Official Metallica.com footage of METALLICA's pre-show tuning-room jam and "Fight Fire With Fire" performance at at this year's edition of the Nova Rock festival on June 10 on the Pannonia Fields in Burgenland, the easternmost federal state of Austria (near Nickelsdorf and the Hungarian and Slovak borders) can be viewed below.

METALLICA performed its top-selling 1991 LP, "Metallica", a.k.a. "the black album," in its entirety at the Nova Rock concert. As they have done on all the shows on their recent European tour, the band played the LP backwards, starting with closing number "The Struggle Within" and ending with "Enter Sandman".

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hit The Lights
02. Master Of Puppets
03. The Four Horsemen
04. For Whom The Bell Tolls
05. Hell And Back
06. The Struggle Within
07. My Friend Of Misery
08. The God That Failed
09. Of Wolf & Man
10. Nothing Else Matters
11. Through The Never
12. Don't Tread On Me
13. Wherever I May Roam
14. The Unforgiven
15. Holier Than Thou
16. Sad But True
17. Enter Sandman

Encore:

18. Fight Fire With Fire
19. One
20. Seek & Destroy

One of the most intriguing and mysterious projects on METALLICA's upcoming schedule is the band's 3D movie, which begins filming later this summer and will mix concert footage with a storyline. Drummer Lars Ulrich spoke with Rolling Stone about the project for the magazine's METALLICA cover story, saying, "This has been circling for two years. It's time to life-size it, get it out of our minds and on the screen. And if it's done right, it can be sensational. You're not watching METALLICA onstage. You're onstage with METALLICA. In IMAX, James Hetfield is 38 feet tall, snotting on you, spitting on you. It's 2,000 decibels. If there is an earthquake outside, you wouldn't notice."

Ulrich explained that the sheer power of presenting a METALLICA concert that way forced the group to add more to the movie, saying, "You can't do that for 100 minutes. It loses its appeal. There is another element in there — intimate, small, a story that takes place over the same trajectory as the concert. The question is, 'Where do they weave in and out of each other?'"

METALLICA is financing the project itself and has hired "Predators" director Nimród Antal to get behind the camera. Antal will film the band's August 24 concert in Vancouver, Canada for use in the movie.

The show will feature a brand new 140-foot-by-50-foot stage that will include what a post at the band's web site called "colossal components and striking visual elements spanning METALLICA's entire 30-year career."

Earlier in the year, MÖTLEY CRÜE entered drummer Tommy Lee's studio called The Atrium in Calabasas, California to begin recording a new song, "Sex", that will be released to coincide with the band's upcoming summer co-headlining tour with KISS.

Written when the band was together during their residency in Las Vegas last February, "Sex" is the first studio track from the CRÜE since their June 2008 release of "Saints Of Los Angeles".

"Sex" will debut on Friday, July 13 on SiriusXM and be available on Tuesday, July 17 — three days before the tour begins.

The "Sex" single artwork can be seen below.

Speaking to VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner in March, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist and main songwriter Nikki Sixx stated about the band's new track, "It sounds very much like it's off of the first record [1981's 'Too Fast For Love']. And that was definitely on purpose. I've been writing very simple riffs for the last year and focusing on how these riffs would work for Vince [Neil, vocals], basically, and took it in the studio with Tommy and Mick [Mars, guitar] and the thing just came alive."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's latest studio album, 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", sold 99,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release. The CD was CRÜE's first studio album since 2000's "New Tattoo", which has sold over 200,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The band's previous studio effort with all of its original members was 1997's "Generation Swine", which debuted and peaked at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, and has sold more than 300,000 units.

"Saints of Los Angeles" was loosely based on the band's memoir, "The Dirt", which was published in 2001.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "greatest-hits" collection, suitably titled "Greatest Hits", was released on November 17, 2009 via Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records.

CRÜE performed its classic 1989 album, "Dr. Feelgood", in its entirety on Crüe Fest 2, the sophomore outing of the band's summer festival tour, to celebrate the record's 20th anniversary.

Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records re-released "Dr. Feelgood" on September 21, 2009.

Sabbath Assembly returns with their second album, Ye Are Gods, set for release on September 21 through The Ajna Offensive (for North America) and Svart Records (for Europe and the UK).

