Video footage of TANKARD's 30th-anniversary concert on December 8 at the 400-capacity Club Mixtape 5 in Sofia, Bulgaria can be seen below.

Check out photos by Nedko Ignatov at the Metal Hangar 18 web site.

TANKARD's 30th-anniversary album, "A Girl Called Cerveza", was released on July 27 via the band's new label home, Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Studio 23 in Frankfurt with producer Michael Mainx (ONKELZ, DER W, DISBELIEF, D-A-D).

The official listening session for "A Girl Called Cerveza" was held in late April at Studio 23 in Frankfurt, Germany.

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

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

THYRFING 2012 is:

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

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

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

France's ETERNAL FLIGHT is working on their fourth album, set to be released in 2013. The band best known for mixing melodic power metal with prog elements is currently testing new songs and ideas in pre-production.
“The new stuff is more direct than our third album, D.r.e.a.m.s., which was released last year. But at the same time, we still want to sound fresh, so expect surprises and original chord progressions here and there," commented vocalist Gérard Fois. "This time there only will be two tracks exceeding six to seven minutes in length, including 'Nightmare King 2'! Previously 'Nightmare King' was a great artistic achievement and a fan favourite, so we developed a thrilling follow-up to please ourselves and the fans."

Critically acclaimed San Francisco Bay Area dark ambient collective AMBER ASYLUM have inked a deal with Prophecy Productions for the rerelease the band's entire back catalogue as well as three further albums. The follow-up to 2009's "Bitter River" is currently being recorded and will most likely be released in 2013, alongside the new editions of the earlier albums.

Commented AMBER ASYLUM's Kris Force: "I am very pleased to come aboard Prophecy with the entire back catalogue. It is AMBER ASYLUM's personal singularity and the end to a long journey home.

"I hope to devote more time to the craft of actual music making and production while trusting the amazing team at Prophecy Productions to bring it to the world.

"On behalf of the entire collective of AMBER ASYLUM, we move forward with enthusiasm and gratitude."

According to a press release, "AMBER ASYLUM have been forging a style which is hard to pinpoint, described by multi-instrumentalist Kris Force, the artistic leader of a shifting pool of studio and live-musicians, as a mixture between neoclassic and dark ambient with hints at neofolk, industrial and doom metal. Right from the beginning, sinister string-arrangements and female vocals in combination with dragging rhythms of the hypnotic kind have been the main characteristics of AMBER ASYLUM, which, according to the band, tackle the core of being and achieve a cathartic effect."

In the latest issue of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine (order a copy at this location), METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich talks about the band's next album, their upcoming 3D film spectacular and the longterm future of the biggest metal band in the world. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metal Hammer: Do you ever think there'll be a day when you wake up and go, "You know what? I'm bored of being in METALLICA"?

Lars: I don't think I'll ever be bored of being in METALLICA. I think that one of two things can happen. One, is the physicality of what we do — if we don't have the strength to do it physically anymore. We will always have the strength to do it mentally, so I'm not worried about that. But if there ever comes a time when we feel that it's not going on all 12 cylinders, then I hope that we have the guts to walk away from it. The other thing that could happen is that you decide you want to pursue something else: "I'm really interested in film" or "I'm really interested in painting." Is there a chance that when I'm 55, I'll want to write a movie? Or that James Hetfield will want to make a country record? Or that Kirk Hammett will want to go surfing for a year? But I don't think I'll ever wake up and go, "I'm bored of being in METALLICA," because of the nature of who we are as people, and the dynamics in our personalities. We always make it interesting for ourselves. That's why we do crazy shit like "Some Kind Of Monster" and the 3D movies. We throw ourselves these challenges. It's to make sure that boredom never sets in.

Metal Hammer: What do you think the 18-year-old Lars Ulrich would make of the 48-year-old version of himself?

Lars: I think he'd think that he's alright. He does a pretty good job of keeping it real and dealing with all the things he does. I realized that I say one phrase quite often: "I'm doing the best I can." I think the 18-year-old would look at the 48-year-old and go, "He's doing the best he can!"

The U.K. edition of the Sonisphere festival will take another year off in 2013.

A statement from the organizers reads as follows: "The three Sonisphere festivals to date at Knebworth in 2009/2010/2011 set a very high standard and indeed 2011 was voted the best festival line up by the UK Festival Awards. We think it is really important that the event only runs when it has a lineup that sets it apart from the competition whilst also carrying a ticket price that allows us to offer real value for money to the music fans. We were hoping to do that in 2013 but unfortunately it wasn't possible to fulfil both aims with the principle problem of there being a lack of available headliners of the calibre of previous festivals at Knebworth. We made offers to over a dozen major artists but for various reasons none of these offers lead to securing a strong bill. The good news is that the Sonispheres in Amneville, France and Milan, Italy are already on sale and UK fans who fancy jumping on a budget airline and seeing the mighty IRON MAIDEN at Sonisphere festivals in sunnier climates can buy tickets via SonisphereFestivals.com in pounds sterling."

Former ARCH ENEMY guitarist Christopher Amott, who currently resides in Lansdale, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after marrying an American woman, is writing material for a new album from his ARMAGEDDON project. He says: "I've got a brand new band together and some kick-ass material that I can't wait to unleash on the world.

"To be honest, I haven't been this excited about working on an album in about ten-plus years.

"This one's gonna be 100% metal with loads of shred-guitar and intricate compositions.

"I am writing the music together with Matthew Wicklund (GOD FORBID, WARREL DANE, HIMSA), who is the second guitarist in the band. The hooks and melodies we have come up with are huge!! Very excited. On drums we have Van Williams (NEVERMORE). Bassist and vocalist I am not revealing yet, but I can say this much; it won't be me singing.

