Mirai Kawashima (vocals, keyboards) and Dr. Mikannibal (saxophone, vocals) of Japan's SIGH are expecting their first child. The couple got engaged last October.

SIGH released its ninth album, "In Somniphobia", in March 2012 via Candlelight Records.

Founded in 1990 in Tokyo, Japan, SIGH is known for its nontraditional approach to metal and music in general and such is the case with their latest endeavor. Their most musically varied and plainly enthralling recording to date "In Somniphobia" incorporates everything from heavy metal, classical, jazz, traditional Indian music, Stockhausen, and Xenakis. It's a pure, sonic nightmare that lasts more than an hour and an album long time fans are sure to embrace.

Commented Mirai: "This is your sonic nightmare. This is the music that lies somewhere between your reality and imagination. This is the heaviest, scariest, craziest and by far the best album by SIGH in every aspect. Be sure to smoke first then listen to this with headphones. Bad trip guaranteed."

The cover artwork for "In Somniphobia" was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, ANACRUSIS and GWAR, among others.

TRIVIUM bassist Paolo Gregoletto has confirmed to Metal Injection that the band's new album will be produced by DISTURBED/DEVICE frontman David Draiman at a studio in Austin, Texas.

In a recent interview with PitCam.TV, TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy stated about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next CD: "I can tell you we do have a title, we do have songtitles, we do have 20 to 25 songs demoed, we do have a producer, we do have a location, we do have an artist. Everything is set up — all the visuals and everything — but it's all secret. Hopefully it comes out the third quarter of next year. We're recording in January, February and March in Austin, Texas; that's all I can say [about] that. It's gonna be great; it's gonna be really, really great. It's too difficult to describe in metal adjectives, like 'heavy,' 'brutal,' melodic,' all this stuff, like every band does. Also, the classic phrase: 'our best album ever.' I can say that with 'In Waves', it was finally an album that all the fans of the previous four… We've got very divided fans: 'I just like 'Ember'.' 'I just like 'Crusade'.' 'I just like 'Ascendancy'.' 'I just like 'Shogun'.' Everyone could agree on 'In Waves'. And simultaneously, everywhere in the world, 'In Waves' received the biggest reaction. With the next record, people can expect the best parts of everything we've ever done across all five records on one."

TRIVIUM's latest album, "In Waves", sold 22,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on The Billboard 200 chart — the highest U.S. chart entry of the band's career. The group's previous CD, "Shogun", opened with just under 24,000 units back in October 2008 to debut at No. 23. The effort followed up "The Crusade", which registered a first-week tally of 31,000 copies in October 2006 to enter the chart at No. 25.

Pictured below: TRIVIUM in pre-production in Austin with David Draiman

German black metallers IMPERIUM DEKADENZ will release their new album, "Meadows Of Nostalgia", on March 15 in Europe and March 19 in North America via Season Of Mist.

Tthe follow-up to 2010's "Procella Vadens" will feature the following track listing:

01. Durch Das Tor
02. Brigobannis
03. Aue Der Nostalgie
04. Ave Danuvi
05. Memoria
06. Aura Silvae
07. Der Unweg
08. Striga
09. Tränen Des Bacchus

Commented the band: "A travelling salesman, marked by a hard life, wanders lost in his thoughts over the high passes of the Black Forest. Despite all, he follows his path without hesitation through harsh landscapes and yet the mountains stand proudly and the epic scenery might even be called romantic. This cover reflects all the emotions, impressions and facets of IMPERIUM DEKADENZ. It is an imperial Black Forest symphony!"

"Species At War", the new EP from Finnish grindcore maniacs ROTTEN SOUND, is available for streaming in its entirety using the SoundCloud player below (courtesy of Inferno). Due on January 18 on CD, etched vinyl and digital via Season Of Mist, the effort was recorded at Nordic Audio Labs last summer and was mixed and mastered by drummer Sami Latva at Latva Studios.

"Species At War" track listing:

01. Cause
02. The Game
03. War
04. The Solution
05. Salvation
06. Peace

"Finding a strong label to release the EP and next full-length in Europe was our priority for [2012]," ROTTEN SOUND vocalist Keijo Niinimaa said. "We are very excited about this deal with Season Of Mist and we can't wait to get back on the road with the EP. Take a deep breath, get exhausted with 'Species At War' and see you at the shows!"

Season Of Mist has announced the signing of death metal powerhouse CANNABIS CORPSE. The Richmond, Virginia-based band is currently recording its new album for a late spring release.

Regarding the new deal, the group said: "CANNABIS CORPSE cannot express how excited we are to join the ranks of Season Of Mist, as so many groundbreaking metal bands are on the roster.

"We are knee deep in recording our new album and feel like this material is our most original and memorable to date.

"We were founded as a way to honor the Floridian fathers of death metal and this new record will be no exception. We're looking forward to seeing what the future has in store!"

CANNABIS CORPSE is the project of MUNICIPAL WASTE bassist Phil "LandPhil" Hall and his brother Josh "Hallhammer" Hall. The band, rounded out by guitarist Brent Purgason (a.k.a. Pustulus Maximus of GWAR), has released three well-received full-length albums, and toured the world alongside THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, REVOCATION, HATE ETERNAL, SKELETONWITCH and more.

Maryland rockers POLKADOT CADAVER — who feature in their ranks members of DOG FASHION DISCO — are hard at work on their third full-length album, "Last Call In Jonestown", for a May 7 release via the band's own Razor To Wrist Records. The CD, which features a guest appearance from Neil Fallon of CLUTCH, was produced by POLKADOT CADAVER, Steve Wright and Drew Lamond at Wrightway Studios in Baltimore, Maryland.

POLKADOT CADAVER has toured with the likes of WEDNESDAY 13, VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE!, KORPIKLAANI, WAYNE STATIC, DEUCE, WILLIAM CONTROL and many more.

Vocalist/guitarist Todd Smith of POLKADOT CADAVER comments on the new album: "We are really beyond psyched with the way our new album, 'Last Call In Jonestown', has come together. These songs are made to play live, [with] high energy, tons of twists and turns and HEAVY as Zeus's balls!"