As on the critically acclaimed Restored to One debut, Ye Are Gods presents the hymns of the Process Church of the Final Judgment, a religious movement that emerged in the late 1960s as an apocalyptic shadow-side to the flower power and New Age movements.


Reaching beyond the scope of Restored to One, Ye Are Gods incorporates the ritual text and structure of the Process Church’s highest and holiest mass, the “Sabbath Assembly” liturgy from which the band is named.

Ye Are Gods is led by vocalist Jamie Myers, a veteran of Hammers of Misfortune (The Locust Years) and Wolves in the Throne Room (Diadem of 12 Stars, Malevolent Grain). Dave “Christian” Nuss remains drummer and co-producer.

The album features Genesis P-Orridge serving the role of High Priest(ess), aka “Sacrifist,” Eyvind Kang plays viola for the liturgical ‘Declaration of the Gods’, and guitarist / vocalist Imaad Wasif offers a chilling rendition of the hymn ‘We Give Our Lives’. In addition, Timothy Wyllie, an original Process Church member, provides a homily from Process Church founder Robert DeGrimston’s Gods on War. Mr. Wyllie is the author of Feral House’s LOVE SEX FEAR DEATH, which offers an insider’s perspective of the Church and its true leadership.

The album offers a first-ever glimpse into the Process’s most sacred liturgical text, taking the astute listener through the mysterious Gnostic journey of the unification of Christ and Satan; the bliss of total submission to the gods Jehovah, Lucifer, Satan, and Christ; the wilds of the Apocalypse and a face-to-face encounter with the Angel of Death; and finally the moment of spiritual renewal in which the Process’s “Law of the Universe” is revealed.

The influential Process Church opened chapters in London, Europe, and across the USA, dressing in black cloaks and walking the streets with German Shepherds. To promote their controversial theology, they sold intricately-designed magazines, three of which are documented in full-color reproductions in the recently issued Propaganda and Holy Writ of the Process Church of the Final Judgment (Feral House / Ajna).

Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records, in conjunction with Hamburg, Germany-based earMUSIC, has announced the release of the first-ever live solo album from Finnish singer Tarja Turunen. Entitled "Act I", the release will be unleashed to North American fans on September 4 in 2-CD, 2-DVD and Blu-ray format.

The first-ever live audio/video offering from the former NIGHTWISH soprano, "Act I" is a mammoth undertaking recorded and filmed with 10 HD cameras at the breathtaking Teatro El Círculo in Rosario, Argentina in March 2012. With an elaborate track listing of solo tunes, NIGHTWISH classics and various covers, including a rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom Of The Opera", Gary Moore's "Over The Hills And Far Away", WHITESNAKE's "Still Of The Night" and a variety of video extras, "Act I" provides a full-fledged bill of fare to every diehard Tarja fan.

Comments Turunen of the offering: "Those two nights in Rosario were a huge emotional drive to me personally," adding that she was many times "ready to burst into tears."

"Act I" track listing:

CD 1

01. Anteroom Of Death
02. My Little Phoenix
03. Dark Star
04. Naiad
05. Falling Awake
06. I Walk Alone
07. Little Lies
08. Into The Sun (previously unreleased)
09. Nemo (NIGHWISH)
10. Never Enough (previously unreleased)
11. Still Of The Night (WHITESNAKE)
12. In For A Kill

CD 2

01. Boy And The Ghost
02. Lost Northern Star
03. Ciaran's Well
04. Tired Of Being Alone (written with Schiller)
05. Where Were You Last Night / Heaven Is A Place On Earth / Livin' On A Prayer (Medley)
06. Underneath
07. Oasis / The Archive Of Lost Dreams
08. Crimson Deep
09. The Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
10. Die Alive
11. Until My Last Breath
12. Over The Hills And Far Away (Gary Moore)

DVD 1

01. If You Believe
02. Anteroom Of Death
03. My Little Phoenix
04. Dark Star
05. Naiad
06. Falling Awake
07. I Walk Alone
08. Orpheus Hallucination / Orpheus In The Underworld
09. Little Lies (band jam)
10. Little Lies
11. Into The Sun (previously unreleased)
12. Nemo
13. Rivers Of Lust
14. Minor Heaven
15. Montañas De Silencio
16. Sing For Me
17. I Feel Immortal
18. Never Enough (previously unreleased)
19. In For A Kill
20. Toccata And Fugue D-minor (BWV 565) (Johann Sebastian Bach)
21. The Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
22. Die Alive
23. Until My Last Breath
24. Over The Hills And Far Away (Gary Moore)

DVD 2

01. Boy And The Ghost
02. Lost Northern Star
03. Ciaran's Well
04. Tired Of Being Alone (written with Schiller)
05. Where Were You Last Night / Heaven Is A Place On Earth / Livin' On A Prayer (Medley)
06. Underneath
07. The Reign
08. Oasis/The Archive Of Lost Dreams
09. Still Of The Night (WHITESNAKE)

Blu-ray track listing is the same as DVD 1 and 2.