"I'm predicting a release for this album by summer 2013."

Amott moved to the U.S. in April 2012 and recently received his green card in the mail, enabling him to live and work in the country.

Christopher Amott played a solo concert at the Loud Park festival on October 27 at Saitama Super Arena, a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Saitama City, Japan. Backing him at the gig were Wicklund and Williams.

Amott's new solo album, "Impulses", can be purchased directly from his music store.

Amott in March issued a statement explaining that he left ARCH ENEMY to pursue his solo career. He said, "I'm gonna continue to be very active in music, working with all kinds of styles — this does not rule out metal."

ARCH ENEMY recruited American guitarist Nick Cordle (ARSIS) to replace Christopher.

Christopher Amott started his career in music in 1995 as a founding creative force and guitarist in ARCH ENEMY. In this context, he is known for his tastefully technical guitar work and memorably emotive playing style.

After garnering his early success, Christopher had the desire to express himself on a personal level in the same genre. At this time he began writing albums under the name ARMAGEDDON. Christopher wrote and recorded three albums over the next few years as ARCH ENEMY grew into an internationally recognized act, with his compositions featuring his own vocal stylings on the last album. This would be Christopher's first foray into singing and a spark of inspiration for his later musical ventures.

In 2008, Christopher began to consider his creative options as a mature musician. He began writing songs of an entirely different atmosphere, which saw his guitar playing focused less on technical ecstasy and more on a chord-based blues rock ambience as a foundation for more prominent vocal and lyrical ideas. These compositions developed into his next solo project; the album would be called "Follow Your Heart", released under his own name in 2010.

Pictured below (left to right): Van Williams, Christopher Amott and Matt Wicklund

In October 2012, THIN LIZZY announced that they would not be recording new material under the THIN LIZZY monicker. The last incarnation of the band — Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Darren Wharton, Ricky Warwick, Damon Johnson and Marco Mendoza — would be looking to form a new project.

Step forward BLACK STAR RIDERS…

Today sees the announcement of the new band formed by THIN LIZZY alumni Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso (ALICE COOPER, MEGADETH, DAVID LEE ROTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) on drums. The change in personnel came about as Brian Downey didn't want to commit to the touring cycle a new album would entail and Darren Wharton wanted to concentrate on DARE and other music and film projects.

BLACK STAR RIDERS is set to enter the studio in Los Angeles in January 2013 to start recording their debut album with the legendary Kevin Shirley (LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, RUSH). The album will feature material the band wrote while touring as THIN LIZZY and the sound retains that classic feel but is very much its own as well. The BLACK STAR RIDERS record is the next step in the evolution of the THIN LIZZY story.

"We are all very excited about the music that we have created for BLACK STAR RIDERS. The synergy between the five of us has been phenomenal and I can't wait for the world to hear these songs," says Warwick.

The new, as-yet-untitled album will be released in May 2013 through Nuclear Blast — the label behind acts such as ANTHRAX, NIGHTWISH and MESHUGGAH. BLACK STAR RIDERS are one of the first bands signed by Monte Conner — the former Roadrunner A&R guru who has signed acts such as SLIPKNOT, MACHINE HEAD, SEPULTURA and RUSH. Conner recently joined Nuclear Blast as the president of Nuclear Blast Entertainment, a new U.S. partnership he co-founded with Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger.

Says Conner: "As a lifelong THIN LIZZY fan, I was floored by this line-up's new material. Not only do the new songs sound like THIN LIZZY but they sound like CLASSIC THIN LIZZY. BLACK STAR RIDERS totally captures the essence of what was great about the original band while at the same time adding something totally fresh and modern. Even when I heard the band decided to change their name, my interest in signing them did not waver for one second."

The band are looking to support their May album release with European festivals shows in the summer of 2013 and follow this up with worldwide touring. The set list will consist of material from the new album and classic THIN LIZZY material.

Classic Rock magazine has an exclusive interview with BLACK STAR RIDERS in their edition that hits the streets on January 3, 2013.

The official Richard "Rick-y" Frantzén-directed video for "Cocaine Cowboys", the new single from Swedish rockers CRASHDÏET, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's fourth album, "The Savage Playground", which will be released on January 25 in Europe (excluding Scandinavia) and January 22 in North America via Frontiers Records.

With "The Savage Playground" recorded during summer/autumn 2012 at Kingside Studios outside Stockholm with producer Otto Wellton, the band has their minds set to break through on a worldwide basis with a tour that will see the band going back to the U.S. as well as going to Japan for the first time.

The new album sees CRASHDÏET going in a heavier and direction. "'The Savage Playground' is our playground, it's the beginning and the end, it's the place where we eat and breed," says guitarist Martin Sweet. "We thought the time was right for us to do a edgier and not-so-polished-sounding album, kinda like what we sound like live. It's more organic and rough-sounding. And, of course, we're always evolving as musicians and like to try new ways of expressing ourselves, and that can most definitely be heard this album."

"The Savage Playground" track listing:

01. Change The World
02. Cocaine Cowboys
03. Anarchy
04. California
05. Lickin' Dog
06. Circus
07. Sin City
08. Got A Reason
09. Drinkin' Without You
10. Snakes In Paradise
11. Damaged Kid
12. Excited
13. Garden Of Babylon

CRASHDÏET released a new DVD entitled "Shattered Glass And Broken Bones – Three Years Of Generation Wild" on December 4. The disc features three hours of live and behind-the-scenes footage complied by the band with Bear Productions.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has confirmed that it will enter the studio in January to begin recording its sixth album. The new disc will follow up 2010's "Nightmare", which reached No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. Singer M. Shadows gave NME.com a hint of what the upcoming set would sound like, saying, "This album's a little more groove orientated. There's a little bit more groove to it, a little bit more focused on bigger riffs. So that's where it's headed — every song has gotta have a huge riff and every song has to have a groove to it."

