Dark Star Records has announced the signing of the Illinois-based metal band LOW TWELVE. The group's new album, "Skin In The Game", will be released before the end of the year.

LOW TWELVE is headed up by Pete Altieri, who is the founder of Heavycore, The International Union Of Heavy Bands. Pete has played a significant role in the underground metal scene for many years, releasing a number of compilation CDs and DVDs, doing interviews with major metal artists as well as running his own radio show, the "Heavycore Chopping Block Show". All this hard work has paid off for Pete and LOW TWELVE, who have released a slew of brutal albums and gained quite a large following over the years.

Commented Altieri: "LOW TWELVE is very excited about our new partnership with Dark Star Records. I've known Jeffrey Swanson for years and I know how hard he works to get the word out there, and we're hoping to see bigger and better things with our latest slab-o-sickness, 'Skin In The Game'. The production is stronger than anything we've done before and we think the metal freaks will dig it."

LOW TWELVE is:

Pete Altieri - bass/lead vocals
Meister - guitar/vocals
Les Aldridge - lead guitar
Travis Waterman - drums

LOW TWELVE's video for the song "Brutal World" can be seen below.

Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST have parted ways with lead singer Nitte Vänskä and have replaced her with Noora Louhimo (pictured below).

Commented the band: "On August 19th, Nitte sent the rest of the band an e-mail stating that she was leaving the band, effective immediately. As the reason for her leaving, she cited her will to focus on her family life. As this happened without any prior notice, the rest us were slightly disappointed. But what's done is done, and we're thrilled to announce the new BATTLE BEAST vocalist with a voice and character to take the band to heights of glory."

According to a press release, Louhimo "is already experienced in performing some of the most demanding rock songs in existence and is now ready to take her big step into the metal world. With lungs of leather and a voice to order gods with, Noora possesses all the requirements to deliver the kind of power needed for performing BATTLE BEAST's music.

Noora will lay down all the lead vocals on BATTLE BEAST's forthcoming second album, to be released in early 2013.

An audio snippet of Noora Louhimo singing the BATTLE BEAST song "Iron Hand" is available in the YouTube clip below.

In the meantime, BATTLE BEAST will support fellow Finns SONATA ARCTICA on a European tour in November. The trek will consist of 20 shows in 11 countries.

BATTLE BEAST's debut album, "Steel" — which was originally released in Finland last year via Hype Records — was made available internationally on January 27 through Nuclear Blast Records.

Formed in 2008, BATTLE BEAST won the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle contest in Finland last year, enabling the band to perform at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany and represent its home country in the international Metal Battle finals. The group beat out 26 other acts from all around the world, which led to a record deal with the world's biggest independent heavy metal label.

Finnish love metallers HIM have entered the studio with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa (APOCALYPTICA, AMORPHIS, MOONSPELL) to begin recording their ninth full-length album, "Tears On Tape", for an early 2013 release. The CD will be mixed by Tim Palmer, who has previously worked with PEARL JAM, U2 and ROBERT PLANT, among many others.

HIM will end this year by bringing back the Helldone Festival at club Tavastia in Helsinki, where they will perform for four nights in a row. Supporting HIM on all Helldone 2012 dates are their longtime partners in crime, THE SKREPPERS. This outrageous band fronted by producer/friend Hiilesmaa has stuck stubbornly to its blurry vision, operating somewhere between the psychobilly badlands, and rock and roll outer space. All dressed up in black leather, shiny vinyl, and stiletto heels. THE SKREPPERS' fifth album, "Sherwood Gays", was released in May 2012.

Another constant Helldone 2012 feature — bar New Year's Eve — will be Helsinki Vampire Club by DJ Jyrki69. From goth to glam and beyond, DJ Jyrki69 spins the records and you around at his pop-up dark discotheque at Semifinal Club during the Helldone nights. This is the best place to dance to the beat of HANOI ROCKS and turn into a Helsinki Vampire!

Additional support bands are:

Friday, December 28 - FACE OF GOD, a high-energy Helsinki trio that has released an EP called "Fire" and played over 130 gigs in well under two years — all the way from the dingiest of cellars to the Helldone stage. Right now the band is heading into the studio to record their debut album, a double nonetheless, consisting of an electric ("Dead Ballads And Forgotten Love Songs") and an acoustic ("Illogical Psychology") half.

Saturday, December 29 - FINAL ASSAULT consider themselves "gentlemen on their journey through '80s thrash." Their 2010 debut album was hardcore punk as uncompromising as it comes, but already last year's sophomore work, "Dead By Dawn", showed clear signs of crossing over into metal. The band is already working on their third album, promising it to be nothing less than "an epic speed-thrash-metal record."

More support acts for Sunday, December 30 and Monday, December 31 will be announced shortly.

HIM will release a greatest-hits album, "XX - Two Decades Of Love Metal", on October 26. The set will include the band's new cover version of the song "Strange World", originally recorded in the 1990s by Kevin Grivois (a.k.a. Ké).

The "Strange World" video and digital single was originally due on September 21 but has had its release date pushed up due to an online leak. You can now purchase the track digitally via iTunes.

"Bow Down Before The Blood Court", the debut album from Dutch death metal doom mongers GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT, will be released on November 12 in Europe and on November 20 in North America via Century Media Records. The CD cover artwork was created by Axel Hermann (ASPHYX, GRAVE, UNLEASHED) and can be seen below.

GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT was founded in 2011 by former ASPHYX guitar player Eric Daniels who left behind the active death metal scene years ago after the release of ASPHYX's studio album "On The Wings Of Inferno". But as one should never deny his roots, Mr. Daniels is now back from beyond and ready to spread the plague of doom once more.

"After some resting years, the wish to play real doom/death was boiling again," he says. "It feels great to compose again; my guitars are more close to me than they were ever before. GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT gives me the motivation and true belief to spit out the true and real doom/death.

"I have five words to say about the upcoming album: heavy ...brutal... doom ... crushing ... real.

"My respect and gratitude towards the fans who kept supporting me, even when I wasn't there. YOU RULE!!!"

