before the group completes the writing process on its next album. Zack Ohren of Castle Ultimate Studios (DEEDS OF FLESH, ALL SHALL PERISH, SUFFOCATION) will record, mix and master the tracks.

FALLUJAH's last CD, "The Harvest Wombs", came out in November 2011 via Unique Leader Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Leper Colony" EP was recorded by Sam Pura at Panda Studios and mixed/mastered by Logan Bennet. It was described in a press release as "the apex of nearly two years of musical and ideological progression" and "the largest leap forward for a band quickly developing and refining the sound of atmospheric death metal."

Even though it's only been two months since reunited grunge legends SOUNDGARDEN released their "comeback" album, "King Animal", the band's guitarist/vocalist Chris Cornell tells Billboard.com that he is looking forward to making more music in the future.

"I don't see any reason why not," Cornell says. "I think the overall attitude about keeping it going and the way we want to treat it to keep it going is really good. There's nothing stopping us from continuing to make records and continuing to play shows, that's for sure."

"We had a good experience making ['King Animal']," he adds, "and since we've come back together everything has been kind of that way. There hasn't really been any of the tension, specifically surrounding peripheral stuff. And I think that's a simple as us making the conscious decision to not be influenced by anything other than what the four of us want to do and not putting a business version of a timeline on it. Our attitude is that we're doing this because we love it and because it matters to us and not for any other reason, and everything else kind of takes care of itself."

SOUNDGARDEN tapped FOO FIGHTERS frontman and documentary director Dave Grohl to get behind the camera on December 18 and shoot the band's new video for its song "By Crooked Steps". The track is taken from SOUNDGARDEN's first album in 16 years, "King Animal", which came out in November and sold 83,000 copies in its first week of release to debut at No. 5 on the Billboard album chart.

SOUNDGARDEN reunited in 2010 after a 13-year break, releasing a retrospective collection called "Telephantasm" and a concert album titled "Live On I-5".

The band kicked off a winter North American tour on January 18 in Washington D.C. The trek is scheduled to wrap February 17 in Los Angeles.

SYMPHONY X bassist Mike LePond will make a guest appearance on the EPYSODE "II" album from Samuel Arkan, the guitarist of the Belgian band VIRUS IV. Also scheduled to appear on the CD are Tom Englund (EVERGREY), Léo Margarit (PAIN OF SALVATION), Julien Spreutels (ETHERNITY) and Simone Mularoni (DGM, EMPYRIOS). The effort is being recorded at Noise Factory Studios with sound engineer Gerald Jans.

EPYSODE's debut album, "Obsessions", came out in August 2011 via AFM Records.

Iconic hardcore/punk band BAD BRAINS has launched its own line of hot sauce. Fire Burn Babylon is "a punky reggae party in every bottle, with a secret 77 blend" of heat and sweet "perfected by Doc and Darryl," according to a the group. It is available exclusively at BadBrains.com, along with rare, numbered and signed prints of the bottle's label, designed by Shepard Fairey.

BAD BRAINS released its new album, "Into The Future", on November 20, 2012 via Megaforce. The CD features the classic lineup of H.R. , Darryl Jenifer, Dr. Know and Earl Hudson.

American artist Shepard Fairey, a lifelong fan of BAD BRAINS, designed the cover artwork for "Into The Future".

The BAD BRAINS helped define American punk and hardcore music. Considered to be the holy grail of punk rock, they are one of the definitive American punk groups who garner the same respect as SEX PISTOLS, BLACK FLAG, RAMONES and THE CLASH.

A sneak peek of GUNS N' ROSES' "Appetite For Democracy" 3D concert film — a performance clip of the classic song "Paradise City" — can be seen below. The footage was shot before a sold-out crowd live on November 21, 2012 at the Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada during the band's highly acclaimed Vegas residency, Appetite For Democracy. Each night, the band performed an electrifying show featuring a setlist created exclusively for The Joint. Appetite For Democracy spanned the band's biggest hits from their debut album "Appetite For Destruction" (1987) through their platinum-selling record "Chinese Democracy" (2008). The concerts featured the current lineup of the band, of which singer Axl Rose is the only original member.

The setlist for GUNS N' ROSES' November 21, 2012 concert can be found below.

GUNS N' ROSES drew criticism in November from Clark County commissioners after they were told about an ad for the group's Vegas concerts which depicts what appears to be a sexually assaulted woman beneath the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign.

The image, which is said to be a watered-down version of the banned cover for the band's classic 1987 debut, "Appetite For Destruction", was being used in mainstream advertising, including newspaper promotions and taxicab placards.