UPON WINGS will release its new EP, "Afterlife", on March 5 via Sword Of The Spirit Records LLC. The CD features guest vocals and production from Brett Hestla (ex-CREED, DARK NEW DAY).

"Afterlife" track listing:

01. Afterlife
02. You Are My Weapon
03. Take Away
04. The Dream (I'm Only Happy When I'm Sleeping)

The EP's debut single and title track can be heard below (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep).

Rock and metal fans will recognize plenty of names on "Afterlife". KID ROCK recording engineer and Grammy-nominated mixing engineer Glenn Brown mastered the single, while Hestla provided guest vocals and production talents. More metal assistance for the upcoming EP came from producer and guitarist Kevin Jardine, best known as the guitarist of Canadian nu metal giants SLAVES ON DOPE, formerly on Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne's Divine Recordings label. Drummer Peter Tzaferis also contributed to the EP.

Recording sessions for "Afterlife" took place at Johnny K's Groovemaster Studios in Chicago, where DISTURBED, 3 DOORS DOWN, STAIND and countless other heavy music-makers have laid down tracks.

UPON WINGS combines operatic, female-fronted goth-pop with rousing rock and metal in a unique, ethereal fashion. Frontwoman Anne Autumn Erickson is a classically-trained dramatic mezzo-soprano, and her lyrics take listeners down a path of heartfelt introspection, pain, joy and faith.

UPON WINGS's debut single, "The Dream", was made available in March 2012 via iTunes, Amazon MP3 and Google Music. "The Dream" was the result of a collaboration between Erickson and Grammy-nominated producer Glenn Brown (EVANS BLUE, SPINAL TAP, THE VERVE PIPE).

UPON WINGS hails from the U.S. and can be described as symphonic metal with a classical influence.

Erickson is also a music journalist for Gannett, Gibson, Loudwire and radio host and managing editor of Audio Ink Radio.

For more information, visit www.uponwings.com.

"Afterlife" song audio stream (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep):

Relapse Records has announced the signing of Portland, Oregon riff worshippers LORD DYING. The band's full-length debut was recorded in September with Sanford Parker (NACHTMYSTIUM, YOB, RWAKE) and is currently being mixed and mastered for a summer release.

Formed in 2010, LORD DYING are veterans of the heavy music scene, having played in bands such as BLACK ELK, PORTALS, LE FORCE, and CREMAINS. The band has so far released a sold-out seven-inch single and a self-titled tour EP. The song "In a Frightful State Of Gnawed Dismemberment" from both releases can be heard below.

LORD DYING has built up a reputation with their ear-shattering live shows, having recently trekked across the U.S. with labelmates RED FANG and BLACK TUSK in addition to being direct support for BLACK COBRA, WITCH MOUNTAIN and GAZA. Now they will be hitting the road for a string of shows with DOWN and WARBEAST starting on January 22 in Seattle, Washington

Commented the band: "We are honored to be a part of the Relapse family. Throughout the years, Relapse has released some of the most intriguing records in the world of extreme music. While it is intimidating to join the ranks of the Relapse roster, we look forward to the future. The gloves are off."

Warsaw, Poland's cutting-edge grindcore squad ANTIGAMA has entered the studio to record its sixth full-length album, "Meteor", for a late spring release via Selfmadegod Records. The follow-up to 2009's "Warning" as well as last year's "Stop The Chaos" EP is being recorded at Progresja Sound Studio with producer Pawel "Janos" Grabowski. Founding ANTIGAMA guitarist Sebastian Rokicki says: "This is going to be the most mature, and at the same time most diverse album in the band’s whole career."

The current ANTIGAMA lineup includes guitarist Sebastian Rokicki, vocalist Lukasz Myszkowski, bassist Michal Zawadzki, and drummer Pawel Jaroszewicz. This is the first studio session in ANTIGAMA's history to without Szymon Czech, who passed away in November 2012 due to illness.

ANTIGAMA will perform a show in honor of Szymon Czech on January 26 in Olsztyn, Poland alongside THIRD DEGREE, PROPHECY, and more.

A three-minute trailer for "The Divinity Of Purpose", the new album from Connecticut hardcore/metal masters HATEBREED, in which the band's frontman, Jamey Jasta discusses the CD's songwriting process, can be seen below.

"The Divinity Of Purpose" is available for pre-order on iTunes (in the United States and Canada). When fans pre-order the album, they'll also receive an instant download of the opening track, "Put It To The Torch".

"The Divinity Of Purpose" will be released on January 29 in North America via Razor & Tie and on January 25 in Europe through Nuclear Blast. The CD was co-produced by HATEBREED, Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL THAT REMAINS, SHADOWS FALL) and Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), with Wilbur also handling mixing duties. The cover artwork was created and illustrated by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS, GWAR) and can be seen below.

"The Divinity Of Purpose" track listing:

01. Put It To the Torch
02. Honor Never Dies
03. Own Your World
04. The Language
05. Before The Fight Ends You
06. Indivisible
07. Dead Man Breathing
08. The Divinity Of Purpose
09. Nothing Scars Me
10. Bitter Truth
11. Boundless (Time To Murder It)
12. Idolized And Vilified

Regarding the musical direction of the new HATEBREED material, singer Jamey Jasta told "Maximum Threshold", "We did enough experimenting, I think, on the last record… A lot of people really liked that record and it did gain us a lot of new fans, but on this record, with the 10-year anniversary of [HATEBREED's 2002 album] 'Perseverance' and with Wayne [Lozinak, guitar] being back in the band — this will be his second record with us — it's just fun to kind of keep with the old-school influences. I hear more CRO-MAGS and KILLING TIME and SHEER TERROR and OBITUARY and BOLT THROWER and SLAYER and ENTOMBED and those kind of '80s and '90s influences in there. Which is fun for us, because we emulate the bands that we love. We try to make it our own sound and make it our own style, but at the end of the day, we're just fans of those styles of bands."