Still having maintained very close contact to his old band mates of ASPHYX, Eric has teamed up with Martin Van Drunen and Bob Bagchus for GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT as well. Still, GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT differs from the current ASPHYX sound.

Commented Philipp Schulte, A&R at Century Media in Germany: "We are very happy to have Eric Daniels back on the label with his new band.

"Eric and Century Media have a long and good history together.

"When we received the first instrumental samples of GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT, we instantly knew we have to release the band's material. This is crushing, twisted and sick death metal, composed by one of the few real riff masters of the scene.

"I am aware of the fact that GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT will instantly be compared to ASPHYX due to the lineup similarities and Eric's involvement in ASPHYX for many years. Still the two bands have a different approach on death metal and people will easily recognize those differences in the sound."

Eric explains the musical direction of GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT as follows: "GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT is a five-piece band, with two guitar players, in order to give more heaviness and possibilities to the songs. That differs from ASPHYX, as well as the fact that we down-tuned to B and the challenge between heaviness and brutality. The structure of the songs is more basic. Riffs will tell the story. We don't hesitate to play riffs longer if it feels right. GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT is more brutal, saw-like playing than ASPHYX what will be noticeable in the sound. Shortly said: GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT is a band standing at its own, no wink to ASPHYX, no connection."

GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT is:

Eric Daniels - Guitar
Bob Bagchus - Drums
Theo Van Eekelen - Bass
Alwin Zuur - Guitar
Martin Van Drunen - Vocals

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have posted an eight-and-a-half-minute video report from the West Coast leg of their "Maiden England" tour. You can watch it below.

The 34-date "Maiden England" tour was IRON MAIDEN's most extensive visit to North America for many years and included a number of other cities the band had not played in a very long time such as Atlanta, Milwaukee, Buffalo, Indianapolis, Salt Lake City and Sacramento, and places like Sarnia (Ontario, Canada) and Cadott, Wisconsin where they had never visited before. The tour was based on the band's "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Tour", with a setlist almost exclusively from the 1980s featuring all the classic songs and hits. The same spectacular stage set as was used on the original 1988 tour was recreated, complete with a magnificent light show, pyro and a newly reincarnated Eddie!

When asked by The Aquarian Weekly what the reason was behind choosing a setlist like that of the famous 1988 excursion, 7th Tour Of A 7th Tour, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said, "Well, we just thought it'd be fun to revisit that period in time — there were some good songs there. It's just great revisiting some of the songs we haven't played for a long while. It keeps us fresh and it's just, you know, we got a lot of new fans coming on board now, a lot of younger fans who probably never saw or were around when we did that tour. That's one factor of it for us revisiting that time and I think there's some good songs from that period, so it's fun to do."

On the topic of how this tour differs from those in the recent years, Adrian said, "Well, this is a new set; we haven't taken the stage set out, for example, so it's a new stage set. We got new effects. I think it's going to be actually more spectacular than the original tour and probably, technically, you got more stuff now to put into a live show in terms of lighting and that, which will make it quite spectacular, so I think this is going to be pretty special, this tour. What with the songs, we love playing these songs, and with the stage set and effects and of course we got Eddie, he's back, so it should be fun."

The extraordinary and legendary ALICE COOPER was IRON MAIDEN's very special guest on all shows up to July 21. After that date, special guest was COHEED AND CAMBRIA, the inspiring, cutting-edge band from New York.

Finnish gothic metallers UNSHINE have inked a deal with Massacre Records. The band's third album, "Dark Days Rising", will be released in February 2013. The artwork for the CD was created by Jan Yrlund at Darkgrove Design (KORPLIKAANI, EDGE OF SERENITY, TÝR, IMPERIA). Songtitles set to appear on the effort include "The Oath To Wilderness Of Unredeemed Nature", "Idyl", "Defender Of His Faith" and "Ikuinen Taistelu".

UNSHINE in 2010 parted ways with Low Frequency Records after releasing two full-length CDs through the label.

The band's second album, entitled "The Enigma Of Immortals", came out in April 2008.

UNSHINE is:

Susanna Vesilahti (vocals)
Harri Hautala (guitar, synth)
Jari Hautala (guitar)
Teemu Vähäkangas (bass)
Jukka Hantula (drums)

"Breakdown", the new video from BEASTO BLANCO, the group featuring music icons Chuck Garric and Chris Latham, along with producer Tommy Henriksen, can be seen below. The clip was produced by Charles Conklyn.

Commented Garric: "There's been a huge response to BEASTO BLANCO.

"I've been touring non-stop for 10 years with ALICE COOPER and I've learned a lot from one of rock and roll's most entertaining villains.

"BEASTO BLANCO has given me the chance to be me and let loose. I can't wait to have the opportunity to take the full show on the road!"

Garric, current bass player for ALICE COOPER, has been touring non-stop including a current tour with Cooper and IRON MAIDEN. In fact, Garric has contributed his songwriting skills to four ALICE COOPER records, including "Welcome 2 My Nightmare", "Eyes Of Alice Cooper", "Dirty Diamonds", and "Along Came A Spider". Chuck has also contributed to the last recorded DIO album, "Master Of The Moon". In addition, Garric has had the honor of playing bass for Steven Tyler, Rob Halford, Ted Nugent, Don Felder, CHEAP TRICK, Robbie Krieger and more.

"With BEASTO BLANCO, we have set out to create a live, raw power, rock and roll band that will allow us to indulge our influences and imagery that has shaped our collective musical background. BEASTO BLANCO taps into a truly unique rock sound, but still stays true to our roots," said Garric.

SOULFLY/CAVALERA CONSPIRACY guitarist Marc Rizzo has released a new single, "Downside Up", via iTunes, Amazon and other digital retailers. The song is the first single off Rizzo's fourth solo album, which was recently recorded with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL THAT REMAINS, SHADOWS FALL, SOULFLY).

Rizzo is currently on a European tour with SOULFLY in support of the band’s latest record, "Enslaved", which came out in March.