The following are some of the first GUNS N' ROSES attendances/grosses at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, as reported by Billboard magazine:

* Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSES
* Show Venue:The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
* City/State: Las Vegas, Nevada
* Show Dates: Oct. 31, Nov. 2-3, 2012
* Gross Sales: $775,119
* Total Attendance: 8,387
* Capacity: 9,839
* Ticket Prices: $179.50, $129.50, $85, $45
* Promoter: Concerts West/AEG Live

* Artist/Event: GUNS N' ROSES
* Show Venue:The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
* City/State: Las Vegas, Nevada
* Show Dates: Nov. 7, 9-10, 2012
* Gross Sales: $829,220
* Total Attendance: 9,082
* Capacity: 9,908
* Ticket Prices: $179.50, $129.50, $85, $45
* Promoter: Concerts West/AEG Live

Portuguese extreme progressive metallers MALEVOLENCE have announced that 'Devoured Unlimited', the second single from their upcoming third album, Antithetical, will be available on Friday, January 25th. The artwork can be seen below:
Late last year the band released a video for the track ‘Slithering’. The video was directed by David Barros of 4TheRecords. Watch below:
‘Slithering’, written by guitarist/vocalist Carlos Cariano, is taken from the upcoming Antithetical, which will be released sometime this year.

A teaser for the new album can be seen below:
Antithetical was written and produced by Carlos Cariano, recorded by Paulo Pereira at 20m2sea Studio (Portugal), mixed and mastered at Woodshed Studio (Germany) by V. Santura (TRIPTYKON, OBSCURA, PESTILENCE).

According to a press release: “The main theme of Antithetical illustrates a razor-sharp concept inspired from Ancient Greek Etymology (1580s, from Gk. Antithetikos) that reflects the diametrical opposition to a number of propositions consisting in the revelation of a divergent thought. Pertaining to Antithetical, the Anti (against) + Thesis (position), as a figure of speech (mainly used by the authors of the Baroque period; style of the epoch known as the art of conflict) acknowledge opposition towards the relative thesis expressed.”

The album artwork can be seen below:
Antithetical tracklisting:

'Slithering'
'Cult Of The Everlasting'
'Devoured Unlimited'
'Antithetical'
'Equilibrium In Extremis'
'Exocortex Momentum'
'Mechanisms Of Destructive Behaviour'

More on Malevolence here.

Rock It Up Records has announced the European licensing of FASTER PUSSYCAT's last album The Power & The Glory Hole.
The Euro Edition, featuring one additional bonus track, will be released on City Of Lights Records (a division of Rock It Up Records) on February 22nd.
The Power & The Glory Hole tracklisting:

'Number 1 With A Bullet'
'Gotta Love It'
'Useless'
'Sex Drugs & Rock-N-Roll'
'Disintegrate'
'These Boots Were Made For Walking'
'Hey You'
'Porn Star'
'The Power & The Glory Hole'
'Shut Up & Fuck'
'Bye Bye Bianca'
'Number 1 With A Bullet' (live bonus track)
2013 band lineup:

Taime Downe - lead vocals
Xristian Simon – guitar
Danny Nordahl (ex-L.A. GUNS) – bass
Chad Stewart (ex-L.A. Guns) - drums, percussion
Ace Von Johnson – guitar

As an appetizer for their upcoming album, The Mouths Of Madness, San Francisco-based doom rockers ORCHID will release the Wizard Of War EP on 10" vinyl, February 22nd via Nuclear Blast.
The EP will contain the following tracks:
'Wizard Of War'
'Demon"s Eyes'
'Albatros'

Wizard Of War will also appear on the upcoming full-length album, The Mouths Of Madness. 'Demon's Eyes' was previously released on an underground Halloween compilation and 'Albatros' was formerly released on the band"s significant debut album, Capricorn.

Stay tuned for more info about The Mouths Of Madness. Release date, cover and tracklist to be announced soon.

For more details visit Orchidsf.com.

SHATTER MESSIAH drummer Robert Falzano is featured in the clip below playing the band's new song 'Gods Of Divinity'. The track will be featured on the band's forthcoming album, Hail The New Cross.
Falzano recently checked in with the following update:

"Hey friends, I'm doing a little research. How many of you still but CDs as opposed to digital downloads of albums? Also, where do you get your digital downloads (iTunes, Amazon, etc.)?Finally, how many of you would be into the idea of Shatter Messiah doing a series of mini (2-3 song EP) digital only releases on a donation basis?

Would you kids be into that? Hit me back and let me know your thoughts."

Go to this location to respond.
Shatter Messiah, also featuring founding member Curran Murphy, are gearing up for the release of their third full length album, Hail The New Cross. The album features a revamped line-up that now includes Michael Duncan (vocals), Pat Gibson (guitars) and Jim Lewis (bass). More details and pictures will be available soon.

The band has announced four live dates to kick off 2013, with more shows to be announced soon:

February
1 - Phoenix Hill Tavern - Louisville, KY
2 - The Brick Alley - Frankfurt, KY
8 - The Foundry - Lakewood, OH
9 - The Tap House - Akron, OH

Italian death metal band LOGIC OF DENIAL has joined forces with Comatose Music for the February 12th release of Atonement.