A summer 2013 release is planned for the album.

Meanwhile, with Christmas just around the corner, Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio about a valuable lesson he learned in his childhood during the holidays. "One of my first Christmases when I was a little guy, I was obsessed with Batman, and my parents bought me all these Batman clothes — like Batman hat, Batman shirt, Batman shorts, Batman skateboard," he said. "I remember I actually wore the same clothes every single day after Christmas for like four months straight until all the kids in the neighborhood were making fun of me. So my lesson to everyone would be: be careful what you wish for — you're not as cool as you think you are."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD recently contributed a new song called "Carry On" to the new video game Call Of Duty: Black Ops II.

In addition to contributing "Carry On" to the new Call Of Duty game, AVENGED SEVENFOLD also appears in the game's closing credits.

Canadian metallic hard rockers FAMOUS UNDERGROUND have inked a worldwide, two-album deal with German label Dust On The Tracks Records (DOTT). The band's debut album, which is slated for April 2013, will be released through Sony (Europe), MVD (USA), RSK (UK) and Universal (Canada).

Commented FAMOUS UNDERGROUND guitarist/vocalist Nicholas Walsh: "It's great to know that our music can reach many people. We had multiple labels interested in the band, and ultimately went with DOTT due to their understanding of our music and how and where it needs to be exposed."

Added bassist Laurie-Anne Green : "Under the stable of Rock 'n' Growl Management and DOTT Records, we feel that we have a great team to propel us forward into the New Year."

FAMOUS UNDERGROUND is:

Nicholas Walsh - Vocals/Guitars
Laurie-Anne Green - Bass/backing Vocals
Rick Corvese - Guitar
Darren Boyd - Guitar
Desche Sparboom - Drums

FAMOUS UNDERGROUND's sound and music is edgy, melodic and hooky, bringing a paradigm shift to the arena of rock. It's been said that they have created something fresh and exciting in an otherwise stagnated genre.

FAMOUS UNDERGROUND's self-titled studio release was produced by Nick Walsh, and mixed by Darius Szczepaniak (SUM 41, BLACK CROWES, BIG SUGAR, SACRIFICE) at Rouge Valley Studio in Toronto. The new recording takes Walsh's writing to a more defined state where the lyrics delve more into the complexities of the real world.

Finnish symphonic metallers AMBERIAN DAWN have announced the addition of 40-year-old singer Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen to the group's ranks. The band's new lineup is re-recording the "best" songs from its first four albums — "Circus Black" (2012), "End Of Eden" (2010), "The Clouds Of Northland Thunder" (2009) and "River Of Tuoni" (2008) — for a compilation album, to be released in 2013.

Capri previously released two solo albums: "Salaa Sinun" (1997) and "Kuun Morsian" (2001).

Commented AMBERIAN DAWN: "As announced recently we have spent quite some time with the search for a new singer. A pretty hard task, but we think we managed to find an extraordinarily talented singer.

"We are very proud to present you Capri! She is from Finland and a professional vocalist with a strong background: she has worked for a vast amount of different kinds of studio and live projects (musicals, lead and backing vocal recordings, live shows etc).

"Capri has a classical training but is still 100 percent a rock singer. We are sure she will bring AMBERIAN DAWN to a new level by interpreting AMBERIAN DAWN songs with a different kind of style and emotion.

"And since we all thought that Capri can sing those 'classic' AMBERIAN DAWN songs with new and refreshing style and sound, we decided to re-record a selection of our best songs again with her. Also 75% of the music stems are going to be re-recorded. Mikko P. Mustonen, who did orchestral arrangements for our previous album ('Circus Black'), will add some more color to those songs with awesome orchestral additions. He's also going to mix this album. Release dates, track listing and cover art are to be announced later."

Added AMBERIAN DAWN songwriter Tuomas Seppälä: "Finding Capri and getting her join AMBERIAN DAWN is like a big dream coming true to me. Capri shares the same taste in music as I and that's why is obvious that our new partnership is like 'match made in heaven.' She really makes my compositions to shine like never before and I'm so impressed about her every way. I'm as excited as back then when I found our original singer Heidi. Now my main focus is to make the whole world to hear about Capri and start composing new songs for her. But first, we're all concentrating on recording this compilation album with Capri and then I'll start working with new material for new studio album."

AMBERIAN DAWN 2013 is:

Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen - Vocals
Tuomas Seppälä - Guitar, Keyboards
Emil Pohjalainen - Guitar
Kimmo Korhonen - Guitar
Jukka Koskinen - Bass
Joonas Pykälä-aho - Drums

AMBERIAN DAWN parted ways with vocalist Heidi Parviainen in November. Her final appearance with the band was at the Metal Female Voices Fest at the end of October in Belgium.

AMBERIAN DAWN's fourth studio album, "Circus Black", was released in Finland on February 29 via Spinefarm Records. The band's mainman, keyboardist and guitarist Tuomas Seppälä composed all ten songs for the CD and Parviainen penned the lyrics.

Drummer Jeff "Oly" Olson (TROUBLE, RETRO GRAVE) will play the Hammond organ on the forthcoming debut album from IN-GRAVED, the new band led by former PENTAGRAM and PLACE OF SKULLS guitarist Victor Griffin. The CD, which is tentatively due in the spring, will also feature drummer Pete Campbell, bassists Guy Pinhas, Ron Holzner, Greg Turley, Marty Swaney and Dan Lively, and keyboardist Mike Puleo.

IN-GRAVED will perform at the Roadburn festival in April 2013 in Tilburg, Holland. Joining Griffin will for the concert will be Campbell, Pinhas and Olson. More dates will be announced soon.