New Jersey native Marc Rizzo embarked on his first U.S. solo tour in 2007. He released two solo albums with Shrapnel Records in 2006 and 2007, entitled "Colossal Myopia" and "The Ultimate Devotion", respectively. In 2010, Marc issued his latest album on his own Phlamencore Records, entitled "Legionnaire".

Rizzo has been endorsed by the likes of Peavey, Yamaha and B.C. Rich, and currently has a B.C. Rich Stealth Pro seven-string signature guitar available for public purchase.

Rizzo is well known for his position in popular metal act SOULFLY, with whom he has released five records to date; "Prophecy" (2004), "Dark Ages" (2005), "Conquer" (2008), "Omen" (2010) and "Enslaved" (2012). In addition, he is a member of CAVALERA CONSPIRACY with SEPULTURA co-founders Max and Igor Cavalera, with whom he collaborated on the project's debut album, "Inflikted", in 2008 and the follow-up effort, "Blunt Force Trauma".

"Apocryphon", the fourth album from Austin, Texas metal luminaries THE SWORD, will be released on October 22 via Razor & Tie.

To celebrate the release, the band has partnered with independent record stores nationwide for a special promotion: when fans buy "Apocryphon" on CD or vinyl, they will receive a free, limited-edition, hand-numbered version of the album on cassette tape (while supplies last).

For a list of participating stores, go to this location.

"Apocryphon" was produced and engineered by J. Robbins (CLUTCH, JAWBOX) at Magpie Cage Studios and features cover art by famed comic book artist J.H. Williams III (Batwoman, Promethea).

"Apocryphon" track listing:

01. The Veil Of Isis
02. Cloak Of Feathers
03. Arcane Montane
04. The Hidden Masters
05. Dying Earth
06. Execrator
07. Seven Sisters
08. Hawks And Serpents
09. Eyes Of The Stormwitch
10. Apocryphon

Bonus tracks:

01. Arrows In The Dark (live at Emo's)
02. Barael's Blade (live at Emo's)
03. Chronomancer II: Nemesis (live at Stubb's)
04. Ebethron (live at Stubb's)
05. Cheap Sunglasses

THE SWORD is now offering a limited-time-offer bundle including:

* Autographed limited-edition glow-in-the-dark 12-inch vinyl
* "Apocryphon" deluxe version digipak CD
* Three hand-numbered triptych 11 x 17 lithograph black light reactive posters
* Exclusive limited-offer "Apocryphon" T-shirt
* "Apocryphon" slipmat
* Includes digital download code

Asked about the band's decision to work with J. Robbins on "Apocryphon" after self-producing two records and then working with Matt Bayles, THE SWORD guitarist Kyle Shutt told AltPress.com, "We're all huge CLUTCH fans, and we know those guys real well. [James] did two of their last three records, and those sound great, so we figured it was a no-brainer. We called him up and he was into it. He saw our live show at a club in Baltimore on the tour before we came here so he could get a feel of the kind of show we put on because we wanted to make an album that sounds like we do live in a club. And it was great. It was a real speedy process."

On the topic of the musical direction of the new album, Shutt said, "It is a reflection of everything that we [have gone] through and the lessons we learned. We then deal with these situations metaphorically in our lyrics. This record is just 10 banging hard rockers. There's no real 'stick-out' thrash song, or, like, this one is the ballad. I don't think there's going to be any instrumental songs on this record, either, so that'll be a first for us. It's just 10 kick-ass rock songs."

Regarding the subject matter covered in the new songs' lyrics, Shutt said, "There are lyrical themes that weave in and out of the songs, but there's no story or anything like that. With 'Warp Riders', J.D. [guitarist/vocalist John Cronise] had already written [the story] and now he [doesn't] have the time to sit down and write another book. We had the idea to make a comic book for 'Warp Riders', but we had some really poor management at the time, so nothing really came together with that and it was going to cost so much money that it never saw the light of day. It was just a nice thing we did. Now we're moving on to other things."

New York hardcore has an undeniable past, present and future within the ranks of
all of the members of THE LAST STAND. The Brooklyn-based band features Mike Scondotto of the long-running INHUMAN on vocals, along with Dion De Nardo on bass, Stephen Della Croce on guitar and Jimmy McCormack on drums, all members of the band SHUTDOWN, who spent most of their recording career on Victory Records.

Since the band's first live show in October 2010, THE LAST STAND has been
playing all over the Northeast, sharing the stage with the likes of legendary
hardcore bands like SICK OF IT ALL, MADBALL, AGNOSTIC FRONT, MURPHY'S LAW, YOUTH OF TODAY, MAXIMUM PENALTY and TERROR, as well as newer hardcore artists like WISDOM IN CHAINS, SUBURBAN SCUM and TRAPPED UNDER ICE. In 2011, the band released its debut seven-inch EP on 1124 Records. In 2012, THE LAST STAND entered Nova Studios with producer Jerry Farley to record its debut full-length, "The Time Is Now", featuring guest appearances by Lou Koller of SICK OF IT ALL, Dave Franklin of VISION and Joseph James of AGNOSTIC FRONT/INHUMAN.

"This band came together for two reasons in 2010. The first was for the love of
hardcore," says Scondotto. "The other was to have fun playing with friends, who are more like an extended family.

"In the tradition of the many bands that came before us and continue to inspire us, THE LAST STAND hopes to carry the torch and show the world that New York hardcore is alive and as vital as ever.

"We are very happy and excited to be releasing 'The Time Is Now' on Eulogy Recordings, a label we have all admired and respected over the years."

Look for "The Time Is Now" to be released worldwide through Eulogy in
January 2013.

Dutch death metallers ANTROPOMORPHIA filmed a video for the new song "Psuchagogia" last week in Leizpig, Germany. The clip was directed by renowned video producer Maurice Swinkels.