After performing at the renowned Neurotic Deathfest (NL) and recording the two track promo Incipit Of Abhorrence in 2011, Logic Of Denial finally unleash their second full length album titled Atonement. Mastered at the mighty Hertz Studios and thematically focused on the fields of expiation and catharsis, this album features 11 tracks of blasting death metal brutality, where the process of atonement could represent the ravenous, sick, odd and contradictory side of human and in-human existence.

Check out the cover art and tracklisting for Atonement:
'Reek Of Perpetual Infamy'
'Weeping Upon Repugnance'
'Behold The Throne Of Torture'
'Vile Blessing Prelude'
'The Ravenous Patterns (Of Oblivion)'
'Sepsis'
'Catharsis Through Ungodly Annihilation'
'Apocrypha'
'Oracles Of Iniquity'
'Ecthra'
'Despondency'

Logic Of Denial is:

Mattia Gatti - vocals
Alessandro D'Antone - guitars
Daniele Costa - drums
Marcello Tavernari - bass

Australian death metallers ETERNAL REST will release their debut album, Prophetic, on April 16 in North America via Deepsend Records. The band has also confirmed several tour dates for 2013, including a Winter Aussie tour, a Spring New Zealand tour and have just been added to the Extreme Death Fest Vol. I Japanese tour with ORIGIN.

Recorded and mixed by Joe Haley of Psycroptic, Eternal Rest have crafted a beast of a debut album with Prophetic. Equal parts crushing and ferocious, while maintaining a level of musicianship that should be applauded in a scene that's been saturated with technical overdoses and slow-plodding nightmares.
The album's title track is streaming below:
Tour dates include:

Prophetic Launch Tour:

January
18 - Strike Club - Adelaide, Australia
19 - Cornucopia Hotel - Wallaroo Plain, Australia
20 - Cavern Club - Adelaide, Australia
25 - Crowbar 18+ - Brisbane, Australia
26 - Norville Hotel 18+ - Toowoomba, Australia

February
8 - Gasometer Hotel - Melbourne, Australia
9 - Ha'Penny Bridge - Frankston, Australia
16 - Venom Club - Sydney, Australia

New Zealand Tour with SINATE:

March
21 - The Creek - Timaru, New Zealand
22 - Refuel - Dunedin, New Zealand
23 - Bourbon Street - Christchurch, New Zealand
24 - Zebedee's - Christchurch, New Zealand

April
20 - Metal Heart Festival at Mansfield Tavern - Brisbane, Australia (with PORTAL, 4ARM)

Extreme Death Feast Vol. I Japanese Tour (with ORIGIN, MORS PRINCIPIUM EST, AEON, BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA):

July
2 - Flying Son - Sendai, Japan
3 - 3star - Imaike, Japan
4 - Graf - Fukuoka, Japan
5 - Shinsaibashi - Pangea, Japan
6 - Sunash - Shizuoka, Japan
7 - WildSide - Shinjuku, Japan

Eternal Rest lineup:

Josh Robinson - Vocals
Mick Hunter - Drums
Jake Kaiser - Guitars
Chris Clark - Guitars
Jannico Kelk - Bass
More on Eternal Rest at this location.

A rough-mix version of the song "Morgue Orgy" from Swedish death metal masters DERANGED can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track is the title cut of the band's new five-song EP, which will be released on CD in early 2013 via Sevared Records and on limited-edition 12-inch vinyl in mid-2013 through Bifrost Records. The EP will feature four new songs and a cover of the STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH classic "Milk".

DERANGED's eighth full-length album, "Cut, Carve, Rip, Serve", was made available in May 2011 via Sevared Records. The follow-up to 2008's "The Redlight Murder Case" was recorded at Berno Studio in Malmö, Sweden.

DERANGED 2013 is:

Anders Johansson - Vocals
Thomas Ahlgren - Guitar
Andreas Johansson - Bass
Rikard Wermén - Drums

"Skinandteethandnails", the new album from the French hardcore outfit VERA CRUZ, is available for streaming in its entirety below. The band's Season Of Mist debut features eleven tracks of pulse-pounding, relentless hardcore and metal will be out in North America on January 22.

VERA CRUZ embraces the fine art of serious ass-kicking with "Skinandteethandnails". Balancing melodic hardcore with rock influences, the band displays astonishing mastery for such a young act. The effort captures the explosive energy that the band unleashes during their live shows.

States the band: "There's an overall theme about this album and the way it has been thought and composed. There's a sort of 'Holy Grail' we always try to reach in every song but like the latter, whatever is Holy doesn't lie in front of your eyes for everyone to see, but is rather a kind of quest to find it. We would like people to be able to find what they've been seeking with our music. It's for everyone to decipher it and find what's under the surface."

"Skinandteethandnails" will be available on CD digipak and digitally.

Finnish thrashers LOST SOCIETY will release their debut album, "Fast Loud Death", on March 15 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios (FINNTROLL, SONATA ARCTICA, OMNIUM GATHERUM) in Helsinki, Finland with producer Nino Laurenne (AMORPHIS, ENSIFERUM, LORDI) and it features cover artwork by Ed Repka (MEGADETH, DEATH, SANCTUARY, VENOM).