The "Into The Sun" single will be released via iTunes on Friday, July 13.

A teaser trailer for "Act I" can be seen below.

In other news, Tarja is in pre-production for her third solo album, which is expected to be released sometime next year. She says, "I have 25 songs where to choose the best ones for the album. Some of the musicians are already working on them with me."

Tarja's sophomore solo album, "What Lies Beneath", sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 24 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.

"What Lies Beneath" was released in North America on September 14, 2010 via The End Records.

Pre-sales for the new self-titled album from Canadian extreme metallers CRYPTOPSY will begin on Friday, July 13 via the band's new web site Cryptopsy.ca (which goes live on Friday). As special thanks to you, the pre-sale participants, the band has decided to give some digital goodies. First, on August 14, one month before the digital release and official street date, you will receive two songs from the new CD. Then on September 11, you will receive the "Making Of Cryptopsy" (a 30-minute documentary) alongside your completed album.

All pre-sale participants will be placed in a draw to win the following grand prize:

* Autographed limited edition vinyls of "Ungental Exhumation", "Blasphemy Made Flesh" and "None So Vile".
* Autographed CD "Cryptopsy".
* Full merch package, guy shirt, girly and zip up hoody of "Cryptopsy".

The official "Cryptopsy" trailer, a three-minute musical and video medley, will be released on Friday to give you a taste of the new CRYPTOPSY album.

Commented the band: "We hope that you enjoy the sneak peek of the new CRYPTOPSY. We greatly appreciate your dedication and support. It is thanks to your help alone that we can continue doing this!!!"

The cover artwork for "Cryptopsy" was created by Mircea Gabriel Eftemie (MNEMIC) and can be seen below.

"Cryptopsy" track listing:

01. Two-Pound Torch
02. Shag Harbour's Visitors
03. Red-Skinned Scapegoat
04. Damned Draft Dodgers
05. Amputated Enigma
06. The Golden Square Mile
07. Ominous
08. Cleansing The Hosts

CRYPTOPSY debuted a brand new song, "Amputated Enigma", during their April 29 concert at The Dominion House in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

CRYPTOPSY in January tapped bassist Olivier Pinard (NEURAXIS, VENGEFUL) as the replacement for guitarist-turned-bassist Youri Raymond.

Raymond left CRYPTOPSY in December, explaining in a statement that "it's in the best interest of both the band and I to part ways." He added, "As a musician, moving from guitar to bass was a great challenge, but honestly, I never really felt comfortable in that position and my motivation in general was stagnating."

Lead guitarist and songwriter Jon Levasseur rejoined CRYPTOPSY in May 2011.

"The Unspoken King", CRYPTOPSY's sixth full-length and first to feature new vocalist Matt McGachy, was released June 24, 2008 to a wide array of reactions. Drummer Flo Mounier explained his intention in reshaping the dynamics of the band to Decibel magazine: "I'm a fan of different sorts of music, and I think it's most fun when a band puts out an album that has elements of everything; you get this thing called diversity, not boredom. That's what we're trying to do. Still, I think people are going to be surprised how brutal this album is."

CRYPTOPSY is:

Flo Mounier: Drums/Vocals
Jon Levasseur: Lead, Rythm guitar
Chris Donaldson: Lead Guitar
Matt McGachy: Lead Vocals
Olivier Pinard: Bass Guitar

"Left For You", a brand new song from NONPOINT, has been released via iTunes. The track comes off the band's self-titled seventh album, which is scheduled for release in the fall via NONPOINT's new label home, Razor & Tie. The CD was produced and mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, STAIND, MEGADETH) and features additional production and mixing by Brian Virtue (30 SECONDS TO MARS, CHEVELLE). Virtue produced and mixed the first single, "Left For You".