The "photobiography" book celebrating the 20th anniversary of Portuguese metallers MOONSPELL, titled "XX", is now available to order by e-mailing geral@saidadeemergencia.com.

"XX" is available in both Portugese and English. It's priced at 17.01 euros for the paperback, and 21.51 euros for the hardcover, plus shipping and handling.

MOONSPELL and Swedish black metallers MARDUK will join forces for the "Voices From The Dark" North American co-headlining tour in February/March 2013. Support on the trek will come from Colombian/American black metal rising demons INQUISITION, Italy's gothic melodic sensation THE FORESHADOWING, and Sweden's dark rock/metal band DEATH WOLF (featuring MARDUK members).

MOONSPELL's new album, "Alpha Noir", was released on April 27 via the band's new label home, Napalm Records. The cover artwork for the CD is an intricate, marvellous and symbolic creation by Seth Siro Anton, the Greek artist who collaborated with the band on "Night Eternal".

Mike Portnoy says that it's highly improbably that he will ever rejoin DREAM THEATER because his former bandmates have "done some irrefutable damage behind the scenes."

The drummer, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 20 years ago, abruptly quit the band in September 2010 while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD. He has since been replaced by Mike Mangini (ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME, JAMES LABRIE, STEVE VAI).

Portnoy played on AVENGED SEVENFOLD's latest album, "Nightmare", following the death of that band's drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, and toured with them for the entire second half of 2010.

Asked by a fan during a Twitter question-and-answer session earlier today (Thursday, December 20) if he is thinking about a possible return to DREAM THEATER, Portnoy replied, "[It's] not looking likely... They have done some irrefutable damage behind the scenes."

In a March 2012 interview with the Babylon, New York rock radio station WBAB, Portnoy stated about the dramatic way in which his split from DREAM THEATER played out in the media: "The reality is we live in an age where everything is on the Internet in real time … Back in the day — in the '70s, '80s and '90s — a lot of this stuff would have been behind closed doors. We live in an age when Twitter and Blabbermouth and everything is out there in real time. So, unfortumately, a lot of the [details behind the split] probably, really, should have not been up for public discussion and dissection, but, unfortunately, it was. . . The difference is back [in the '70s, '80s and early '90s], only the journalists and the record DJs and people like that were able to really comment on the bands and the music. Now every 12-year-old kid with a computer has an open forum to get involved. [laughs] So when you have something like a band split or a breakup, then you have thousands of comments feeding it and fueling it and commenting on it, it's much different than it was back in the '80s and '90s for us. . . Anytime I tried to defend myself, it would get ripped apart and overanalyzed and misinterpreted, so I've learned the hard way over the past year that the best reponse is no response. And it's sad, because I've always valued being very, very open honest with the fans. You see people like Lars Ulrich [METALLICA] and Dave Mustaine [MEGADETH] and usually the people that have the honesty and the open mouths to talk about things are the ones that get shut down and made examples of. So… live and learn."

Regarding the circumstances that led to his departure from DREAM THEATER, Portnoy said: "Basically, we were together for 25 years, at least 15 to 20 of which were very, very active — you know, write-record-tour, write-record-tour… an endless cycle. And to be honest with you, within those cycles, I was always overseeing everything — from the production to the DVDs to the web sites to the merchandise to the fan clubs — so I never got a rest whereas the other guys would get to go home and have time off with their families. So I was getting burnt out. And granted, I like doing other things with other projects and things like that, and I think that, sometimes, a break from the family — meaning, the full-time band — it was sometimes good. But anyway, towards the end, I was just feeling burnt out. On the surface, the band was making new strides — we had just done a tour with IRON MAIDEN, we played Madison Square Garden for the first time. So the band was still building and growing and developing. But after 25 years, I mean, I just felt we needed a break. I just felt like backstage, there was no camaraderie and everyone was in separate dressing rooms. I was out there, I did a run [as the touring drummer] with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, and I was seeing this brotherhood and this camaraderie that was exciting and inspiring to me, and I wasn't seeing that with DREAM THEATER, so I just suggested, 'Hey, guys, let's take a little break, a little hiatus. It might do the band some good. It might internally respark the fire and rekindle the relationship. The fans could be, maybe, a little hungry after a year or two.' So I suggested that, and obviously, they didn't wanna stop, they didn't wanna take a break, and I desperately needed one — not from working, but from those guys and that endless cycle."

DREAM THEATER's first album with Mangini, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", sold 36,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 8.

The band was among the nominees in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category at the 54th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on February 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

PAGAN's Michael Bilinski and Jennifer Renee Price will be joined by SHADOWS IN THE CRYPT guitarist Lawrence Wallace on upcoming performances and events. He will also be lending himself to some new recordings.

Rounding out the lineup is SHADOW OF SILENCE bassist Sam Mckee. A photo of Mckee can be seen below:
Pagan will be joined by a number of special guests when they enter the studio in the coming weeks to record a cover of the classic ‘House Of The Rising Sun’. The track will be released as a digital single/EP on The Genepool/Universal in the first quarter of 2013. A remix contest will be held, with the winning tracks being included on the release.

Updates to follow.

The official lyric video for "As Grace Descends", a brand new song from New York death metal veterans SUFFOCATION, can be seen below. The track comes off the band's new album, "Pinnacle Of Bedlam", which will be released on February 15, 2013 via Nuclear Blast Records. The artwork was handled this time around by Raymond Swanland and can be found below.

Commented SUFFOCATION bassist Derek Boyer: "This artwork is a perfect portrayal of our music. The cover depicts lyrical content like 'scales tip in degradation' and 'hooded messenger of death is now set forth, punishment for all.' Raymond is an absolute BEAST of an artist!"