The album's first single, "Trash All Over You" — a song that perfectly captures what LOST SOCIETY are all about: speed, toughness and huge fun — is available to stream and download below.

Comments LOST SOCIETY vocalist/guitarist Samy Elbanna: "Many people have asked us why we misspelled the song title. We always give the same answer: It's not about the thrash genre, but depicts how the whole world is collapsing on you. All the problems in the world seem to pile up and you get trashed all over. The song carries the feeling of being mad at everything and everyone at the same time — it's something we all can relate to."

Regarding the album artwork, Elbanna said: "When we heard that the one and only Ed Repka would be responsible for the album art, we were thrilled, as he created some of the most killer album covers of all times! The result looks absolutely amazing and truly captures the album's theme — a bus full of crazy people who blew it up big time!"

Added Repka: "This was a lot of work but a fun project, since both the band and the label were great to work with and very receptive to my input. LOST SOCIETY's comical concept of their tour bus leaving a town destroyed was cool, but to make it even more crazy, I added the pop-culture 'monster in car' aspect, giving the whole image a distinct, aggressive presence. Another tongue-in-cheek metal masterpiece is born!"

"Fast Loud Death" will be available as a limited digipak, deluxe digital download via iTunes and black vinyl in gatefold, all of them including two bonus tracks. Moreover, a limited digipak plus a t-shirt bundle as well as a limited blue-transparent 2LP in gatefold will be exclusively available via the Nuclear Blast mail order. Pre-order your copy now at this location.

"Fast Loud Death" track listing:

01. N.W.L.
02. Trash All Over You
03. E.A.G.
04. KILL (Those Who Oppose Me)
05. Bitch, Out' My Way
06. Fast Loud Death
07. Lead Through The Head
08. Diary Of A Thrashman
09. Toxic Avenger
10. This Is Me
11. Braindead Metalhead
12. Piss Out My Ass
13. Fatal Anoxia

Bonus tracks:

14. Escape From Delirium
15. I Stole Your Love (KISS cover song)

Founded in early 2010 by thrash/speed metal enthusiast Samy Elbanna in the Finnish town of Jyväskylä, LOST SOCIETY played a number of gigs around Finland before taking part in the world-renowned GBOB (Global Battle Of the Bands). After winning the preliminary round in their hometown, they were invited to the finals held in Helsinki, where they prevailed over 13 other contestants. The grand finals of GBOB 2012 took place at The Scala in London on December 9, 2012 and featured 18 bands from all over the world, including LOST SOCIETY.

LOST SOCIETY is:

Samy Elbanna - Vocals, Guitar
Arttu Lesonen - Guitar
Mirko Lehtinen - Bass
Ossi Paananen - Drums

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH, the band featuring Brooklyn, New York native Sal Abruscato — who played drums on three TYPE O NEGATIVE albums ("Slow, Deep & Hard", "Origin Of The Feces", "Bloody Kisses"), as well as four LIFE OF AGONY releases ("River Runs Red", "Ugly", "River Runs Again", "Broken Valley") — on guitar and vocals, will release its sophomore album, "Lay My Soul To Waste", on May 21 in North America, May 24 in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and May 27 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The group has once again commissioned famed artist Sam Shearon (a.k.a. Mister-Sam; ROB ZOMBIE, FEAR FACTORY, RAMMSTEIN) to create the artwork for the CD, which was mastered on January 17 by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York City.

Commented Abruscato: "I can't express in words how proud I am of our accomplishment. To finally complete our sophomore album, sit back and listen to what we have done is a great feeling. From our performances to Matt Brown's mixes and finally having the album blessed by engineer and mastering great Ted Jensen, this album sounds bigger than the Grand Canyon. This album will surpass all expectations; it will be a privilege and an honor to present this album to all the fans.”

"Lay My Soul To Waste" track listing:

01. Lay My Soul To Waste
02. Shallow Grave
03. The Needle In You
04. In The Sleeping Death
05. Killer By Night
06. Growing Old
07. Dead Of Winter
08. Devil Came With A Smile
09. Day Of The Storm
10. DMSLT
11. Cold Dark Mourning

Regarding the musical direction of A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH's forthcoming album, Abruscato said: "The sound has evolved and become a bit more orchestrated. More harmony work has been done on this album, including new elements such as a Hammond B3 organ and piano. To me, the album has an even darker sound and feel than the first one."

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH's debut album, "And Hell Will Follow Me", came out in 2011.

The band made its live debut on February 20, 2011 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey as the support act for MONSTER MAGNET and SEVENTH VOID.

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH is:

Sal Abruscato - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Matt Brown – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Johnny Kelly - Drums
Eric Morgan - Bass
Eddie Heedles - Guitar

For more information, visit www.apalehorsenameddeath.com.