Another new NONPOINT track, "I Said It", is available for streaming using the SoundCloud player below.

Founding NONPOINT members Elias Soriano (vocals) and Robb Rivera (drums) last year welcomed three new members to the family: Dave Lizzio (guitar), Adam Wolosyzn (bass), and Rasheed Thomas (guitar). All three musicians come from the Chicago-based rock act INN CINEMA.

NONPOINT's current lineup:

Elias Soriano - Vocals
Robb Rivera - Drums
Rasheed Thomas - Guitar
Dave Lizzio - Guitar
Adam Woloszyn - Bass

NONPOINT will hit the road this summer with CALL ME NO ONE.

NONPOINT's last album, "Miracle", sold around 8,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 60 on The Billboard 200 chart.

19 years since their last appearance on stage, the "Screams Of Anguish" lineup of Florida-based death metallers BRUTALITY — consisting of Scott Reigel, Jeff Acres, Don Gates and Jay Fernandez, as well as our new addition Earl "Maddog" Zambella on drums — will reunite for an October 13 performance at the Brass Mug in Tampa. This is the annual Metal Meowlisha show (the charity operated by OBITUARY drummer Donald Tardy and his wife Heather) where all procedes go to benefit our friendly felines.

Commented BRUTALITY: "It's an honor to have this show as our comeback event and we look forward to everyones support for such a great cause. We as well will have merchandise to auction off for the benefit. Please show your support by coming out and having a great time. This is guaranteed to be a night for all to remember."

Poland's Metal Mind Productions re-released three albums from BRUTALITY — "Screams Of Anguish", "When The Sky Turns Black" and "In Mourning" — in May 2008. Each limited-edition digipack title (limited to 2,000 copies) contains one bonus track and will be made available on golden disc, digitally remastered using 24-bit technology.

BRUTALITY was formed in 1986 by Acres. The band released four demos and two seven-inch EPs before getting signed to Nuclear Blast Records in 1992. The group recorded three albums for the label before disbanding in 1996.

Prosthetic Records haso announced the signing of Italian death metallers EYECONOCLAST. The band will enter the studio on July 21 to record its new album — its first with new singer Giuseppe Di Giorgio.

Formed in 2003 in Rome, EYECONOCLAST has developed into a crushing force of blasting death-thrash metal, with former members of HOUR OF PENANCE and FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE in their ranks and several underground releases under their belts.

Commented EYECONOCLAST: "We are very proud to announce a worldwide deal with Prosthetic Records. This is the right boost to spread EYECONOCLAST music throughout planet Earth, and we feel very excited for this achievement after years of death metal training within the underground.

"We are back with a new label and a new singer, so, guys, say welcome to Giuseppe Di Giorgio, a killer vocalist and great frontman that you'll see in our next shows!

"We are going to start recording our next full-length on July 21, in our guitar player Stefano Morabito's 16th Cellar Studio (HOUR OF PENANCE, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, INHERIT DISEASE). Stay tuned for more album details, but know this: it will be faster, heavier and louder than anything else you've listened before! Headbang is the law."

To celebrate the North American release of their debut album, "This Might Hurt", on July 17, U.K. rockers THE TREATMENT will make an exclusive iTunes bundle available — a five-song covers EP originally released exclusively in the U.K. as a 300-copy limited edition.

The covers EP features THE TREATMENT’s interpretations of:

* Run Run Run (JO JO GUNNE)
* Take Me Bake 'Ome (SLADE)
* Evil Woman (ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA)
* Motorbikin' (CHRIS SPEDDING)
* Let's Work Together (CANNED HEAT

The covers EP was produced by Laurie Mansworth, who also helmed "This Might Hurt".

Since the release of the album outside of North America, THE TREATMENT has done extensive touring in Europe — supporting ALICE COOPER, MOTÖRHEAD, STEEL PANTHER and THIN LIZZY.

THE TREATMENT will support KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE on their upcoming North American co-headlining tour, simply dubbed "The Tour", which will kick off on July 20 in Bristow, Virginia and run through September 23 in Hartford, Connecticut.

Canadian heavy metal trio CAULDRON will release its third full-length album, "Tomorrow's Lost", in October via Earache Records. The CD was recorded in Parkdale, Toronto with producer Jameson Elliott, who also recorded the band's 2010 album, "Burning Fortune". The artwork for the effort was created by Todd Kowalski (SACRIFICE, PROPAGANDHI).