"The Divinity Of Purpose" will be supported by extensive global touring that will stretch well into 2014.

"The Divinity Of Purpose" trailer #3:

Finnish melancholic dark metal forerunners AMORPHIS have set "Circle" as the title of their eleventh album, due on April 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. Production and mixing duties for the follow-up to 2011's "The Beginning Of Times" were handled by HYPOCRISY and PAIN mastermind Peter Tägtgren, who has previously worked with such bands as CHILDREN OF BODOM, CELTIC FROST, IMMORTAL and DIMMU BORGIR. The recordings took place at Petrax Studio (NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, KORPIKLAANI) in Hollola and 5K Studios in Helsinki.

A short summary about the album's concept/story that spreads throught out the lyrics by Pekka Kainulainen, who wrote the lyrics for most recent AMORPHIS albums: "The protagonist has been dealt a bad hand at birth. He’s always felt himself an outsider with strong potential to become marginalized. Through an accident, after a crisis, he finds a connection with his inner powers. A guide is sent to him, from some other time and place. He gets a chance to take hold of his own life and change his destiny. From the past of Carelian Finland he finds his own spiritual tribe and the power to turn the course of his doomed life. This is a story of survival."

AMORPHIS singer Tomi Joutsen adds about the album title: "'Circle' represents integrity. Back in the days, when there was something special to talk about, wise men used to sit in circle. Not everyone was invited to join them. But in this story, the protagonist was invited among the wise men's circle."

Fan-filmed video footage of AMORPHIS performing a brand new song — tentatively titled "Mehtä" (English-language translation: "The Forest") — on December 14, 2012 at Klubi in Turku, Finland can be seen below.

Regarding the band's decision to perform a brand new track during their Finnish tour, Tomi said: "We just wanted to try how it worked, and it went [over] really well.

"We don't want to play too many [new] songs, because people are recording [the shows with their phone cameras] and [posting] it on the Internet, and we don't wanna spoil the album [for everyone].

"I was really nervous, of course, when we played it the first time, but it went over great. I think it's gonna be an awesome live song."

Regarding the direction of the new AMORPHIS material, the band's guitarist and founding member Esa Holopainen said: "While promoting 'The Beginning Of Times', we started to feel that we were giving the same explanations over and over again when people asked about the studio process and how the songs came about. Even though the music was very strong, the making process didn't offer any surprises and appeared to be quite secured. Now the addition of a new dimension to the developing process has inspired us to focus on our material even more. The songs are extremely strong, bombastic and skull-pummelling."

"The Beginning Of Times" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 16 — the best chart position ever scored by an AMORPHIS album in that country. The CD also landed at position No. 1 on the Finnish chart.

"Mehtä" (working title) performance:

According to MusicTAP, RUSH's "Clockwork Angels Live" DVD, which was last week erroneously reported to be scheduled for a May 21 release via Concord, does not yet have an official release date in place. However, it will likely arrive sometime in the fall.

RUSH captured the "Clockwork Angels" tour by filming in Phoenix and Dallas on November 25, 2012 and November 28, 2012, respectively. Reports at the time indicated that the Dallas show would be the primary source for the film, with the Phoenix footage used mainly as a backup.

The official Billboard Boxscore attendance and sales figures for the Phoenix and Dallas shows are as follows:

* Show Date: November 25
* Show Venue: US Airways Center
* City/State: Phoenix, AZ
* Attendance: 8,858
* Capacity: 10,121
* Gross Ticket Sales: $604,667

* Show Date: November 28
* Show Venue: American Airlines Center
* City/State: Dallas, TX
* Attendance: 10,509
* Capacity: 10,509
* Gross Ticket Sales: $764,483

The North American leg of the "Clockwork Angels" tour kicked off on September 7 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire and wrapped on December 2 in Houston, Texas.

In addition to adding a lot of rarely played songs to their opening set, RUSH brought a string ensemble out on tour with the band for the first time ever in its career. Orchestrations provided by well-known arranger David Campbell were used on several tracks from the band's new album, "Clockwork Angels", and RUSH recreated that sound during the tour.

"Clockwork Angels" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart, selling 103,000 copies in its first week of release. The disc marked RUSH 's highest chart debut since 1993's "Counterparts", which also entered at No. 2.

Taiwanese metallers CHTHONIC have returned to Sweet Spot Studios in Halmstad, Sweden with producer Rickard Bengtsson (ARCH ENEMY, NEMESIS) to begin recording their seventh album for a late 2013 release.

A few photos from the studio can be found at this location.

CHTHONIC's sixth full-length effort, "Takasago Army", was released in North America in September 2011 via Spinefarm Records. Produced by Bengtsson, this 10-track outing completes a trilogy of CHTHONIC releases, telling a story that binds together the band's "Seediq Bale" and "Mirror Of Retribution" albums, released in 2007 and 2009, respectively.

Coinciding with the North American release of "Takasago Army", CHTHONIC embarked on a three-week tour as one of the opening acts for ARCH ENEMY. The North American Khaos 2011 trek featured additional support from DEVILDRIVER and SKELETONWITCH.

The official video for the song "Gluttony" from Californian rockers BUCKCHERRY can be seen below. The clip was shot in November in Los Angeles, with the band putting out an open casting call for fans to appear in the video.

"Gluttony" is the first single from BUCKCHERRY's sixth studio album, "Confessions", which is due on February 13. The disc will be BUCKCHERRY's first domestic release with new label Century Media Records. The CD will be made available via Eleven Seven Music in other parts of the world.

"It's just about trying to control your behavior," BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd tells Loudwire about "Gluttony". "They always say that you have to do everything in moderation and that's never been my experience. One is okay, two is better, three is fantastic and four is the best. I want to consume everything, I want to go big or go home. I'm either on 11 or I'm asleep."

He continued: "That's my problem, that's my struggle, trying to moderate — that's what 'Gluttony' is about. It's like, 'I want it, I need it, I love it' and everything that feels good to me, I want to overdo it. It's just who I am and I don't understand why I can't do it."