During a recent interview with The Phoenix, SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil spoke about accusations from some in the media — as well as SMASHING PUMPKINS mainman Billy Corgan — that the band's reunion is nothing more than a "cash grab." "How is it a cash grab?" Thayil asked. "Since when is there money in making records anymore? [laughs] I mean, playing Lollapalooza was a one-day payday, but … and by the way, since when do we need money? We're not like the AFGHAN WHIGS or PAVEMENT. We had a fairly successful career. [SOUNDGARDEN drummer] Matt Cameron played in PEARL JAM, for God's sake! What the hell does he need to spend another, you know, 20 hours a week dedicated to writing and rehearsing SOUNDGARDEN songs and tending to SOUNDGARDEN's business? He's doing just fine, thank you."

According to Thayil, the last thing SOUNDGARDEN had on their minds was to reap fruits of success gone by doing live gigs. "There's a lot of other bands; ALICE IN CHAINS came back a few years before us, SMASHING PUMPKINS — I guess that's not really SMASHING PUMPKINS, it's just a Billy Corgan solo project with a bunch of new guys, right? But there were a lot of bands that became active again, PAVEMENT became active again," Thayil said. "I don't know what it is; maybe when we were broke up we were all younger and everyone grew up and realized there's sort of a lull as far as interesting popular music — in my opinion."

Thayil claims that talk of a SOUNDGARDEN reunion all started over a thoughts on the bands t-shirts and posters.

"It was never formally discussed, 'Hey, you guys want to be a band again?'" Thayil said. "There was a neglect in attending to our catalog; we have no web site, we have no ecommerce presence whatsoever — no Facebook or web site. We had an official and unofficial site from the '90s; the official one was run by the record company, then the record company was gone, and the unofficial, which was actually a better website, that guy kept it going for a few years, but then we broke up and he let it go. There was nothing for the past decade. There was no web site where you could just get information like discography or interviews or videos or merch — and there was no merchandise in retail. Friends of mine and friends of other guys in the band, they had kids in junior high learning how to play bass or playing in a band at school and they're kind of checking out their dad or their brother's record collection and they'd go to the record store and they wouldn't be able to find any SOUNDGARDEN t-shirts or posters. But, of course, there's plenty of stuff from our peers like NIRVANA, ALICE IN CHAINS, SMASHING PUMPKINS, etc. We just thought that we needed to correct the neglect that had gone on for a decade."

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal has partnered with CaJohns Fiery Foods Co. to launch his own line of gourmet hot sauces.

The Bumblefoot signature hot sauce line, which was unveiled on January 15 at the "Spicy Hound Extravaganza" release party at new York City's Times Square, is available now in seven different varieties: "Bumblicious!," "Bumblef**ked," "Normal," "Abnormal," "Uncool" and "Bumblebade."

John Hard, president of CaJohns Fiery Foods, said about Bumblefoot's hot sauce line: "Just minutes after making the products live online, they began selling at a rapid rate! It's been extremely impressive!"

Bumblefoot hot sauces can be purchased now worldwide via CaJohns.com and are expected to become available in retail outlets soon.

Bumblefoot has 20 years of releasing music, international festivals and headlining solo tours, and covers of guitar magazines. Bumblefoot's latest releases were an innovative song-a-month series that include transcriptions and backing tracks for guitarists and recording stems for remixers, including a cover of "The Pink Panther Theme" featuring members of GUNS N' ROSES. Lead guitarist of GUNS N' ROSES since 2006, Bumblefoot has toured sold-out shows in over 40 countries, headlining festivals with crowds of 150,000. Bumblefoot's unique "fretless guitar" can be heard throughout GN'R's "Chinese Democracy" album.

Bumblefoot has collaborated as a songwriter/producer with many artists, his music often heard in TV, film and video games including theme songs to Spike TV's "MXC" and VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show", "So You Think You Can Dance", Oprah Winfrey, ESPN, UFC, WWE, NFL, dozens of MTV/VH1 shows and more. Bumblefoot has appeared on stage with Joe Satriani, Nancy Sinatra, Chris Jericho and FOZZY, Cyndi Lauper, members of BADFINGER, Paul McCartney & WINGS, and on recordings with diverse artists such as DREAM THEATER's Jordan Rudess, ANVIL's Steve "Lips" Kudlow, Jessica Simpson, rapper Scarface, comedian Don Jamieson and many more.

Studying music since age 7, he began teaching at age 13 and for the last 10 years has taught music production at SUNY Purchase College. He teaches master-classes at schools and venues around the world, and has been a guest music coach on MTV's "Made".

Bumblefoot is continuously donating songs and performances to fundraising CDs, often making appearances and donating autographed items for charities. He often performs at events for medical research, disaster relief, and children's health issues, visiting patients at children's hospitals all over the world with guitar in hand.

Current projects include accompanying vocalist Tony Harnell and THE WILDFLOWERS on acoustic guitar.

Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH, TAROT) and Udo Dirkschneider (U.D.O., ex-ACCEPT) make guest appearances on "First To Go", the new single from Finnish melodic metallers LAZY BONEZ, who feature in their ranks three members of TAROT. The track will also appear on LAZY BONEZ's debut album, "Vol. 1", which will be released on March 22.

LAZY BONEZ recently released its "heavy metal interpretation" of LADY GAGA's hit "Poker Face" via iTunes.

LAZY BONEZ is:

Tommi "Tuple" Salmela (TAROT) - Vocals
Janne Tolsa (TAROT) - Keyboards
Pecu Cinnari (TAROT) - Drums
Jaakko Kauppinen - Bass
Mikko Niiranen - Guitar
Markku Mähönen - Guitar

Germany's Dunkelheit Produktionen has set a March 1 release date for "Miscreants Of Bloodlusting Aberrations" from Philippine warriors of death PATHOGEN. Armed with an album that sounds pretty much just as the title reads, the veteran act continues its plague-spreading reign of terror with complete disregard for the listener's well-being. "Miscreants Of Bloodlusting Aberrations" is old school, uncompromising, and just plain unhealthy death metal.

"Miscreants Of Bloodlusting Aberrations" track listing:

01. Atrocity Exhibit
02. Monolith
03. Heretical Wisdom
04. Abyss of Perpetual Upheaval
05. Ideological Strife
06. Leviathan
07. Afterlife (SACRIFICE cover)
08. Uranium Messiah

PATHOGEN is:

Nino Jerome Aranza - Bass
Vic Jarlego - Drums
Jervish Alcos - Guitars
Willie Desamero - Vocals/Guitars

With just a few sold-out dates remaining on their swan song farewell tour, Christian metalcore act UNDERØATH continues to thrill fans with new material. Today the band debuted a video for one of the final new tracks of its remarkable career , "Sunburnt", directed by the band’s own Daniel Davison. Check it out below.

"Sunburnt" is one of two new songs recorded by UNDERØATH with longtime producer Matt Goldman for release on the band's career retrospective album, "Anthology 1999-2013", which was released on November 6, 2012 via Solid State Records. Together with final new track "Unsound", "Sunburnt" is a worthy addition to the career-spanning collection, which includes fan favorites culled from the band's 1999 debut, "Act Of Depression", through the instant classics on 2010's "Ø (Disambiguation)".

The group's unanticipated decision to disband sent shockwaves through social media networks, with UNDERØATH becoming a worldwide trending topic on Twitter as countless fans shared their thoughts on the influential band and the impact its music had on their lives.

One of hard rock's biggest success stories, UNDERØATH leaves a remarkable legacy that includes seven acclaimed albums — chief among them gold-certified releases "They're Only Chasing Safety" and "Define The Great Line" — multiple Grammy nominations, tours of six continents and over 1.3 million records sold.

"Anthology 1999-2013" track listing:

01. Sunburnt (new song)
02. Unsound (new song)
03. In Division
04. Catch Myself Catching Myself
05. Paper Lung
06. Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
07. Too Bright To See, Too Loud To Hear
08. In Regards To Myself
09. You're Ever So Inviting
10. Writing On The Walls
11. A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black And White
12. Reinventing Your Exit
13. It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door
14. I've Got Ten Friends And A Crowbar That Says You Ain't Gonna Do Jack
15. When The Sun Sleeps
16. Cries Of The Past
17. Heart Of Stone

Since quitting SOULFLY and retiring from music last November, drummer David Kinkade — who has also played with BORKNAGAR, ARSIS and MALEVOLENT CREATION — has made the decision to sell all of his equipment. He says: "I no longer need any of it; therefore I would like to make it available to everyone. I have a lot of stuff and I'd prefer that it goes to people who will appreciate and use it rather than just have it collect dust in my home.

"A few weeks ago, I collected my SOULFLY touring drum kit from Phoenix and now I would like to announce that it is for sale. I hope to find a buyer who takes pride in their equipment as I have taken very good care of this drum kit. I'm including a shitload of new Evans drum heads along with the sale. It is a 2012 Pearl Masters Premium kit. All maple shells.

"I really appreciate all of the kind words and comments that I've gotten from everyone since announcing that I've retired. It was a hard decision but too many things were thrown on my plate and I felt it was the best move for my family and myself."

"Those interested in possibly acquiring items from my collection can visit my eBay or contact me directly: Davidkinkade2012@gmail.com."

Australian industrial metal heavyweights SYNTHETIC BREED have released a brand new single featuring the return of original vocalist Callan Hughes. The track "Xenogenesis" is a "taste of what's to come" from the emerging band, bringing a polished and more refined sound to the table while retaining the same formulated chaos the band is known for. "Xenogenesis" was mastered by Mike Spreitzer of DEVILDRIVER.

Hughes returned to the band in October 2012 and the band immediately started writing new material. "Xenogenesis" is the first track that was recorded by the reunited group.