Comments ANTROPOMORPHIA singer/guitarist Ferry Damen: "We talked about recording a video for 'Psuchagögia' a few months ago and decided to bring in Maurice Swinkels from Younique Film for the visual awakening of this track. I told Maurice some of the ideas I had regarding the 'storyline,' and he came up with a great location in the eastern part of Germany, which turned out to be perfect for documenting this somewhat disturbingly and dark tale. We shot the video on September 8th and during the shoot we seriously got beneath the horrid surface of the tale we wanted to tell. It's our first ever video and I can say that we are thrilled about the way it turned out!"

"Psuchagogia" comes off ANTROPOMORPHIA's new album, "Evangelivm Nekromantia", which will be released October 22 via Metal Blade Records.

ANTROPOMORPHIA is:

Ferry Damen (vocals, guitar)
Marc van Stiphout (bass)
Marco Stubbe (drums)

"Evangelivm Nekromantia" track listing:

01. Intro
02. Nekrophilian Mass
03. The Mourned And The Macabre
04. Debauchery In Putrefaction
05. Anointment By Sin
06. Fleisch
07. Impure Desecration
08. Psuchagogia
09. Nekrosophia
10. Evangelivm Nekromantia

ANTROPOMORPHIA was created under the influence from bands such as HELLHAMMER, CELTIC FROST, INFERNÄL MÄJESTY and BATHORY in a tiny town in Holland in 1989.

Over the years, they became more and more brutal, released several demos and the "Necromantic Love Songs" MCD in 1993, but went on a hiatus in the late '90s since their other bands became more important.

Fast forward to 2009 when other projects moved into the background and ANTROPOMORPHIA was reactivated. The lineup is still the same — original members Ferry Damen (vocals, guitar), Marc van Stiphout (bass) and Marco Stubbe (drums).

In early 2011 ANTROPOMORPHIA made its first live appearance since 2001 at the Neurotic Deathfest, where they put up a convincing brutal show.

At the end of 2011, most of the new album was recorded, resulting in "Evangelivm Nekromantia", a CD consisting of nine tracks, divided into three chapters of each three songs. Lyrically, it is driven by nekrophilae, murder, necromancy and necrolesbian lust. It was mastered at Necromorbus Studios by Tore Stjerna.

After five years of silence, Norwegian progressive thrash/death metallers EXTOL have returned to the studio to record their fifth album.

Commented the band: "After the 'The Blueprint Dives' [album] in 2005 and the massive worldwide touring with bands such as MASTODON and OPETH, we dissapeared without any further explanation. Now, years later, we are back on track working on what is to be our fifth full-length. As expected from the musical legacy of EXTOL, no compromise is offered."

Mastermind Ole Børud has returned, and along with David Husvik and Peter Espevoll, the trio now constitutes the 2012 lineup of EXTOL.

Photo by Kenneth Røstad Ekse Jensen

A Swedish scientist who made headlines in 2006 when he named a 428-million-year-old fossilized worm (a marine polychaete annelid worm) after MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy Kilmister, has discovered a new fossil (see image below) and has christened it Kingnites diamondi in honor of the legendary Danish heavy metal singer King Diamond.

Dr. Mats E. Eriksson, Associate Professor of Paleontology - Department of Geology at Lund University in Lund, Sweden explains: "A cirka 420 million year old fossil organism was recently discovered from Silurian rocks of Sweden and Estonia. It is the remains of a marine worm with jaws. The critter was baptized Kingnites diamondi in honour of Danish metal maestro King Diamond. So, in addition to his obvious place in the history of heavy metal music, Diamond now also has left an eternal imprint in science. Father of this fossil is Mats Eriksson, a metal-loving professor of paleontology from Sweden."

According to GFF, a Scandinavian journal of Earth Sciences, "The polychaete annelid Kingnites diamondi, a new paulinitid genus and species, is described from the Silurian of Baltoscandia. Its large maxillae differ morphologically from those of all other known paulinitids, particularly in being very elongate and having conspicuous myocoele openings and posterior portions of the first maxillae (MI). Albeit rare, this polychaete taxon is highly characteristic and appears to be confined to the Wenlock–Ludlow transitional interval on Gotland, Sweden, and ranges into the upper Ludlow on Saaremaa, Estonia. All samples yielding this species derive from strata formed in proximal carbonate platform environments. The temporal and geographical distribution indicates that it first appeared in Gotland and subsequently spread north-eastwards to the present-day Saaremaa. Kingnites diamondi adds to the list of known members of the Paulinitidae and reinforces the importance of this family, in terms of abundance and diversity, in Silurian polychaete faunas of Baltica. This is the biggest paulinitid recorded from the Silurian with an inferred body length of approximately half a metre and its diagnostic jaws may serve as a proxy for shallow water, backreef (marginal marine to lagoonal) environments."

Guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski of Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH will release his autobiography, "Sacrum Profanum", in Poland on October 17. The book, whicih was previously described by Nergal as "a really long in-depth interview," will initially only be made available in Polish, but "depending on interest, we might be translating this into English," he said.

The "Sacrum Profanum" cover photo was taken by Ivo Ledwozyw, with post-production by Seth Siro Anton (PARADISE LOST, KAMELOT, MOONSPELL, SOILWORK, EXODUS, JOB FOR A COWBOY, DECAPITATED, VADER).

Several promotional clips for "Sacrum Profanum" were recently directed by Dariusz Szermanowicz of Polish producers Grupa 13, with whom Nergal previously collaborated on the BEHEMOTH videos "At The Left Hand Ov God" and "Ov Fire And The Void".

The trailers were scripted by Nergal and are "little portraits of certain chapters of the book," according to the BEHEMOTH frontman. The clips show Nergal reading excerpts from the autobiography as well as acting out parts of stories that he describes as "some funny, some sad, some evil — some related to the band, some not." The series of trailers are in the Polish language with English subtitles.

The second trailer can now be seen below.

An excerpt from the book (in Polish) can be downloaded at this location.

In December 2010, Darski underwent a bone marrow transplant procedure after being diagnosed with a life-threatening form of leukemia.