"Confessions" is a loose concept album that revolves around the notion of the seven deadly sins and is inspired by events in Todd's childhood.

"Confessions" track listing:

01. Gluttony
02. Wrath
03. Nothing Left But Tears
04. The Truth
05. Greed
06. Water
07. Seven Ways To Die
08. Air
09. Sloth
10. Pride
11. Envy
12. Lust
13. Dreamin' Of You

Todd has helped co-write a short film that will come out around the same time as the album and expand upon the record's themes. It's not clear yet how the film will be distributed.

Todd said that "Confessions" is "definitely a heavier, musically, record than we've ever had, and more melodic. It's pretty intense, but everybody's gonna love it. It's quintessential BUCKCHERRY at the end of the day."

The band will join KID ROCK as special guests on his upcoming "Rebel Soul" tour, beginning February 2 in Kansas City, Missouri.

St. Louis, Missouri, metalcore outfit TEAR OUT THE HEART has set "Violence" as the title of its debut album, due on March 19 via Victory Records.

A clip of the song "Infamous Last Words", taken from "Violence", can be streamed below.

Upon inking deal with Victory in August 2012, TEAR OUT THE HEART began writing what would become one of the most dynamic, powerful releases of 2013. Utilizing vocalist Tyler Konersman's all-encompassing range, "Violence" boasts unrivaled clean singing alongside screams that are in a class of their own. "It's a record about deception and revenge," states Konersman. "It's about self enlightenment and growing into a much stronger, more receptive version of your previous self. 'Violence' is about no one being in your corner when times are at their hardest, who still want to celebrate with you at the end of the day as if they had a part in your success."

Complete with hauntingly catchy choruses and melodies that will shock and surprise you, "Violence" will be stuck in your head in the best way. Konersman continues, "I realize this is terribly cliché, but it is easily the heaviest, most melodic record we have ever written; orchestrated both maturely and tastefully. Like it or not, this album is going to take over the world."

With standouts like "Infamous Last Words", it is clear that producer Caleb Shomo, formerly of ATTACK! ATTACK!, has taken a very special interest in TEAR OUT THE HEART and their aggressive delivery. AOL's Noisecreep had this to say upon first listen: "'Violence' is teeming with soaring choruses, neck-snapping breakdowns and doomsday-kissed guitars. Don't be surprised if you see these guys headlining over some of their heroes soon."

For fans of ATREYU, A DAY TO REMEMBER, BRING ME THE HORIZON and AS I LAY DYING, TEAR OUT THE HEART has arrived to take the world by storm, one impossibly energetic song at a time. With album art beautifully executed by Dan Mumford (A DAY TO REMEMBER, PARKWAY DRIVE, GALLOWS), let the creepy, ominous castle set the stage for the chaotic, bewitching performance that is "Violence".

TEAR OUT THE HEART is:

Tyler Konersma - Vocals
Josh Spohr - Guitar
Mattieu Murphy - Guitar
Isaac Etter - Bass/ Vocals
Matt Epstein - Drums

Dutch/Norwegian rockers THE GATHERING are working on the CD version of "Afterlights", a collection of reworked versions of tracks from the band's latest album, "Disclosure", which came out last September. The group states: "The songs are inspired by 'Disclosure' songs but totally rebuilt/remade. It's like listening to a new album. People who have the 'Afterlights' 10" vinyl [which came out last year] know what [we] mean."

"Disclosure" was released on September 12, 2012 via the band's own Psychonaut Records. The CD cover artwork was created by the Chilean artist Carlos Vergara Rivera.

THE GATHERING's previous album, "The West Pole", was released in North America on June 2, 2009 via Season of Mist. The CD was issued in most of Europe on May 4, 2009 via the group's own label, Psychonaut Records.

"The West Pole" marked the recording debut of new THE GATHERING singer Silje Wergeland, who was previously in the Norwegian band OCTAVIA SPERATI.

In a recent interview with Decibel magazine, Wergeland stated that "Disclosure" is "fresher, braver, more confident, honest, deeper [and] newer" than "The West Pole".

Regarding THE GATHERING's decision to release the "Heroes For Ghosts" single so far ahead of the full-length album, Silje said, "We decided to not do it for any other reason than release it because we wanted to! The song is way too long for a 'normal' single, but that didn't matter. We never released it to try to get it on radio or on TV. We know their limits of about three minutes to get airplay, and knew we'll never get there anyways. It was only marketed through our Facebook, Twitter and webpage, so very low key. THE GATHERING has its own label [Psychonaut], but we are not very business-focused. It is still all about the music and art. We were just so happy with it and wanted to share it with the world."

The official trailer for "Inexorable Defiance", the third album from the Hungarian black metal horde BORNHOLM, can be seen below. The CD will be released on January 25 via NoiseArt Records.

According to a press release, BORNHOLM "offers an extremely cold, evil version of black metal which has been made even richer by sickening, epic and mind-blowingly aggressive elements. With their incredible, fantastic visual components such as front cover, booklet artwork as well as the official pictures BORNHOLM are way beyond the generic crowd and look down on them from a 'throne of crows.'"

Commented the band: "Since we have began to work on the new album, we felt that is a turning point in our history. We wanted new possibilities, new goals and a higher level of playing this kind of music. Now we proudly announce that we have signed to , NoiseArt Records/Rock The Nation and this new era has begun. We want much more concerts in the future and a more professional management and we feel that can be a perfect solution. Our third album, 'Inexorable Defiance', is on the way, we are very proud of it, this is a blueprint of the last years full of majesty, medieval feelings and a unique atmosphere."