Added SUFFOCATION guitarist Guy Marchais: "The artwork for 'Pinnacle' brings another element to an already brutal album. Raymond knew exactly what we were looking for and delivered!"

"Pinnacle Of Bedlam" was produced by the band at Full Force Studios in New York with longtime collaborator Joe Cincotta. The mixing and mastering of the effort was handled by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, ARSIS, SUICIDE SILENCE).

"Pinnacle Of Bedlam" features 10 genre-defining-bone-crushing tracks and also marks the return of drummer Dave Culross, who previously played on the "Despise The Sun" EP. Founding member and former drummer Mike Smith also makes a special guest appearance on the re-recorded "Breeding The Spawn" track "Beginning Of Sorrow".

"Pinnacle Of Bedlam" track listing:

01. Cycles Of Suffering
02. Purgatorial Punishment
03. Eminent Wrath
04. As Grace Descends
05. Sullen Days
06. Pinnacle Of Bedlam
07. My Demise
08. Inversion
09. Rapture Of Revocation
10. Beginning Of Sorrow

Stated guitarist Terrance Hobbs: "The meaning of the album title 'Pinnacle Of Bedlam', is the tipping point or most elevated moment as we approach the chaotic climax of this existence. The cosmic scale teeters and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

"People should expect nothing less than sheer brutality, as we perform together with this incredible lineup! We feel this CD will be the best SUFFOCATION album ever to have been released and are confident the fans will love it."

SUFFOCATION was among the inductees for this year's class of the Long Island Music Hall Of Fame. TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider received the Harry Chapin Award at the event, which was held on October 18 at The Paramount in Huntington, New York.

The autobiography of David Ellefson, co-founder and bassist of 11-time Grammy-nominated heavy metal titans MEGADETH, will be made available next year via Howard Books. Ellefson's memoir, "My Life With Deth", chronicles the story of Ellefson's fall into addiction during the band's early years, followed by his subsequent recovery and the return to faith which championed the band's rise to fame over the past several decades. The book is being written with Joel McIver, the bestselling author of 21 books on rock music, and features a foreword by Alice Cooper. World rights to "My Life With Deth" were sold to Philis Boultinghouse at Howard Books by agent Lisa Gallagher at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

Ellefson says: "My autobiography is not the usual tale of rock 'n' roll woe, but rather something I hope will truly inspire people. I have dedicated my life to my craft, and I wanted to share the story of how a kid with a bass guitar and the dream of rock stardom literally risked it all to move from the farm in Minnesota to Los Angeles, and with a lot of hard work, sacrifice and a little luck along the way, made the dream come true. I think the readers will enjoy the stories, as well as the hardships, of this way of life as a musician and artist. I've been very open about my life's obstacles and the means by which I overcame them. Now, my hope is that this story will inspire others to follow their dreams and really live out the purpose for their lives, too.”

The book features contributions from Kerry King (SLAYER), Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), Ellefson's current bandmate in MEGADETH Shawn Drover and also former colleagues Chris Poland and Marty Friedman. A publication date will be announced early in 2013.

In addition to numerous gold and platinum records, David is the author of the book "Making Music Your Business" and has two metal bass guitar instructional DVDs through Rock House Method entitled "Metal Bass Vol. 1" and "Vol. 2". He is also a featured bass clinician, keynote speaker and panelist on the subject of music and the music industry.

Photo credit: Sharon Toxic

Napalm Records has set a February 5, 2013 North American release date for "Solarflesh", the new album from Polish extreme metallers HATE. The follow-up to 2010's "Erebos" was recorded at Sound Division Studio in Warsaw with Filip "Heinrich" Halucha (VESANIA, DECAPITATED) and Arek "Malta" Malczewski (BEHEMOTH's sound guy). The CD was mixed at Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland with producers Slawek and Wojtek Wieslawski (DECAPITATED, VADER).

"Solarflesh" track listing:

01. Watchful Eye Of Doom
02. Eternal Might
03. Alchemy Of Blood
04. Timeless Kingdom
05. Festival Of Slaves
06. Sadness Will Last Forever
07. Solarflesh
08. Endless Purity
09. Mesmerized
10. Hatehammer (limited-edition bonus track)
11. Venom (limited-edition bonus track)
12. Fall Of All Icons (limited-edition bonus track)

Two teaser for the CD can be seen below.

Commented HATE guitarist/vocalist Adam "ATF Sinner" Buszko: "I believe 'Solarflesh' is the most insane and haunting record we've done thus far. It's nothing but pure darkness… We're extremely satisfied with this 61-minute monster (12 songs) that we've put to life. Now we're working on a documentary about creation of 'Solarflesh', its ideological sides, the band's history, touring etc. It's going to be much more than just a studio report. We want it to be an in-depth interview revealing some unknown facts, hidden meanings etc. I'm sure people will find it interesting."

Buszko previously stated about "Solarflesh": "On this album we definitely explore new territories and push the boundaries of this beautiful and sick genre to its absolute limits! The material contains 12 collages. Most of them are insanely fast (270 bpm). Others are groovy, trance-like mantras that seem to haunt you forever. They all have rich background of samples and other elements that make them sound multidimensional. We also have several dark, ambient compositions that seem like complete avantgarde. I've been working on them with Michal Staczkun, the guy who did excellent job on our previous album, 'Erebos'. We are also working on a few songs with Androniki Skoula, a singer from Greece, known for her involvement in the band CHAOSTAR, as well as collaboration with SEPTICFLESH and ROTTING CHRIST. She's adding some 'Hellenic' flair to the songs that makes them even more elaborate."

Check out photos from the studio at this location.

Mexico's SPLIT HEAVEN recently parted ways with singer Eli Valenzuela. The band have now announced the addition of Gian Carlo Farjat as their new singer.