Trailer #2:

Acclaimed Swedish heavy metal vocalist Christian Älvestam (SOLUTION .45, MISERATION, TORCHBEARER, SCAR SYMMETRY) will release his new solo EP, "Self 2.0", on October 19 through all major web-retail outlets and streaming services via Pivotal Rockordings.

"Self 2.0" is something different than what fans may expect from the singer/songwriter. Älvestam explains: "It's not exactly a secret that I have a weak spot for more pop-oriented stuff — especially in the vein of the sound of the '80s. In fact, I have always been listening to softer music, alongside the heavier stuff, which is probably why my own music so often, unintentionally, tends to end up being a mixture of the two. I simply can't help myself when it comes to merging the aforesaid styles together, it seems. I'd like to call it unavoidable influence, as a direct result of having been indoctrinated with both, from childhood upwards.

"With that said, fighting against it is not an easy thing, whether you want to or not. At the same time, some would call it a mixed blessing I guess.

"Anyhow, I wanted to do something a bit different from what I usually do for a long time now and that is to make an all stripped-down and laid-back album, where I use my clean vocals only.

"Those who have followed me since the early days know I've made brief digressions, musically, of that sort before, like the 'Final State' trilogy (UNMOORED) and 'Lethean Tears' (SOLUTION .45), to name a few, so it's not like 'Self 2.0' is me heading out into completely unexplored territory. I've been there before, grubbing in its periphery. Then again, I guess you could see 'Self 2.0' as me going all the way for the first time, if you like!"

The first single from "Self 2.0", a song called "Once Adreamed", can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

"Self 2.0" track listing:

01. Once Adreamed
02. Time To Let Go
03. Origins
04. The Unforsaken
05. En Knippa Ljung

Former AEROSMITH lead guitarist Jimmy Crespo will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the band's "Rock In A Hard Place" album by performing the LP in its entirety backed by SIN CITY SINNERS.

The event will take place in Las Vegas on November 3 at The Railhead (inside Boulder Station) and will be a free show.

Jimmy is best known as the man who replaced Joe Perry in AEROSMITH from 1979 to 1984. In addition to appearing on the "Night In The Ruts" album, Jimmy co-wrote the majority of songs and performed almost all the guitar on "Rock In A Hard Place".

SIN CITY SINNERS' own Zach Throne will handle the lead vocals for this special event, with special guests Ron Keel (KEEL), Paul Shortino (ROUGH CUTT, QUIET RIOT), Frank Dimino (ANGEL) and Louie Merlino (BEGGARS & THIEVES) each singing a track. Rounding out the night will be Brent Muscat (FASTER PUSSYCAT) on guitar, Rob Cournoyer (RAGING SLAB) on drums and Michael T. Ross (LITA FORD, MISSING PERSONS) on keyboards.

"Paris Paris", the new video from Norwegian singer Liv Kristine (LEAVES' EYES, ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY), can be seen below. The clip was filmed in Gothenburg, Sweden with Swedish director Patric Ullaeus of the Revolver Film Company AB (IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, EUROPE).

"Paris Paris" comes off Liv Kristine's fourth solo album, "Libertine", which has just been released via the Napalm Records subsidiary Black Rose Productions. The CD was recorded at Mastersound Studio in Steinheim, Germany — the facility owned by her husband, Alexander Krull (ATROCITY, LEAVES' EYES) — and marks Liv's collaboration with Dutch musician J.B. van der Wal (ABORTED, DR. DOOM), who recently joined LEAVES' EYES and ATROCITY as the two bands' new bassist.

"Libertine" track listing:

01. Interlude (intro)
02. Solve Me
03. Silence
04. Vanilla Skin Delight (duet with Tobias Regner)
05. Panic
06. Paris Paris
07. Wait For Rain
08. Love Crime
09. Libertine
10. Meet Me In The Red Sky
11. The Man With A Child In His Eyes (KATE BUSH cover)

The "Libertine" cover artwork can be seen below.

Commented Liv: "'Libertine' is truly a milestone in my career; it sums up my most important artistic experiences in my creative journey through life. The more rock and metal-based songs like 'Vanilla Skin Delight' (including superb male vocals from Tobias Regner, the third-season winner of 'Deutschland Sucht Den Superstar', the German reality show in the style of 'American Idol'), 'Paris Paris', 'Solve Me' and title track, 'Libertine', certainly expose some of those magic moments which fans of THEATRE OF TRAGEDY enjoyed and treasured on 'Aegis' and 'Musique'. The ballads 'Silence', 'Love Crime' and 'Meet Me In The Red Sky' will go straight into you hearts, each of them being absolute individual in their emotional expressions and musical compositions. Alex gave each track a perfect sound in the mix by emphasizing on each song's characteristic accent and atmosphere."

Liv Kristine's third solo album, "Skintight", came out in North America in September 2010 via Napalm Records.

"Paris Paris" video:

"I've Been You", the new video from Danish modern metallers MNEMIC, can be seen below. The clip was helmed by Swedish director Patric Ullaeus of the Revolver Film Company AB (IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, EUROPE) in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Commented MNEMIC guitarist Mircea Gabriel Eftemie: "Here we go, finally it's done — the 'I've Been You' video from the 'Mnemesis' album, showing us five morons headbanging in a cardboard factory! We went all the way to Sweden to shoot this with our good old friend Patric, who has done 90% of our videos. This time, once again he did a fantastic job, making us look like a million bucks (starting from 50 cents, that is), and we couldn't be more satisfied with the outcome!"
"I've Been You" comes off MNEMIC's fifth album, "Mnemesis", which was released on June 8 in Europe, and on June 19 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD landed at position No. 38 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Mnemesis" was recorded at Antfarm studios in Aabyhøj, Denmark with longtime producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, HIMSA, SICK OF IT ALL). The cover artwork was created by Metastazis (MORBID ANGEL, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, PARADISE LOST, ULVER) and can be seen below.

MNEMIC last year parted ways with drummer Brian "Brylle" Rasmussen and guitarist Rune Stigart and replaced them with Brian Larsen and Victor-Ray Salomonsen, respectively.