Commented CAULDRON vocalist/bassist Jason Decay: "The artwork was done by Todd Kowalski based on an idea we gave him surrounding the title, 'Tomorrow's Lost'.

"The title is open to interpretation, really, but I suppose it's about how the future could be written off, either for us, the world, or for someone else, depending on how they interpret it. Like how, more than likely, tomorrow has already been spoken for and is a lost cause, no matter what."

Added CAULDRON guitarist Ian Chains: "It's not a concept album or anything and doesn't mean any one specific thing. As an album title, it refers to varying degrees of hopelessness that we can somehow relate to. It means striving hard to achieve something that may never see the light of day, or making poor decisions that come back to ruin everything for you."

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for "Bleed & Scream", the fourth album from Swedish hard rockers ECLIPSE, can be seen below. The CD will be released on August 28 via Frontiers Records.

"Bleed & Scream" comes four years after ECLIPSE's acclaimed album "Are You Ready To Rock", which gained the band a solid reputation and a steady following, thanks also to their live appearances which culminated with dates as the opening act for DEEP PURPLE and a Firefest show in 2009.

ECLIPSE singer Erik Martensson has been busy producing and writing a number of successful songs and records for such artists as W.E.T., Toby Hitchcock, GIANT and Jimi Jamison. Erik and ECLIPSE guitarist Magnus Henriksson also wrote the track "Brothers In Arms" (originally an ECLIPSE cut), which was voted the No. 1 song of the year in MelodicRock.com awards for 2009.

In 2011 ECLIPSE regrouped to write what has now become "Bleed & Scream". The bar was set high and the initial goal was to top "Are You Ready To Rock". "We knew we had to do everything better on this album. If we couldn't have achieved that we never would have released it! But boy did it turn out well! When it was taking shape we realized this was to be a monster of an album," says Henriksson.

"With ECLIPSE we never think of what other people want or expect from us," adds Martensson. "We write for ourselves and make the music we love to listen to. If I'd think of a perfect album this is how it will sound! And once the album was written the recording process went pretty smooth as we knew exactly what goal we aimed for. I'd say it's our own pimped version of the classic hard rock we grew up listening to."

“Every song has qualities as a single," concludes Magnus. "Erik's vocals are way better than ever. The guitar sound is just awesome! The whole production is just in your face. It has something for everyone in it! We worked so hard at making this record that it drove us nearly nuts and made us wanna scream, but now it's your turn to bleed and scream."

"Bleed & Scream" track listing:

01. Wake Me Up
02. Bleed & Scream
03. Ain't Dead Yet
04. Battlegrounds
05. A Bitter Taste
06. Falling Down
07. S.O.S.
08. Take Back The Fear
09. The Unspoken Heroes
10. About To Break
11. After The End Of The World

The first single, "Bleed & Scream", will be exclusively distributed in Sweden through Sweden Rock Magazine in the issue that will hit the streets on July 17. This special release will include two exclusive bonus tracks (unavailable elsewhere): "Come Hell Or High Water" and "Into The Fire".

ECLIPSE is:

Erik Martenssom - Vocals, Guitar, Bass
Magnus Henriksson - Lead Guitar
Robban Bäck - Drums
Johan Berlin - Synthesizers

Vocalist Hansi Kürsch of German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN has issued the following update:

"A long (far longer than expected) journey has more or less come to an end.

"After having had great fun with our Greek and German friends some weeks ago, we are now preparing ourselves for the final show here in Germany.

"Even though being on the road is always a very enjoyable experience for everyone in the band, it, on the other hand, demands a lot of time and makes it almost impossible for us to really keep our focus on songwriting. It therefore became more and more obvious to us that there had to be a stop to our touring activities to maintain a proper songwriting cycle.

"It will be a challenging but also a very exciting period for us.

"Having an album like 'At the Edge Of Time' in our rearview mirror is a curse and blessing at the same time. No matter if we try to finalize the orchestra project or start the songwriting for the next new 'regular' BLIND GUARDIAN album, it will demand our full attention during the next 24 months or perhaps even more. So, the final chance to see us live will be the Rockharz festival in Ballenstedt, Germany on Friday, July 13th. I am absolutely sure that there will not be any BLIND GUARDIAN shows before autumn 2014. So, do not miss this one!