Says the band: "We think Gian Carlo's voice is perfect for the new things we are doing; he has an amazing vocal range so he doesn't have problems with the songs we did with Eli and for the new stuff of Split Heaven he is doing those agressive heavy metal vocals we were looking for. Although we have only played a bunch of times with him, we are very excited with the sound we are getting in the rehearsal room. Thanks to everybody who supported us in this time of change and wait for our new album. It's coming soon, we promise."

The band have started working on the follow-up to their 2011 album, Street Law, with the new album due to be released in 2013.
Split Heaven lineup 2013:

Gian Carlo Farjat - Vocals
Carlo "Taii" Hernández - Bass
Pedro Zelbohr - Guitar
Armand "Hank" Ramos - Guitar
Tommy Roitman - Drums

Updates to follow. More on Split Heaven here.

MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel joined Los Angeles glam-metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER on stage on September 28 at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas, Nevada to perform a cover version of OZZY OSBOURNE's "Crazy Train" and PANTHER's own "Tomorrow Night". Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

STEEL PANTHER's first-ever DVD, "British Invasion", sold 3,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 2 on Billboard's Top Music Videos chart. Recorded with 16 cameras in pristine HD over a two-year period, the disc chronicles STEEL PANTHER's legendary live show that the band has come to be known for. Beginning in March 2010 at the band's sold-out concert at Brixton Academy in London during their highly successful "Feel The Steel" tour, the DVD feaures some of the group's most memorable hits, including "Asian Hooker", "Community Property", "The Shocker" and "Stripper Girl", in a way never seen before. Included in the package is a laugh-out-loud documentary that follows the band backstage and on their tour that is not to be missed. The deluxe box set includes two DVDs — one with the full show and one with the documentary — deleted scenes and five songs from Download Festival 2012. The packaging also includes a 16-page color book.

"Machine Fucking Head Live", the new live album from MACHINE HEAD, sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. It's the band's second live effort; "Hellalive" came out in 2003.

"Machine Fucking Head Live" was recorded at various tour stops across the globe last year. It features songs from throughout the band's expansive catalog, including crowd favorites like "Imperium", "Aesthetics of Hate", "Locust", "Ten Ton Hammer", "This is the End" and "Halo".

Sweden Rock Magazine, Scandinavia's biggest hard rock magazine and Sweden's top-selling music magazine, celebrate issue #100 by naming the 100 greatest Swedish bands of all time.

"Over the past couple of decades, it's hard to think of another country with a population equivalent to that of New York that's had such an impact on hard rock and metal as Sweden has," says editor-in-chief Martin Carlsson. "When Sweden Rock Magazine turns 100, it's only fitting that we pay tribute to the many great talents this country has produced."

In Sweden Rock Magazine #100, the doom masters CANDLEMASS are named the greatest Swedish band of all time.

"To get such an acknowledgement from Sweden Rock Magazine for what we've achieved over almost 30 years is just fantastic. Today, the phenomenon CANDLEMASS is much greater than its individual parts," says CANDLEMASS mainman Leif Edling.

Number two on the list are the legendary death metallers ENTOMBED.

For a CD single sent exclusively to the magazine's subscribers with #100, CANDLEMASS have recorded a heavy version of ENTOMBED's classic death'n'roll song "To Ride, Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth" and ENTOMBED have covered CANDLEMASS uptempo song "Black Dwarf".

"In sports, being number two means you've lost, but since CANDLEMASS are doing a cover of ENTOMBED we see this as a victory," says ENTOMBED vocalist L-G Petrov.

EUROPE, one of Sweden's biggest music exports of all time, are number three on the list.

"We took the long road back and now we've arrived. We used to say that one day this band is going to amount to something. I'm so proud of our crew and my friends in EUROPE," says EUROPE vocalist Joey Tempest.

CANDLEMASS and ENTOMBED both take the stage for two special concerts at Sweden Rock Magazine's 100th-issue party at Debaser Medis in Stockholm, Sweden on January 26, 2013. Tickets are on sale and cost SEK 220. Ticket information: www.debaser.se

For information on how to subscribe to Sweden Rock Magazine, go to www.swedenrockmagazine.com.

On the heels of the fall release of their acclaimed comeback CD, "Wheels of Impermanence", Canadian progressive metallists HEAVEN'S CRY will reissue their first two albums, "Food For Thought Substitute" and "Primal Power Addiction", on January 8, 2013. The LPs — which are now available for pre-order separately or as a specially-priced bundle — have been newly remixed by Yannick St-Amand (DESPISED ICON, BENEATH THE MASSACRE, KATAKLYSM) and remastered by Jens Bogren (OPETH, KATATONIA, SYMPHONY X) and feature revamped artwork.

"I'm having a blast listening to our music the way we imagined it back then," says vocalist/guitarist Pierre St-Jean. "Our music has multiple layers where guitars and bass play different parts to create textures, and since our music is less riff-oriented than what most rock and metal bands do, it's important to hear every detail, every instrument clearly. That is now possible, thanks to Yannick and Jens."

Guitarist Eric Jarrin (ex-DESPISED ICON) adds: "I'm so grateful that Prosthetic Records agreed to re-release our first two albums. We worked very hard writing those tunes but unfortunately, we did not have the resources at the time to make it sound the way we wanted it to. Having the opportunity to revisit these albums and give them a new polish, it finally feels like justice has been done to these songs. You know, in the making of a progressive album, every detail is important. Our goal has always been to make sure that the music and the lyrical content are coherent, and that every instrument plays its role in the process. Now that they have been remixed properly, you can hear the music we wrote in its entirety."