MNEMIC 2012 is:

Guillaume Bideau - Vocals
Mircea Gabriel Eftemie - Guitar
Victor-Ray Salomonsen - Guitar
Simone Bertozzi - Bass
Brian Larsen - Drums

"I've Been You" video:

World-renowned guitarist/composer STEVE HACKETT recently announced the upcoming release of Genesis Revisited II; the album is scheduled to hit streets in North America on October 22nd via InsideOut Music.
Genesis Revisited II features some of the best-loved songs from Hackett's GENESIS years with a stellar array of guest performers including John Wetton (KING CRIMSON, ASIA), Mikael Akerfeldt (OPETH), Steven Wilson (PORCUPINE TREE), Conrad Keely (...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD) and many more.

Genesis Revisited II will be available as a 2-disc digipak. An extensive world tour in support of the new album will be announced shortly.
The tracklisting:

Disc 1:
'Chamber Of 32 Doors'
'Horizons'
'Supper's Ready'
'The Lamia'
'Dancing With The Moonlit Knight'
'Fly On A Windshield'
'Broadway Melody Of 1974'
'The Musical Box'
'Can-Utility And The Coastliners'
'Please Don't Touch'

Disc 2:
'Blood On The Rooftops'
'The Return Of The Giant Hogweed'
'Entangled'
'Eleventh Earl Of Mar'
'Ripples'
'Unquiet Slumbers For TheSleepers...'
'In That Quiet Earth'
'Afterglow'
'A Tower Struck Down'
'Camino Royale'
'Shadow Of The Hierophant'

In 2010, Steve Hackett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame at The 25th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony alongside his Genesis bandmates from the classic line-up: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. For more than three decades, Steve Hackett has been known for his innovative tone and extraordinary versatility as a guitarist and composer. He helped define Genesis' sound as lead guitarist in the classic line-up and went on to have a highly-successful career as a solo artist, and also as part of 80s supergroup GTR with Steve Howe.

For more details about the album, click below for a special video message from Steve Hackett himself:

Toulouse, France-based post-apocalyptic metal monsters ERYN NON DAE. (formerly END.) will release their sophomore album, "Meliora", on October 9 via M&O Office. The follow-up to 2009's "Hydra Lernaia" was recorded at Mobo's ConKrete Studio in Bordeaux, France.

According to a press release, "Meliora" "is both cerebral and organic, complete with dynamic relief, softer abstract and atmospheric passages of contained energy appear and transport the listener. From this highly textured mosaic the concept comes to life: this time coming from a long introspective process. 'Meliora' speaks of the metamorphosis of a man into a higher being. This transformation is born from a realization of inner truth. On this inexorable journey towards the end, a light may be found.

"The lyrics of 'Meliora' swing between appeasement and resignation, with references to mythology and alchemy. Filled with actual experiences, the album expresses a physical and psychic quest. The lyrics are raw and fragile, vindictive and sensitive, bleak yet filled with goodwill and hope. 'Meliora' is, finally, a fragment of pure humanity."

"Meliora" track listing:

01. Chrysalis
02. The Great Downfall
03. Scarlet Rising
04. Ignitus
05. Muto
06. Black Obsidian Pyre
07. Hidden Lotus

The song "Hidden Lotus" is now available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.

ERYN NON DAE. is:

Mathieu B. Nogues: Vocals
Franck Quintin: Guitar/Vocals
Yann Servanin: Guitar
Mickael André: Bass
Julien Rufié: Drums

For more information, visit the band's Facebook page.

US death metallers ABYSME, featuring Brad Heiple - formerly of FUNERUS – will release the CD version of their first full-length album, Strange Rites, on September 24th via Hellthrasher Productions, with vinyl treatment coming later this year on Blood Harvest Records.



Strange Rites will contain almost 35 minutes of old-school heavy death metal with varying tempos in the vein of such Swedish bands as DISMEMBER and ENTOMBED, mixed with some US death metal influcences of INCANTATION and IMMOLATION.

Putrid Matt provided the Strange Rites cover artwork; the album features the following ten songs:

'Scribbled In Dust'
'Beyond The Seventh Door'
'Formless'
'Annihilated Memory'
'Gift To The Gods'
'We Shall Sleep'
'Terminal Delirium'
'The Third Day'
'Fallen Colossus'
'Remarkable Conqueror'

Listen to opening track 'Scribbled in Dust' below:

Strange Rites by Abysme

Toronto rockers DANKO JONES' new album, Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue, is now available via Spotify. Go to this location to check it out.
The complete tracklist is as follows:

'Terrified'
'Get Up'
'Legs'
'Just A Beautiful Day'
'I Don't Care'
'You Wear Me Down'
'Type Of Girl'
'Always Away'
'Conceited'
'Don't Do This'
'The Masochist'
'I Believed In God'
'I Believed In God (reprise)'

Danko Jones will release their new album, Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue, through all other retailers on October 9th. It is now available for pre-order via the Amazon widget at the bottom of the page.

The first single from the album, 'Just A Beautiful Day', can now be streamed below. It is available for free download at this location.







Over the course of six full-length albums, Danko Jones has forged a singular sound that draws equally from the blues, ‘60s garage, ‘70s hard rock, ‘80s hardcore, punky power-pop, Scandinavian metal, and classic stand-up comedy records without ever being fully defined by any of those sources. But while built from the same rudiments, each Danko Jones record possesses a distinct sonic identity. Born A Lion (2002) brought the boogie and sledgehammer soul; We Sweat Blood (2003) was, by contrast, more anxious and aggro. Sleep Is the Enemy (2006) wielded the sharpest hooks. Never Too Loud (2008) was as slick as Below the Belt (2010) was stripped-down. But, compared to all that’s come before, Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue is, hands down, the most emotional and, as a result, the most epic Danko Jones album to date.

Now, don’t be scared off by those E-words - there’s not a children’s choir, orchestra or piano ballad to be found within a 500-mile radius of this album. But what you hear on Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue is the Danko Jones ideal blown up to skyscraping proportions, resulting in 13 tracks that are bolder, brasher, and brawnier than anything they’ve attempted before.