"Inexorable Defiance" track listing:

01. Fear Of Wonders
02. Swordbearer
03. Flaming Pride And Inexorable Defiance
04. Walk On Pagan Ways
05. Archaic Pale Visions
06. Throne Of Crows
07. Moonlight Wanderer
08. Equinox
09. The Spiral Path
10. Fiery Golden Dawn
11. Towards The Golden Halls

BORNHOLM is:

Sahsnot - Guitar
Vozargh - Guitar
Renfield - Vocal
Hjules - Bass
D - Drums

San Francisco Bay Area thrashers KILL RITUAL have announced the addition of guitarist Mehl Anoma (ex-POTENTIAL THREAT) to the group's ranks. He takes over for the departing Roberto Proietti, who has stepped down because of a demanding professional career and new family. The band states: "Roberto will be missed and we all understand and support his decision. Mehl is a Bay Area metal veteran and we look forward to our future collaborations."

KILL RITUAL will embark on a U.S. tour in March. A list of confirmed dates can be found on the poster below.

KILL RITUAL is:

Josh Gibson - Vocals
Steven Rice (ex-IMAGIKA) – Lead Guitar
Mehl Anoma (ex-POTENTIAL THREAT) – Guitar
Wayne De Vecchi (ex-IMAGIKA, DOOM SOCIETY) – Drums
Danyael Williams (ex-DARK ANGEL) – Bass

KILL RITUAL's debut album, "The Serpentine Ritual", was released last October via Scarlet Records. The CD was recorded and engineered by KILL RITUAL lead guitarist Steve Rice at Fang Studios in San Mateo, California and Fossil Sound in San Jose, California. The mix and the mastering were handled by Andy La Rocque of KING DIAMOND fame at his Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden. La Rocque also makes a guest appearance on the CD with the ending solo on the track "Coat Of Blood".

The "The Serpentine Ritual" cover art was designed by Jobert Mello for Sledgehammer Graphix (SABATON, PRIMAL FEAR).

"Progressive death metallers SKYFIRE will see its first two albums, 2001’s Timeless Departure and 2003’s Mind Revolution, released digitally for the first time ever via Pivotal Rockordings.

Set for release on January 30th, 2013, the two albums are also expanded with the inclusion of the Haunted By Shadows EP tracks, a Japanese-only bonus track and the entire 1998 Within Reach demo which has never seen the light of day. The “Skyfire” and “By God Forsaken” tracks, originally labeled backwards due to a studio error while the band recorded alongside CHILDREN OF BODOM, have also been properly re-labeled."

Legendary cult prog-thrashers TOXIK have announced their reactivation. After an aborted attempt at a reunion in 2007, founding member Josh Christian has revealed TOXIK is once again active and ready for live action as well as preparing to work on a new full-length album. Christian comments: "I've been writing this crazy heavy stuff for the last year. In 2007 when we got together, the absence of new material made the reunion feel more like jam sessions. This time around its based like it was originally on a collection of songs with a vibe. The plan is record and perform"

Vocalist Mike Sanders and bassist Brian Bonini have also committed to taking part in the TOXIK reunion. However, the band is on the hunt for a drummer, as original drummer Tad Leger will not be joining the proggy armada in their resurrection. Christian had this to say about Leger's absence: "Tad is on the verge of something killer with his doom project/band LUCERTOLA. It's his baby as he writes the material and plays guitar essentially leading the band. We had planned on finishing the LUCERTOLA disc together and then beginning work on a TOXIK disc — at least that was discussed — but the reality is he can't walk away from his art, and I totally respect that decision, we all do. I'm still hoping Tad shows up on at least one track but either way best of luck to my brother Tad Leger and LUCERTOLA."

Hailing from New York's Hudson Valley area, TOXIK released a pair of classic thinking-man's thrash metal albums in the late '80s. An upstart record label named Roadrunner Records (later home to SLIPKNOT and NICKELBACK) released the band's two astounding masterworks, 1988's "World Circus" and 1989's "Think This". Both releases saw TOXIK take the aggression and brutality of speed metal and mix it with the technicality and proficiency of progressive hard rock.

TOXIK left the Hudson Valley region and toured the United States and the world, playing shows with the likes of PANTERA, SEPULTURA, EXODUS, KING DIAMOND and others in their quest for metal ascendancy before their premature implosion in 1992.

TOXIK released a DVD, "Think Again", in August 2010. The set contained both vintage and brand new never-before-seen footage. The main feature was a 1989 headlining set from the Paramount Theater in TOXIK's hometown of Peekskill, New York. This performance came shortly after the release of "World Circus" and the energy level of the band wa truly at its peak for TOXIK's first headlining show. The DVD contains all the tracks from "World Circus" and an early version of "Spontaneous" that later appeared on "Think This".

HATEFX, the Fresno/Livermore, California-based metal band featuring guitarist Glen Alvelais (FORBIDDEN, TESTAMENT, LD/50), has set "Under Destruction" as the title of its new album. The cover artwork for the CD was created by Chilean/Italian digital artist- photographer Claudio Bergamin, who has previously worked with HALFORD, Arjen Lucassen, RATA BLANCA, CRIMINAL, DOGMA and other bands from Europe and America. Bergamin's style could be described as "fantasy illustration/photo manipulation."

"Under Destruction" was recorded at Green Bird studios in Fresno, California with remote supervision of Chilean producer Javier Bassino (Estudios Bassino). Javier engineered and is in the process of mixing and mastering the CD, which marks Alvelais' recording debut with the band.

"The road to this new recording has been very organic," HATEFX frontman G says. "This is the strongest lineup of the band and has given us a fresh outlook and a powerful edge to the music itself. Javier is doing a great job in capturing our vision through the sound." Glen comments: "I can't say enough how excited I am to bring this sound and show to people. We're hoping to get the right distribution deal and get our asses touring. I'm pretty sure that radio will love this and we're ready to tour!"

HATEFX is currently lining up shows in support of the new release and will be playing a number of events this year, including release parties in Fresno and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn of San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD has updated his online "journal" at MachineHead1.com with the following entry:

"Just to refresh everyone who may not have read the first journal I wrote, I have started up my diary/journals again after taking a much-needed break from it. They're now called 'The General Journals: Diary of a Frontman... and Other Ramblings.'