After taking a seven-year hiatus, HEAVEN'S CRY recently released its third album, "Wheels Of Impermanence", which Blistering.com labeled as "power metal majesty." The band headlined the ProgPower Europe festival in the Netherlands in October and is scheduled to take part in the ProgPower USA festival in 2013.

Former BLOOD STAIN CHILD vocalist Sophia, has issued the following update:
"The wait is over! I can finally unveil my first secret project and the magic word is MEJIBRAY. I know lots of you have been asking for a second collaboration, so there ya go! This time, I sang on Mejibray's upcoming single 'Die Kusse', in stores February 6th.

I just love working with effective people and MiA is one of them for sure. Fast with communications, very polite, and inspired when writing new songs.
It's always a pleasure working together. This time, I recorded in Greece, so we couldn't have fun in the studio like last time, but it was a fruitful experience nevertheless. Everything worked like a clock and we both liked the result.

I do hope you all enjoy the song as much as we did!"

For information on Mejibray go to this location.
Sophia issued the following statement with regards to her departure from Blood Stain Child:

"It's been almost two years since I joined BSC. I can't say time passed that quickly. Those two years, including almost one year of preparations, were full of work, creativity, constantly moving from place to place with countless airplanes, trains, buses along with my beloved suitcase and my best friend: myself.

It felt like going back to school. I studied hard indeed and I learnt many important lessons. No cheating, no copying from the person sitting next to you. Always with honesty and truth being my guides. It might sound like the most difficult way to choose in this industry, but I see it as the only way for me. This is why I came to the decision to leave the band, which I believe is for the best interest of both BSC and me.

There's been a lot of inevitable changes, which were beyond anyone's control, but which I believe were the catalyst that brought me to another level, both as a person and subsequently as an artist. It was a challenge that I gladly accepted in order to go to the next step.

I remember in the beginning, when I was asked to join the band, I was a closet musician who had never played with a band or gone on stage before. Although I was scared of failure, somewhere deep inside I knew I would make it in the end. Of course I had to push my limits every day and fight my personal demons one by one, but I believe that in the end I passed the exams.

This might have never happened, though, if it wasn't for everyone who believed and trusted me: the band, my friends and of course each and every one of you. I met lots of amazing people during this fantastic journey, I made many new and precious friends, together with everyone I created lots of unforgettable memories and I saw many places and lots of colourful, smiling faces. I honestly feel grateful, for all those memories, whether they involved smiles or tears. I believe everything happens for the best and evolution is the ultimate goal, in the end of the day.

The end...which is a new beginning, dressed as sadness sometimes. Let this be temporary, because bright days lie ahead! I'm sure all the members of BSC will never stop chasing their dream and nor will I.

Lastly, I would like to say sorry to all the fans and everyone involved for this sudden turn of events, but all of you who've been following me along the way, know that I'm not a person who gives up halfway through, or before I've done everything within my power. We shall meet again soon.

Thank you from the bottom of my alien heart.

Sending you lots of love and light."
Meanwhile, Blood Stain Child issued the following update earlier this week:

"With careful and thorough screening, Kiki has been selected to be the lead singer of Blood Stain Child. She has been performing as a singer/songwriter and actively involved with studio works and live scenes in various fields. What makes her so unique and talented is to be able to handle both clean voice and scream voice.

Some demos will be out soon hopefully soon for you to check out. We already can see your face going 'damn!'"

One of the pioneering industrial black metal forces to emerge in the early '90s, MYSTICUM and Peaceville Records have announced the re-release of the band's debut album, "In The Streams Of Inferno", on February 26. The reissued version of the LP will feature extensive remastering, courtesy of Tom Kvålsvoll at Strype Studios in Oslo, Norway, two bonus songs and DVD. The packaging also contains new artwork made in close association with the band to fully reflect the intended vision, plus liner notes and additional lyrics. The release will be available in both CD and vinyl format. The bonus DVD will contain two live shows from 1996. "Grotten" in Asker, Norway has until now been totally unknown to the masses except for the few that were present at the show. The other show is the more well-known Bradford, U.K. set from MYSTICUM's European tour with MARDUK and GEHENNA. Overall, both gigs give a great glimpse into the pure atmosphere and intensity of this cult act — a must for all fans.

A perfect concoction of cold, primitive black metal and forward-thinking ideas from an act unafraid to push boundaries, the hell of "In The Streams Of Inferno" has had a lasting and profound impact on many since 1996.

The band was originally signed to Euronymous' (MAYHEM) Deathlike Silence Productions label, such was his belief in the band (MYSTICUM even featured Hellhammer from MAYHEM in their lineup for a brief period). However, this venture proved to be cut short following Euronymous' death, forcing MYSTICUM to look elsewhere for the release of their eventual debut album, "In The Streams Of Inferno" finally surfacing in 1996.

Unifying the core trio of Herr General Cerastes, Svartravn and Mean Malmberg in late 2011, MYSTICUM has commenced work on its follow-up album, "Planet Satan", to be released 2013 on Peaceville Records.

GLORYHAMMER, the "heroic fantasy power metal" project led by Christopher Bowes, the mastermind behind pirate metal sensation ALESTORM, with a desire to explore the more symphonic and epic side of metal, will released its debut album, "Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife", on March 29, 2013 via Napalm Records. The CD, which will tell an original story based in an alternate-history medieval Scotland, where magic and dark sorcery reigns supreme, was recorded at LSD Studios in Germany. A concept of such epic proportions requires a truly talented vocalist, and for this purpose Thomas L. Winkler from Swiss power metal band EMERALD was hired to provide majestic soaring vocals. The lineup is completed by Paul Templing, James Cartwright, and Ben Turk, who honed their battle skills in various underground U.K. metal bands.