The album is produced in full by their longtime partner in crime Matt DeMatteo and was mixed by Mike Fraser, known for his work with AC/DC, AEROSMITH and others. It is also the first album recorded with “new” drummer Atom Willard - the sixth person in Danko Jones history to hold the “drummer” title, but the first to stand on equal creative footing with Danko and his longtime foil, bassist John “JC” Calabrese. The man’s résumé speaks for itself: Not only was Willard the driving percussive force behind Danko’s all-time favorite San Diegan garage-punk armada ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, he’s also been keeping time for the multi-platinum likes of THE OFFSPRING, SOCIAL DISTORTION and ANGELS & AIRWAVES, so he knows how to drum his way around a massive tune.

The new album follows the June release of Bring On The Mountain – a two disc DVD featuring a 90 minute documentary, a short film, exclusive live clips from around the world and all the music videos they have ever done.

A trailer for Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue can be viewed below:

Slovenian death metal act WITHIN DESTRUCTION has just released its debut album, From The Depths, through Austrian label Noisehead Records.



Within Destruction was formed in 2010 in Jesenice, Slovenia. Their music is a combination of death metal riffs, deathcore rhythm section, fast black metal melodies and blast beats. In 2011, they went into the studio and recorded their debut album, From The Depths, which features the following nine songs:

'King Of Serpents'
'Demise'
'This Misery'
'Cardiomyopathy'
'As I Drown'
'The Price Of Heresy'
'While She Was Dying'
'God Of The Soulless'
'Danse Macabre'

The band have scheduled a CD release party on October 18th at the Orto Bar in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Within Destruction is:

Rok Rupnik – vocals
Ervin Besic – guitar
Matjaz Muhic – guitar
Tilen Simon - bass
Luka Vezzosi - drums

Check out the official video for 'Cardiomyopathy', as well as the audio of 'While She Was Dying' below:

German gothic/folk rock band LYRIEL have released an official live video for their track 'Leverage', filmed on June 6th in Wenden (Germany). Watch the clip below:
The official video for the studio version of 'Leverage', can be seen below:
Lyriel released the Leverage album on February 24th via AFM Records. The song, 'White Lily', can be heard streaming below:

LYRIEL - White Lily (2012) by AFM Records

Leverage is decribed as "a little more modern and heavy than their previous releases, but at the same time 100% typical Lyriel."

According to NorthJersey.com, a New Jersey attorney has filed lawsuits on behalf of Century Media Records that collectively target more than 7,000 people for allegedly using peer-to-peer networks to unlawfully distribute "Dark Adrenaline", the most recent album by the Italian band LACUNA COIL, and "Dystopia", the 2011 album by ICED EARTH.

In a typical illegal-downloading case, a lawyer hires a company to search for Internet protocol (IP) addresses associated with the use of file-sharing software such as BitTorrent. Once the IP addresses have been harvested, the lawyer's clients file suit naming defendants as John Doe. They then seek to have mass subpoenas issued for the Internet providers associated with the harvested IP addresses in order to obtain the name and address of the owner of the IP address on the date it was harvested. Once identified, an Internet account holder typically faces the prospect of settling the case for a few thousand dollars or hiring a lawyer to fight the charges.

"It's tough. If you get one of these letters you've been put in a difficult and unfair spot," said Rebecca Jeschke, a spokeswoman for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco-based civil-liberties group, referring to the notices that go out once a John Doe has been identified.

"In many of these situations," she added, "the goal doesn't seem to be to fight infringement; it seems to be to get settlements. That's where the money-making is."

Nuclear Blast Records made headlines earlier in the year when it filed a lawsuit against 80 users of the BitTorrent network over illegal music downloads of an album by Oakland, California-based extreme metallers ALL SHALL PERISH. The lawsuit was not only brought without the band's permission, but also without their knowledge.

After members of ALL SHALL PERISH made it clear that they did not want to participate in the legal proceedings, Nuclear Blast voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice.

In December 2008, the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) abandoned its litigation campaign against file sharers after having targeted some 18,000 individuals, usually naming dozens or hundreds of defendants per suit.

Most of the defendants settled out of court for a few thousand dollars rather than risk Copyright Act fines of up to $150,000 per purloined music track.

THIN LIZZY is preparing to enter the studio to begin recording its first new album in nearly 30 years for a tentative 2013 release. It will be the group's first studio set since "Thunder And Lightning" in 1983, and its first to not include frontman Phil Lynott, who died in 1986.

Guitarist Scott Gorham told HotPress.com the group will work with producer Kevin Shirley (IRON MAIDEN, DREAM THEATER, JOURNEY, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) on the new CD, and that recording will likely start next month. "I'll be going out to Los Angeles at the end of the month to work on some songs with [guitarist] Damon [Johnson] and then I think we will start recording in October in our producer Kevin Shirley's studio," Gorham said.

"We are all excited about the new record but especially [vocalist] Ricky [Warwick] and Damon, they just can’t wait to start recording!" said Gorham. "You have got six guys there that are chomping at the bit that can't wait to get this thing going."

THIN LIZZY's current lineup features Lynott-era LIZZY members Scott Gorham (guitar), Brian Downey (drums) and Darren Wharton (keyboards), as well as guitarist Damon Johnson, formerly of BROTHER CANE and Alice Cooper's band, former THE ALMIGHTY singer/guitarist Ricky Warwick, and bassist Marco Mendoza.

In a recent interview with Gibson.com, Johnson stated about THIN LIZZY's plans for a new studio album, "We all know it's going to be under the microscope. We know there will be pundits who criticize it. But pundits aren't necessarily fans. The fans have always wanted these amazing songs to continue to be performed live. And now we need new material to put extra life into this."