"For a little background, I started doing these journals/diaries 11 years ago in 2002, between 'Supercharger' and 'Through The Ashes'. It was the first wave of the Internet, and we jumped on board, were one of the first (if not the first) to start the text/video diaries, and we fully embraced it. It was awesome, and enabled our band (that had been completely written off by the major U.S. metal press, and continues to be) to connect with our fans in a really unique way. And that's what these are for/about: the connection. I need this connection, and from what you've told me over the years, you need it too.

"I find myself looking back on my life and so much of it is about searching for a connection, any connection, through music, through shows, through jamming, through partying, through girls/sex, through friends, and oftentimes, down all the wrong paths. Maybe we all are. And maybe some of us don't need to be. Some of us had great normal lives, lives that kept the need for this fucking endless search at bay. I'm certain that part of it with me is, being adopted at 6 months and never feeling truly 'connected' to anyone (3 foster families in the first 6 months of life), but hey, that's a whole other story.

"Side note: If you're reading this on a website other than [MachineHead1.com] or our Facebook page, please know that this is not a 'press release.' These are my 'journals,' 'ramblings,' 'brain dumps,' etc. There seems to be some confusion about that. If you're not a fan of the band, feel free to ignore these, I'll be doing them often, sometimes twice a week. I'm not trying to win anyone over here, I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion of MACHINE HEAD or me, I don't expect, or even need, everyone to like me or the music we make. This is for the diehard MACHINE HEAD fans (the Head Cases, The Undesirables) who follow the band closely. It's for our main site, MachineHead1.com, our Facebook, and the PHPList that I've started. Its purpose is to give said fans updates, thoughts on life, and life in a band.

"No immediate tour plans, but [MACHINE HEAD] will officially begin writing this week or next. No one has really sat down and discussed where we'd like to go in depth, but we have talked about shorter songs (LOL). The last TEN TON HAMMER show we did in London really got us thinking about cool, short songs. In particular, 'Postmortem' by SLAYER seemed to really get our blood flowing. We all talked about it afterward, how they managed to squeeze so many AWESOME riffs into 3 minutes and 28 seconds is just freakin' mind-boggling (or as our drum tech Mudbilly says, 'mind-bottling'). 'Everlong' and 'Sad Statue' were also cool nuggets of shortness (videos of us covering those songs are up on YouTube, check 'em out).

"Phil [Demmel, guitar] has told me he has some riffs, [Dave] McClain [drums] e-mailed some cool riffs, I have some pretty awesome riffs tuned down to F that I'm stoked on... so, who knows where it's all going yet, but it's definitely starting to bubble. Can't really tell where it's all gonna end up, you can't really plan that out, but that's some of what we've been bouncing around.

'In other news, we've successfully finished our recording contract with Roadrunner and are currently free agents. It's an exciting time for us right now, the world is our oyster and we can dictate a lot of fair terms in exchange for our art. There's been a lot of talk as to what we should and/or shouldn't do; the music business has changed dramatically since the last deal we signed for 'Through The Ashes' back in 2003 (let alone our first deal in 1993), and what we're looking for in a deal here in 2013 is different.

"I used to be a staunch believer that the world isn't waiting for a quickly delivered MACHINE HEAD album, they're just waiting for a great MACHINE HEAD album. And while I still believe that, in the 10 years between 'Through The Ashes Of Empires', 'The Blackening' and 'Unto The Locust', the world stopped caring as much about great 'albums.' People want great songs, and while great albums are appreciated, they don't mean what they used to. People have been burned by too many lousy CDs / albums / downloads. I know I have (the new MUSE record blows, I LOVE that band, but the last 2 have been pretty meh).

"Plus, if you're making music these days, there's a hell of a lot of chatter to cut through between Facebook, Twitter, gaming, movies, Instagram, YouTube, social everything, mobile everything... listening to an album front to back ain't what it used to be. Songs resonate more, it's easier to get to the point. I don't even want to listen to most albums all the way through anymore, most have too many songs / are too damn long. Gimme 'Paranoid' ANY DAY — 41 minutes, 8 songs (one of which is a drum solo!), a masterpiece. Gimme 'Moving Pictures' — 39 minutes, 7 songs, PERFECT!! Remember when SLAYER's 'Reign In Blood' was so short you could squeeze the whole album on one side of a cassette?! The official Def Jam cassette had the whole album repeated on side 2 cause it's 29 minutes!! People were up in arms, they actually felt ripped off. Today, it's regarded as a masterpiece.

"Is anyone saying, 'Man, I wish 'Reign In Blood' had 9 more songs'?

"We don't need 19 songs and 72 minutes of music on a CD. And where would you even get most CD's nowadays? Between my iPhone, iTunes, and Spotify, I just download or stream it, it's too easy. I can say without a shred of doubt that I will never buy another physical CD again. Ever. I have found so many new bands on iTunes and Spotify (I use the $9-a-month premium version) it is absolutely incredible. The entire history of recorded music is at your fingertips, at all times. Sure, there are a few holdouts, but they'll be on board within the year. Even METALLICA just hopped on the Spotify train. The world has gone streaming. It's just too easy. Hell, I've found more new AND old bands on YouTube just surfing around than I ever have going to a record store.

"And so we as a band ask ourselves a lot of unique questions about what we should do. I am absolutely not interested in selling CDs first week of release for $16, $17 or $18 dollars/euros/pounds. I'm not interested in selling CDs at all, frankly, though I realize people still buy and appreciate them... but hey, change is inevitable, especially in this business. Just like cassettes became obsolete, just like CD longboxes became obsolete. I remember when people were pissed that we didn't offer vinyl for 'The More Things Change...', and then really pissed when we didn't offer cassettes for 'The Burning Red', and I mean PISSED about those cassettes! Does anyone miss cassettes now? Hell no.