"Last but not least, some information for those of you that are curious about the collector's box that we've mentioned in some interviews. This box will contain remixed versions of the complete studio album works (based on the original releases) we have done for Virgin. During the next weeks we will provide you with the exact content once it is completely confirmed. There will be tons of material…

"I've found it extremely pleasant to revisit the old albums one more time, but mostly I enjoyed 'Nightfall In Middle-Earth', which, for me, remains the strongest BLIND GUARDIAN release to date. Mostly I was impressed by some of the songs, which we have not played live so far, 'Noldor' and 'The Curse Of Feanor' in particular. I immediately decided that we have to play one or the other in 2014. So, it truly is something to look forward to. Sounds like a (false) promise, I already made some time ago, doesn't it? History repeats itself, some mean people would say, and that life is a constant 'Battlefield' — which reminds me of another great song of ours…"

"Memories Of A Time To Come", the ultimate collection of BLIND GUARDIAN music from 1987 to 2011, was released on January 20 via Virgin/EMI.

"Memories Of A Time To Come" is available as a double CD, three-CD deluxe limited edition, including the band's demo recordings when they were called LUCIFER'S HERITAGE, and as download.

"At The Edge Of Time", the tenth studio album from BLIND GUARDIAN, sold around 4,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 108 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 1 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.

BLIND GUARDIAN's previous CD, "A Twist In The Myth", opened with 3,000 units back in September 2006.

"At The Edge Of Time" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 2 — the band's strongest chart showing ever in its home country.

Norwegian progressive extreme metallers ENSLAVED have set "RIITIIR" as the title of their twelfth studio album, due in Europe on September 28 and in North America on October 2 via Nuclear Blast Records.

From the woods in Sweden, ENSLAVED guitarist/songwriter/founding member Ivar Bjørnson shares the following: "The album is, as mentioned, entitled 'RIITIIR' — a self-made 'Norse-ified' version of the words 'Rites' / 'Rituals.' RIITIIR = 'The Rites of Man,' to put it in a formulaic and easy way.

"There is no story with a timeline; again we've built structures that lay above the independent lyrics that we feel more comfortable with letting the reader explore, interpret, or simply discard themselves. It is entirely up to them. Meanwhile, we are extremely excited to see what visual artist Truls Espedal has come up with this time. The collaboration between him, myself, and Grutle [Kjellson, vocalist and bassist] was closer, more understanding and powerful this time than ever before in our more than decade-long cooperation. The album concept and our feelings connected to it hit home instantly with Truls, in the same way that his initial ideas resonated intensely with us from the second he shared them with us.

"We will, of course, discuss some key concepts and potential interpretations in deeper song-by-song analysis — but let's cross that rainbow when we get there.”

Longtime friend and collaborator Truls Espedal shares the following about his creative process for "RIITIIR"'s album artwork, his seventh cover for ENSLAVED: “This process has become a tradition; a tradition that works very well for me, with a lot of artistic freedom. First, an e-mail or text from the band asking if I'm ready, and then a phone conversation with Grutle and Ivar a week prior to us having a meeting. On the phone they give me an album title, some insight into the theme and their ideas, then a brief talk about different visual symbols/elements, which will be incorporated. A week later, I'm on a plane to meet them. We spend a day where we discuss the visual ideas I've come up with, eat good food, drink and listen to some of the new music. Before I leave, we have agreed about the sketches made during the day. Back home, now with a deadline, I get to work and don't talk to them before the artwork is finished.

"ENSLAVED's music is constantly evolving and expanding, and we early on decided that the artwork should reflect this. From my first collaboration with the band on [2001's] 'Monumension' and forward, we have slowly merged different aspects into the work; what we wanted to do now was to further expand and change things up a bit, without losing the connection to earlier work. It still has a strong sense of symbolism, symmetrical compositions and references to Norse art. But there is an even bigger emphasis on realism on 'RIITIIR', which hopefully adds atmosphere to the finished work.

"This was the first time I had the whole album to listen to from the get-go. So for more or less 90 percent of all the hours spent in my studio, 'RIITIIR' was on constant repeat on the stereo and I truly believe that had a major impact on both the process and the finished result. The music influenced both the whole dynamics in the studio as well as choices made in color palette and atmosphere; it more or less dictated the mood of the paintings.