Regarding how the new material is sounding, Johnson said, "There's been a commitment from everyone to embrace the diversity of what THIN LIZZY is. Towards the original end, they made 'Thunder And Lightning'. That album was so heavy. A lot of the writing, it seemed Phil wanted to go down a heavy metal route for a while. That's not what the new album will be. There are some big fat riffs. Classic. I can assure you, we have the riffs."

On the topic of how Ricky Warwick is handling it all as THIN LIZZY's new frontman, Johnson said, "Ricky has been amazing. There is no easier target in this than Ricky — he knows that. But he has blown my mind with his writing. He's constantly writing, constantly reading, changing things to make lyrics better. I've done my own share of lyric writing, but I've never seen someone work so hard as Ricky. We can bring any piece of music to Ricky, and he comes up with a killer lyric. He deserves a huge amount of credit. He's not just 'a new frontman.' The guy is a class songwriter. And that's what Scott and Brian needed to make another THIN LIZZY record."

Quality fan-filmed video footage of THIN LIZZY's July 24 performance at Cricketbanen Ved Brøndby Stadion in Brøndby, Denmark can be seen below.

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has uploaded a four-and-a-half-minute clip featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the band's September 16 performance in Cordoba, Argentina. Check it out below.

The 20th-anniversary edition of MEGADETH's 1992 double platinum-certified "Countdown To Extinction" album will be released on November 6 via Capitol/EMI.

After wrapping up their "TH1RT3EN World Tour" this fall, MEGADETH will perform the acclaimed album in its entirety on their "Countdown To Extinction 20th Anniversary Tour" this November and December.

Presented in a 2CD lift-top box and digitally, "Countdown To Extinction"'s new commemorative edition pairs the remastered original album with a 1992 concert, recorded live at San Francisco's Cow Palace, which has never before been released in its entirety. The concert audio has been newly remixed for this release. The physical and digital versions both include a booklet with a new liner notes essay by music journalist Kory Grow, and the 2CD box also contains a 24" x 36" poster and four collectible postcards.

A four-minute YouTube clip containing audio snippets of the songs that appear on "X", the new album from Finnish gothic metallers THE 69 EYES, plus commentary from singer Jyrki69, is available below.

"X" will be released in Europe on September 28 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was mixed by Stefan Boman (THE HELLACOPTERS, BULLET).

Regarding the album title, singer Jyrki69 said, "We've never really celebrated anything, not that we've been playing 20 years or so (vampires don't count decades). Thus this time we thought to celebrate a bit: the new album is entitled as tenth in Roman numbers, it'll be called 'X'."

On the topic of the "X" cover artwork, Jyrki69 said, "The cover is pure goth 'n' roll: a psychedelic mirror image of old wild animal bones with our X-tagram projected over all. It's good, evil, magic and voodoo all together! Something to stare at when tripping on the album."

THE 69 EYES filmed a video for the song "Red" in July with Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.

Commented Jyrki69: "This is THE 69 EYES at the most melodic but even more than that, the most intense. The song has a very intense feeling, you know, like when your heart beats wild (red), when the world circles around you and when you find out the painful truth. Think of those scenes in the movies like 'Vertigo' or 'Vanilla Sky'. Something's broken and there's nothing you can do about it. It's a very epic and emotional song."

"X" track listing:

01. Love Runs Away
02. Tonight
03. Black
04. If You Love Me The Morning After
05. Red
06. I Love The Darkness In You
07. Borderline
08. I'm Ready
09. I know What You Did Last Summer
10. When A Love Comes To An End

Bonus DVD

* Red (video)
* Made In Sweden – Stockholm & THE 69 EYES (documentary)

Finnish black metallers GLORIA MORTI will release their fourth album, "Lateral Constraint", in November via Cyclone Empire Records. The CD was recorded and mixed by Juho Räihä at D-studio and SoundSpiral and was mastered by Svante Försback at Chartmakers. The cover artwork was designed by Björn Goosses and can be seen below.

"Lateral Constraint" track listing:

01. Lex Parsimoniae
02. The First Act
03. Our God Is War
04. Aesthetics Of Self-Hyperbole
05. Sleep, Kill, Regress, Follow
06. Hallucinations
07. Slaves
08. Non-Believer
09. The Divine Is A Fraud
10. Conclusion

Guitarist Juho Matikainen left GLORIA MORTI earlier in the year and was replaced by Eero Silvonen (CASKET, FINAL HARVEST, ROUTASIELU, DEATH CONFRONTING).

GLORIA MORTI's third labum, "Anthems Of Annihilation", was released in 2010 via Cyclone Empire.

GLORIA MORTI is:

Psycho - Vocals
Juho Räihä - Guitar
Eero Silvonen - Guitar
Aki Salonen - Bass
Kauko Kuusisalo - Drums

Norwegian black metallers RAGNAROK will release their seventh full-length album, "Malediction", on October 30 in Europe and November 6 in North America via Agonia Records. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered by MARDUK bassist Magnus "Devo" Andersson at his Endarker Studios in Norrköping, Sweden and was produced by RAGNAROK and Devo.

"Malediction" will be available in three formats: jewel case CD, digital download and limited-edition vinyl, which will come with an exclusive bonus track, with the first 100 copies available on brown vinyl and hand-numbered. Artwork for "Malediction" was createds by Perversor and all band photos were shot and edited by Jon Løvstad.

"Malediction" track listing:

01. Blood Of Saints
02. Demon In My View
03. Necromantic Summoning Ritual
04. Divide Et Impera
05. (Dolce Et Decorum Est) Pro Patria Mori
06. Dystocratic
07. Iron Cross - Posthumous
08. The Elevenfold Seal
09. Fade Into Obscurity
10. Sword Of Damocles
11. Retribution (exclusive vinyl bonus track)

The song "Blood Of Saints" can now be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

Formed in 1994 by drummer Jontho and then-bassist Jerv, RAGNAROK's current lineup includes Jontho on drums, Hans Fyrst on vocals, DezeptiCunt on bass and Bolverk on guitar.

RAGNAROK will make its first live appearance in North America when it headlines the Messe Des Mortes festival in Montreal, Canada on November 24.