GLORYHAMMER is:

Christopher Bowes - Keyboards
Thomas Winkler - Vocals
Paul Templing - Guitars
James Cartwright - Bass
Ben Turk - Drums

The cover artwork for "Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife" was "painstakingly handcrafted" by Dan Goldsworthy (ACCEPT, HELL, SYLOSIS). The art depicts the great hero Angus McFife, questing valiantly through the frozen highlands, wielding the Hammer of Glory.

"Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife" track listing:

01. Anstruther's Dark Prophecy
02. The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee
03. Angus McFife
04. Quest for the Hammer of Glory
05. Magic Dragon
06. Silent Tears of Frozen Princess
07. Amulet of Justice
08. Hail to Crail
09. Beneath Cowdenbeath
10. The Epic Rage of Furious Thunder

There will also be a limited first-pressing "Heroic Edition" of the album, presented in a luxurious digipak format with alternate artwork, featuring the bonus track "Wizards!".

Indie Recordings has announced the signing of Oslo, Norway's ALTAAR. The band's new, self-titled album will be released on February 26 in Europe (four days earlier in Germany and Austria).

ALTAAR is an exceptional outlet with an avant-garde approach to the musical expression by attacking conventional doom metal (CORRUPTED, BLACK SABBATH, NORTT) with references stemming from the classic psychedelic era (LES FLEUR DE LYS, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, PINK FLOYD).

The journey began back in 2007. After the dissolution of JR EWING, Andreas Tylden (also known from ONE TAIL, ONE HEAD) established the solo-project ALTAAR. In the shadows of Vår Frelsers graveyard in Oslo, the cassette "Dødsønske" was recorded. The result was a brooding mixture of black metal, doom, noise, ambient and drone.

"I had the need to create music with a broad emotional register, to break from the conventions of earlier methods I used to employ," says Tylden.

Soon after, the art-academy graduate and noise-musician Sten Ove Toft (RYFYLKE, FAUX PAS) was initiated into the project and the second pressing of "Dødsønske" was released on Toft's label Roggbif. The international community started to take note, and both pressings sold out in a matter of days.

2009 saw the band once again adding new members to the fold in the shape of Espen T. Hangård (KILLL, NOPLACETOHIDE), Kenneth Lamond (JR EWING) and Didrik Telle (OBLITERATION). In the proceeding months, the quintet toured the U.S. and Europe, performed a commissioned piece at the Henie Onstad Art Museum. as well as showcased their music at respected festivals such as SXSW, Øya, Incubate and by:Larm. Due to the bands backgrounds in metal, punk/hardcore, noise and indie, ALTAAR's live shows became an almost ritualistic experience. With concerts played either in perpetual darkness, stages bathed in candlelight or illuminated by projections of handpicked films, the results drew the audience into a place where they had to acquiesce, or react. Which made the music all the more poignant and central.

San Diego death metallers PATHOLOGY have announced the return of singer Matti Way and original guitarist Tim Tiszczenko to the group's ranks. The band states: "This is now the prime PATHOLOGY lineup from the 'Age Of Onset' [2009], 'Legacy Of The Ancients' [2010] era.

"We are very excited for this change, We will now have the best of both worlds with a mix of the old and new.

"PATHOLOGY is already working on new material for a late 2013 release. The band has also completed [its] three-album commitment to Victory Records and will be open to new options."

PATHOLOGY is:

Dave Astor - Drums
Kevin Schwartz - Lead Guitar
Matti Way - Vocals
Tim Tiszczenko - Guitar

PATHOLOGY's latest album, "The Time Of Great Purification", was released on September via Victory Records. The CD was recorded at Lambesis Studios with Daniel Castleman.

"The Time Of Great Purification" featured artwork by Pär Olofsson, creator of the cover art for PATHOLOGY's last two albums, 2010's "Legacy Of The Ancients" and 2011's "Awaken To The Suffering".

DAMNATIONS HAMMER, the U.K.-based CELTIC FROST-inspired doom metal band, has inked a deal with Sweden's I Hate Records for the release of the group's debut album, "Disciples Of The Hex". Due in early 2013, the CD was recorded at DAMNATIONS HAMMER's own Hammerstein Studios and produced and mixed by Mark Mynett.

"Disciples Of The Hex" track listing:

01. Defiance & Retribution
02. Throne Of Fire
03. Disciples Of The Hex
04. Serpent's Wrath
05. Impaled On The Horns Of Betrayal
06. Harbinger Of Darkness
07. The Hex II
08. Gates To The Necronomicon

Founded in early 2007 by guitarist and vocalist Tim Preston, DAMNATIONS HAMMER also features bassist Andy Whitehead and drummer Steve Leach. The vision of the group was always to create dark, doom-laden music inspired by the avante garde metal of the 1980s.

Bassist Pekko Heikkilä has left Finnish metallers TRACEDAWN to focus on his new musical project ATTEMPTED LIFE. He has since been replaced by Jonne Lindqvist.

Commented Lindqvist: "When I was approached about joining TRACEDAWN, it all felt pretty natural from the start. I've known the guys for years and played/worked with everyone on different projects since we were teens.

"I've already done a few shows with the band and things are looking great. Excited to see what direction we'll be heading in the future!"

TRACEDAWN's latest album, "Lizard Dusk", came out in February via Redhouse. The CD was produced and co-recorded by Tuomas Yli-Jaskari, Perttu Kurttila and Vili Itäpelto at Seawolf and Redhouse Studios, mixed by Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman in Sweden and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox.

"Lizard Dusk" marked TRACEDAWN's first recorded output since the departure of singer Antti Lappalainen (vocal duties are presently shared between Niko Kalliojärvi [LITHURIA, ex-AMORAL] and guitarist Tuomas Yli-Jaskari).

The "Breed Insane" video can be seen below.