"Another difference this time was that I switched from acrylic paint to oil painting. So the front and back cover will be my first official ones in oils. This change gave me a challenge when it came to the deadline because of the drying rate and so on, but it felt right for the visual ideas we had decided on.

"The collaboration with Ivar and Grutle feels even more organic and natural than ever. Even though it is something that is a few years in-between, it always seems like we are on the same page. There are a lot of the thoughts and ideas in their work that I feel can be found in my own private paintings."

ENSLAVED's last two CDs — "Vertebrae" (2008) and "Axioma Ethica Odini" (2010) — were released via Indie Recordings in Europe and Nuclear Blast in North America.

ENSLAVED last year released "The Sleeping Gods" via Scion A/V as a free downloadable five-song EP. Following up on 2010's near-universally praised "Axioma Ethica Odini", the EP found the quintet once again expanding the boundaries of what metal can be, deftly incorporating influences from across the musical spectrum. Mainly recorded in Solslottet Studio in Bergen, and partly in the band's own home studio, the effort finds the group sounding leaner and more confident than ever, part and parcel of maintaining a presence at the foreground of the international metal movement for 20 years.

Season Of Mist has announced the signing of Chile's cult act UNDERCROFT. Led by bassist/vocalist Alvaro Lillo (also of WATAIN fame), the band emerged from the obscurity of the South American underground as early as 1993 with the release of two legendary demos. Five albums and nearly 20 years later, UNDERCROFT will unleash its stunning sixth full-length album, entitled "Ruins Of Gomorrah", on September 21 (October 9 in North America) through Season Of Mist's Underground Activists division. The CD was produced by Daniel Bergstrand, who has previously worked with IN FLAMES, SOILWORK, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DARKANE and MESHUGGAH, among others.

"UNDERCROFT is proud to join the of Season Of Mist roster," the band comments. "It is time to continue stronger, with trustfulness and satisfaction to join Season Of Mist, knowing that things will be much serious and better handled than ever before, with the conviction of experience and restless work that became our curse over this earth through all this years. The Chilean mercenaries will rise chants of death upon this soil once again and our sixth manifest of war and maledictions is named 'Ruins Of Gomorrah'. Cheers, Season Of Mist! Thanx for your support!"

Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM were forced to cancel several shows earlier this month — including those in Oslo, Norway and Malmö, Sweden — after the band's guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho was rushed to the hospital with extreme stomach pain.

After spending the last week and a half receiving treatment in Oslo, Alexi will be released from the hospital tomorrow (Thursday, July 12) and the band will perform at this year's Ilosaarirock festival, which is scheduled to take place July 13-15 in Joensuu, Finland.

CHILDREN OF BODOM recently inked a worldwide deal (excluding Japan) with Nuclear Blast Records. The band, which kicked off a year-long celebration of its 15th anniversary with a successful North American tour alongside labelmates ELUVEITIE, has a new studio album planned for release in 2013.

"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)", a very special CD+DVD career retrospective in celebration of CHILDREN OF BODOM's 15th anniversary, spotlights specially selected tracks from every one of CHILDREN OF BODOM's critically acclaimed albums (1997's "Something Wild", 1999's "Hatebreeder", 2000's "Follow The Reaper", 2003's "Hate Crew Deathroll", 2005's "Are You Dead Yet?", 2008's "Blooddrunk" and 2011's "Relentless Reckless Forever"), plus two newly recorded (and undeniably fun) cover songs and detailed liner notes penned by the members of CHILDREN OF BODOM themselves. The DVD portion of the package includes "candid touring and backstage footage from around the world”, plus the "Shovel Knockout" video.

California rockers PAPA ROACH will release their new album, "The Connection", on October 2 via Eleven Seven Music. The CD was recorded at the band's hometown studio, The Red House in Sacramento, California, and was produced by rock veteran James Michael (SIXX: A.M., HALESTORM) and John Feldmann (PANIC AT THE DISCO, THE USED, ESCAPE THE FATE).

The first single from "The Connection" is a track called "Still Swinging", which many fans may have heard during last night's Major League Baseball All Stars Home Run Derby on ESPN. The track will be featured by ESPN/MLB in select games/events for the next few weeks.

"Still Swinging" officially impacts at radio on July 24.