"And as I write this I'm thinking — as I'm sure many of you are — just how counterproductive the things I'm saying are. I mean, MACHINE HEAD are in the business of selling CDs, right? But at the same time, we're in the business of making music, for people to listen to, however they want to. We find ways to generate money to pay back the people who loaned us the money to record, to re-invest in our band, to make better records, to put on better light shows, to bring better sound systems, to keep the lights on at MACHINE HEAD, to live our lives, so that we can make more music. We don't want to get in bed with a bunch of corporate sponsors, we've already dabbled in that and it's a nightmare, worse than the record companies. Who knows, maybe we'll end up signing with a traditional record company after all, because there is A LOT of stuff that we're just not interested in doing. Maybe we do something radical instead, I've heard a lot of great things about these Kickstarter projects, Amanda Palmer in particular has done amazing...

"I don't know where I'm even going with this. It's part vent, part ramble, part trying-to-figure-it-out-as-I'm-typing. But in saying that, let me put it out to you: How do YOU want MACHINE HEAD's music? Do YOU want a CD? Do YOU want a Spotify stream? Do YOU want the ease of an iTunes download? Do YOU want vinyl with that digital download? Do YOU want a new/different configuration no one has thought about/offered? A guitar that plays the whole record through a USB plug? A calendar-sized booklet with nothing but a download code?

"Write me at TheGeneralJournals@gmail.com, post on our Facebook page, tweet it to me, post a Blabbermouth comment, I'll read it all. Because to me, it's all about making the best music we can, about striving to be better than the rest, not just good, but absolutely bad-fucking-ass. Making something so powerful, it can't help but be heard. And frankly, that's all that matters. The rest will sort itself out."

METALLICA's much-anticipated 3D movie, "Metallica Through The Never", will make its theatrical debut on August 9.

"Metallica Through The Never" will be the first new release via Picturehouse, the full-service independent film marketing and distribution company started in 2005, which is reopening its doors with founder Bob Berney at the helm. The film, written and directed by Nimród Antal ("Kontroll", "Predators"), stars members of the iconic rock band and Dane DeHaan ("Chronicle", "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"). DeHaan plays a young band crew member who is sent out on an urgent mission while the band is playing a rousing live set in front of a sold-out crowd and unexpectedly finds his world turned completely upside down.

Commented METALLICA: "Like your friends in 'TALLICA, Picturehouse is truly independent, take big chances and often think outside of the box. Founder Bob Berney has overseen the releases of two of the most successful independent films ever, 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' and 'The Passion of the Christ', as well as many other cutting-edge, critically acclaimed and award-winning films.

"It goes without saying that we are really just getting rolling here and will have many more updates for you. And of course, we can't wait for you to see the film!"

"Nim and the band have made a film that really captures the spirit of METALLICA and their millions of loyal fans," said Berney. "It's an entertaining genre film with a concert inside it, a fun ride featuring an exciting young actor, Dane DeHaan. It's a very cool project to reboot Picturehouse with."

Added METALLICA drummer and founding member Lars Ulrich: "METALLICA's way of doing things is to jump into unexplored creative endeavors with no safety net whatsoever. Putting this movie together for the last couple of years has been a pretty wild ride, and we've definitely done our share of flying without a net! Bringing Bob and Jeanne and the new Picturehouse team in at this point provides us with a much needed level of security for the distribution of the film. Their spirit of independence and desire to work outside the box is something we can relate to in every way, and this makes them both a welcome addition and a natural fit in the METALLICA family."

Ulrich revealed in a recent interview with Classic Rock magazine some more details about "Metallica Through The Never", which will combine concert footage with a fictional storyline. Ulrich cited the 1976 LED ZEPPELIN movie "The Song Remains The Same" as a major influence, explaining, "There are four members in LED ZEPPELIN, four members in METALLICA, it's a full-length movie, and there's a lot in this film that does not take place onstage. The major difference is that the stuff that takes place offstage in the METALLICA movie does not feature any members of METALLICA. It's two separate worlds — a METALLICA show and a story that unfolds in a parallel universe — and at some point they intertwine."

The ZEPPELIN film interspersed concert footage with fantasy sequences starring each member of the group.

The concert sequences for METALLICA's movie were shot last August at two shows in Vancouver, Canada.

Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that making a movie has been one of the most daunting challenges METALLICA has ever taken on. "It's sort of fun, it's intimidating, it's a little overwhelming, to be honest, because it's a whole different league," he said. "You know, when we go down to [the METALLICA headquarters in San Rafael, California] and record and make a record, it's kind of — you know, we can manage the size of that. [laughs] When you're talking about doing, like, a 3D movie that you're gonna, like, play all over the world, that's a little bit of a bigger undertaking, so obviously we're treading a little more carefully."

YVRShoots.com uploaded photos of a riot scene that was filmed in September 2012 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for "Metallica Through The Never".

According to a post on the site, the filmmakers were shooting all over downtown Vancouver in Arch Alley near Victory Square, a couple of Burrard intersections and on Dunsmuir near the Burrard station. The scene that is captured in the gallery on YVRShoots.com featured "400 extras as rioters and riot police, things on fire and riders on horses."

Antal is best known for writing and directing the Hungarian-language film "Kontroll" (2003) that won several awards, including the Award of Youth at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and the Gold Hugo prize at the Chicago International Film Festival. He also received a European Film Award nomination for Best Director. His credits include "Vacancy", starring Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson, and "Armored", starring Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne. In 2010 he was hired by Robert Rodriguez to direct "Predators", featuring Adrien Brody.

Vocalist Apollo Papathanasio has left Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND and has been temporarily replaced by American singer Kelly Sundown Carpenter (pictured below; BEYOND TWILIGHT, OUTWORLD, DARKOLOGY, ADAGIO).

Even though Papathanasio has been temporarily replaced for some touring activities in the past, he has appeared on all FIREWIND releases since 2006's "Allegiance" album and the band's upcoming live CD will feature recordings from his recent final shows with the group.

Commented FIREWIND: "Today we are in the unfortunate position to announce that Apollo has decided to step down permanently from the vocal duties in FIREWIND.

"For the past few years, it was evident that Apollo could not keep up with FIREWIND's ever-growing and demanding touring and promotional schedule. Several times we've had to recruit replacements in order to continue touring the world and keep playing for our fans. We're lucky enough to have worked with some of the best metal singers out there!