SYNTHETIC BREED's new CD, which currently does not have a release date, is presently in the works.

"Xenogenesis" can be streamed exclusively on SYNTHETIC BREED's Facebook page and the Rogue Records Facebook page and is available worldwide on Rogue Records America's Bandcamp page. The single will released digitally on iTunes on January 25.

SYNTHETIC BREED is planning to release a "Xenogenesis" lyric video this week just in time for the NAMM show in Anaheim, California. The band's mobile app will also be updated for the event.

XENOGENESIS by RogueRecordsAmerica

After 18 years, one EP and five full-length albums, Norwegian extreme metallers CREST OF DARKNESS are back with their most complete, extreme and intense release so far. Due on February 25 via My Kingdom Music, the ten-track album, titled "In The Presence Of Death", is the band's sixth full-length release and amply demonstrates that CREST OF DARKNESS are masters of the genre both in terms of writing and musicianship.

"In The Presence Of Death" track listing:

01. Intro
02. In The Presence Of Death
03. Demon Child
04. Redemption
05. The Priest From Hell
06. Welcome To My Funeral
07. Womb Of The Wolf
08. Vampire Dreams
09. From The Dead
10. The Day Before She Died

A video teaser for "In The Presence Of Death" can be seen below.

Formed in the mid-Nineties by frontman Ingar Amlien, CREST OF DARKNESS is a totally different beast from his former band CONCEPTION, which at that time was at the peak of its popularity. While CONCEPTION tended towards the progressive side of power metal, CREST OF DARKNESS allowed Amlien to indulge his passion for sonic brutality and his interest in vampirism and Satanic ideology, both of which are reflected in the band's lyrics. Aside from Amlien on bass and vocals CREST OF DARKNESS' lineup includes Rebo on guitars, Kjetil Hektoen on drums and the recently recruited DJEVELKULT guitarist Jan Fredrik Solheim.

With a catalog of releases that includes five full-length albums and exuberant live performances that have earned them an ever increasing and dedicated fan base throughout the world, TROLLFEST, the inventors of true Norwegian balkan metal, are set to celebrate their 10th anniversary with the release of a limited-edition 12-inch picture vinyl.

The band has been busy in the studio preparing the 16-track album, to be named "A Decade Of Drekkadence", which will include a completely new song, three covers, two b-sides and the band's 2004 demo, which has never previously been released, and which has been long-sought after by TROLLFEST fans. Also included are re-recordings of acoustic versions of three of TROLLFEST's signature songs. According to the band, they had such a great time performing a special acoustic set at Metalcamp that they couldn't resist adding them to their anniversary release.

Swedish cartoonist Jonas Darnell and designer Terje Johnsen, who have worked with TROLLFEST for a long time, will produce the artwork for the picture disc. It was Darnell who created the iconic Iron Duck from the 2009 album "Villanden". The striking and humorous depiction of the TROLLFEST universe which Darnell and Johnsen create is inhabited by a crazy cast of Trolls who feature in the band's songs, and who each have their own individual characters and roles, has become an integral part of the band, and one much-loved by fans.

"A Decade Of Drekkadence" will go into production in February, and is expected to be released in time for the band's first North American tour in March, when they will hit the road with ENSIFERUM, TÝR, HEIDEVOLK and HELSOTT for the Paganfest America tour.

"A Decade Of Drekkadence" tracklisting:

Side A:

01. På Beruselsens Vinger (new song)
02. Gods Away On Business (TOM WAITS cover)
03. Toxic (BRITNEY SPEARS cover)
04. Drekkadag (DREKKAMERATENE cover)
05. Selvforherligende Vås (B-side from "En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral" recording)
06. Drekkaekspedisjon (B-side from "Brumlebassen" recording)

Side B:

01. TrollfesT (På Veg Til Vorspiel) (demo 2004)
02. Drekka Konkurransen! (demo 2004)
03. Drekka Mer!!! (demo 2004)
04. …Skogsfest… (demo 2004)
05. Nachspiel In Ein Baum (demo 2004)
06. Heimferd (demo 2004)
07. Brakebein (acoustic re-recording)
08. Rundt Bålet (acoustic re-recording)
09. Karve (acoustic re-recording)
10. Gitarharding Bromleskandinav (song from the "Brumlebassen" teaser)

"TrinkenTroll" video:

KILL DEVIL HILL — the new band featuring legendary drummer Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL) alongside Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) on bass, Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) on guitar and Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) on vocals — has returned to the studio with producer Jeff Pilson (an acclaimed bassist who has played with FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others) to "lay down some stuff" for the group's next album.

Video footage from KILL DEVIL HILL's December 2012 sessions with Pilson can be seen below.

KILL DEVIL HILL's self-titled debut album was released earlier this year via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD landed at position No. 9 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.

"Kill Devil Hill" was produced by Warren Riker, who is best known for his work with DOWN, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SUBLIME and CATHEDRAL. The effort was made available in a standard CD edition, as an iTunes digital download, and double gatefold LP.