"Although we're sad to announce Apollo's departure and we sure will miss him, at the same time we feel that the show must go on!

"FIREWIND is a band that has gone through lots of ups and downs the past 10 years, but is still going strong! With that said, we're happy to announce that Kelly Sundown Carpenter will be singing for us on the upcoming North American tour with TURISAS! This guy's a phenomenal singer and we can't wait to get out there and rock!

"We're looking forward to our return in America. See you all soon!"

FIREWIND — which features in its ranks current OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. (real name: Kostas Karamitroudis) — will kick off the "Guards Of Glory - North American Tour 2013" with TURISAS and STOLEN BABIES on February 2 in Jacksonville, Florida.

FIREWIND successfully wrapped up the calendar year 2012 with four packed club shows in their native Greece (two nights in Thessaloniki and two nights in Athens), commencing the celebration of the band's 10th anniversary. Additionally, and right before the end-of-the-year festivities, FIREWIND entered the studio in order to mix recordings from last year's "Few Against Many" tour for an upcoming live album, to be released before the summer.

FIREWIND's new album, "Few Against Many", entered the official chart in Greece at No. 42 and in Germany at No. 90. Released in Europe on May 21, 2012 via Century Media Records and in North America on May 22 through DisManic, Inc. via eOne Distribution, the CD was mixed by Jason Suecof and Eyal Levi at Audiohammer Studios (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, DEATH ANGEL) in Sanford, Florida.

ROBOT LORDS OF TOKYO have returned to deliver their third album of ten-ton riffage and whiskey-fueled vocals, available on CD and download January 15. Entitled "Virtue & Vice", the record features numerous guest six-stringers, including Chris Poland (MEGADETH), Tracy G (DIO), Wayne Findlay (MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) and Steve Theado (AMERICAN DOG). Production duties were once again handled by Joe Viers (BOBAFLEX, NO SKY TODAY), with mastering by Rickard Bengsston (OPETH, ARCH ENEMY)

ROBOT LORDS OF TOKYO is the brainchild of Ohio-based songwriting duo Rick Ritzler (drums, guitar) and Paul Jones (vocals, guitar), who came up with the idea for the guest-laden project in 2006 and have since released two critically acclaimed albums on their own RLOT Records. Renowned metal scribe Martin Popoff called their 2009 sophomore effort, "Whiskey, Blood & Napalm" "the best indie I've heard in a decade. Like an ass-kickin' BLACK LABEL SOCIETY crossed with THE SWORD, it's a masterpiece of bludgeoning perfection and it will knock you on your ass." His colleague Bob Nalbandian of Shockwaves/HardRadio called Jones "one of the most powerful new vocalists in metal today," while Classic Rock magazine named "Whiskey, Blood & Napalm" one of their Top 50 Albums of 2009.

For "Virtue & Vice", Ritzler and Jones have once again teamed up with producer Viers to cook up their unique combination of classic metal riffing, stoner/doom grooves and southern swagger, sprinkled with just the right amount of shredding lead guitar pyrotechnics. In addition to the record's nine new sonic sledgehammers, the ROBOT LORDS have once again reworked an obscure classic from the hard rock vaults, this time tackling the title track from CINDERELLA's 1986 debut, "Night Songs".

"From Can To Can't", the collaboration between SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor (pictured below) and FOO FIGHTERS mainman Dave Grohl, was premiered on BBC radio earlier today and is now available for streaming in the YouTube clip below .

"From Can To Can't" will appear on "Sound City: Real To Reel", the soundtrack to Grohl's upcoming documentary. The track also features CHEAP TRICK guitarist Rick Nielsen and bassist Scott Reeder, formerly of KYUSS.

Taylor will perform with Grohl as part of a new band called the SOUND CITY PLAYERS on January 18 at a concert in Park City, Utah during the Sundance Film Festival. Also scheduled to appear are QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes, fellow FOO FIGHTERS members Taylor Hawkins, Rami Jaffe, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, Grohl's onetime NIRVANA partner Krist Novoselic, Chris Goss (MASTERS OF REALITY), RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE drummer Brad Wilk, John Fogerty, Stevie Nicks, CHEAP TRICK's Rick Nielsen, Rick Springfield, FEAR's Lee Ving and violinist Jessy Greene. The show will feature what a publicist described as "core musicians" as well as "special guests" who appear in, "Sound City: Real To Reel".

The film, which marks Grohl's debut as a feature director, will premiere at the Sundance festival before becoming available in theaters, on DVD and on demand on February 1, according to The Pulse Of Radio. The movie chronicles the history of Sound City, a legendary Los Angeles recording studio where acts ranging from FLEETWOOD MAC to NIRVANA cut some of rock's most classic albums.

In addition to conducting numerous interviews with musicians and producers for the film, Grohl brought together a selection of older and more contemporary artists to create new music together for the movie and its soundtrack.

The first of these collaborations, a song called "Cut Me Some Slack", features Grohl and several other former members of NIRVANA backing up Paul McCartney.

Grohl was inspired to make the film last year after purchasing Sound City's custom-built Neve 8028 recording console, considered by many to be the crown jewel of analog recording equipment.

The film and soundtrack will include contributions from Stevie Nicks, Trent Reznor, Rick Springfield, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, Joshua Homme of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and more.

In a recent interview with Shan Man of the Phoenix, Arizona radio station 98 KUPD, Taylor spoke about his involvement with the "Sound City" documentary.

Taylor revealed: "[Grohl] sent an email to me, basically explaining this huge project he was doing — the documentary around the infamous board that he got from Sound City [studios], which so many people have recorded on, myself included; [SLIPKNOT] did 'Iowa' on that board… He bought it, and I loved the idea that he was like, 'How many albums have been made on this board?'"

He added: "He wrote the song, he sent me a demo of it and I was like, 'This is fantastic,' and I just basically wrote the first thing that came off the top of my head. He didn't even hear it until I went down there to record it. And I laid it down, and he was just like, 'Wow.' Because we did it old school — two-inch tape, take after take after take. And with that board, man. It was really, really cool."