According to Appice, KILL DEVIL HILL's sound is "like a cross between BLACK SABBATH, ALICE IN CHAINS and a little bit of LED ZEPPELIN thrown in. It's heavy, but with a lot of cool hooks and melodic overtones, too."

The members of KILL DEVIL HILL previously stated about their songwriting and recording approach, "We are going old school meets new; no sample drums here!!"

KILL DEVIL HILL is:

* Jason "Dewey" Bragg (PISSING RAZORS) - Vocals
* Mark Zavon (RATT, W.A.S.P., 40 CYCLE HUM) - Guitar
* Rex Brown (DOWN, PANTERA) - Bass
* Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, DIO) – Drums

Anthony Morgan of Metal Forces recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Michael Schenker. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On filming live DVD "Temple Of Rock - Live In Europe" in Tilburg, The Netherlands on May 13, 2012:

Michael: "We had to go from Glasgow overnight to go there, and get ready to do the filming. It was a long way. We were filming, and there was a lot of stuff going on. Something that I notice with this particular line-up — with Herman [Rarebell, ex-SCORPIONS drummer] and Francis [Buchholz, ex-SCORPIONS bassist] — is that even in Germany and other countries, for the first few songs people would just look and look. They really watch everything, and then after a few songs they would start going crazy. That's what also happened in Tilburg, but it happened not just in Tilburg. It happened everywhere with the exception of England. In England the people just go for it straight away, but in Europe it took a little while because I think they tried to figure out what this combination was all about."

On the health status of Robin McAuley [ex-MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP]:

Michael: "I don't know if he's had surgery yet. The last time I heard he was being tested, and he didn't enjoy that. I'm not really sure. Nobody has reported to me yet that he has had it done. I don't think he's had it done yet, because otherwise people would've said something. I think he's waiting for an appointment, and being tested."

On touring the U.K. in April 2013:

Michael: "I don't know why, but in the U.K. they're just happy right from the beginning. In Germany, Holland, and some other places, they just check you out for the first four to five songs. I don't know why, but that's what they do. A third into the set, they then start getting into it. I guess maybe they try to figure out what we're gonna be doing. If it's anything good and they like what they see, then they get into it."

On his forthcoming studio album:

Michael: "We are actually already starting a new album which will be released by the end of 2013, so hopefully we will have something ready to perform on the next tour which starts in April. Everybody is putting their things together. I'm putting my things together, putting down my guitars. Basically from that moment on, it goes pretty quick. It's with Doogie White [ex-RAINBOW, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN], with that lineup. Doogie White, Herman Rarebell, Francis Buchholz, Wayne Findlay, and myself. It's the same lineup as Tilburg.

"When I'm writing, of course, I have Doogie in my head because I know he's gonna be doing the vocals. He's a more metal singer, and so automatically it will be more metal. It will be more on the level of 'Before The Devil Knows You're Dead' [from 2011's 'Temple Of Rock'] of course, because that's Doogie singing there. Doogie has more of a heavy metal voice. Automatically, when I've been writing this time I've been writing with Doogie in my head, but I have a very good concept usually. When I wrote 'Temple Of Rock', I didn't know what I was doing in the beginning. I just started and went for it, but this time I have a concept. I already know that the title of the album is gonna be 'Bridge The Gap', and so this time I have a blueprint in my head, like a map that I see. I can see that it's a concept I have, and so I have a very clear direction of what I'm doing."

On his forthcoming acoustic collaboration with DOKKEN mainman Don Dokken:

Michael: "There is the 'Thank You' [1993] album. Don and I got together, and we had been talking awhile about doing something together. He likes the first 'Thank You' album, so I said to him ‘Why don't you put some vocals on it and see what happens?' He did it on one song, and sent it to me. It was fantastic, so I said, 'Keep going. Let's make this a project.' I can't wait to hear more."

Read the entire interview from Metal Forces.

“War Of Ages”, upcoming record of SERENITY to be released March 22nd, will introduce a major change in the band’s music and line-up.

Since their second album, SERENITY did add female voices to its songs, had different guests to perform them live and among them was Clementine Delauney.

Going on tour together, the band realized her voice, personality and stage performance was bringing something special to the band’s universe and thought she should be present on the new record.

The idea evolved with time… why not having a permanent female voice in the band? And it seems they had found the perfect one both on professional and personal levels. So it came up somehow naturally that Clementine should not be considered “guest” anymore…

Please welcome Clémentine Delauney as officially a full member of SERENITY!

Thus “War Of Ages” welcomes Clementine’s voice on lead, backing and choir parts, completing the music with a constant feminine presence.

The band has the will to make its music richer on the vocal side; this is a start of a new approach! SERENITY will explore and use the unlimited musical possibilities of those two outstanding voices, to start with, and “War Of Ages” is the perfect transition record between what SERENITY was and what it will become in the coming years!
We hope you share our excitement!

More to come very soon!

YOURS SERENITY