A snippet of the track and behind-the-scenes footage of the band filming its video in New York City with David Brodsky of Brooklyn, New York's MyGoodEye Music Visuals (HELLYEAH, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, GOATWHORE, MUNICIPAL WASTE, SUFFOCATION) is available below.

Commented PAPA ROACH vocalist Jacoby Shaddix: "We wanted to make a dynamic and explosive record that captures the raw emotions of life. We also wanted to incorporate the biological sounds of rock with a digital edge to have a fresh sound. This is our own version of what we think the radio should sound like. This is the soundtrack to my life and once again I went through some dark shit and came through thanks to the music."

Shaddix recently told American Forces Network Europe that he thinks the band has "topped ourselves again" with the new album.

PAPA ROACH's last full-length studio effort, "Metamorphosis", arrived in spring 2009, while half of 2010's "Time for Annihilation: On the Record & On the Road" consisted of fresh studio material as well.

Shaddix told The Pulse Of Radio last year what the group's goal was for its next effort. "You know, we've got to go back and write a record that just flips people out," he said. "That's the goal. We kind of want to switch up the vibe again and progress with the sound and really just make a record that's a bit more adventurous, so we kind of want to make a record that's got a bit more of ebb and flow to it, and a bit more of a musical journey type record."

Fans might get to hear some of the new songs this summer when PAPA ROACH goes out on the Rockstar Energy Uproar Tour this August, alongside STAIND, SHINEDOWN, P.O.D., GODSMACK and more.

Greek Satanic blackened thrash outfit SATAN'S WRATH has inked a deal with Metal Blade Records. The band's debut album, "Galloping Blasphemy", will be released on September 25 in North America (one day earlier in Europe). According to a press release, the CD contains "nine tracks of unholy terror."

Formed in 2011 by multi-instrumentalist Tas Danazoglou (vocals, drums and bass) and Stamos K (guitar), SATAN'S WRATH deal in a style of heavy metal music which harks back to the times when the death, black and thrash genres were all considered one in the same, and only leather, spikes and bullets were real!

Tas Danazoglou comments on the deal with Metal Blade: "I bought 'Show No Mercy' by SLAYER when it was first released and have dreamt of the day when my own unholy necro-noise would be unleashed upon the earth via the same channels. Literally, this is my nightmare come true."

Brian Slagel of Metal Blade Records, which celebrates its 30-year anniversary this year, states: "When I first heard SATAN'S WRATH, it transported me back three decades to the early days of the label when I loved bands like SLAYER (who released their first three titles, between 1983 and 1985, on Metal Blade) and POSSESSED (whose first commercial release was the track 'Swing Of The Axe', which opened the Metal Blade compilation 'Metal Massacre XI' in 1985). What will always impress me about the heavy metal genre is its ability to borrow from the past and boldly wear its influences on its sleeve, while still sounding fresh and relevant to the time it was created. SATAN'S WRATH are one of those bands, and will be right at home alongside the other acts on the Metal Blade roster — past, present and future."

Legendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio, best known for his work with BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW and his own band DIO, would have celebrated his 70th birthday today (Tuesday, July 10) had he not passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

In a posting on his official web site, legendary bassist Geezer Butler — who played with Ronnie in both BLACK SABBATH and HEAVEN & HELL — wrote, "Today, July 10th, Ronnie should have been celebrating his 70th birthday, and probably would have been if he'd had his health checked regularly. I once asked him if he'd ever thought about retiring. He said he would make that decision on his 70th birthday. That is why today is so poignant.I think I know what his decision would have been."

Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. The singer, who was recording and touring with SABBATH offshoot HEAVEN & HELL prior to his illness, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2009. He underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

A free public memorial service was held on May 30, 2010 at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, attended by more than 1,500 fans, friends and fellow musicians.

In March 2011, it was announced that the surviving members of the final lineup of DIO would embark on a project with former JUDAS PRIEST frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens under the name DIO DISCIPLES.

His wife and manager, Wendy Dio, still oversees all projects and releases related to the career and music of her late husband.

Ronnie James Dio, real name Ronald James Padavona, was born in New Hampshire on July 10, 1942.

He moved to Cortland, New York at a young age, where he began playing with local acts. A street in Cortland, Dio Way, was named after him in 1988.

He released his first single, with a band called RONNIE AND THE REDCAPS, in 1959.

His first heavy rock act, ELF, released three albums and opened for DEEP PURPLE, where Dio's voice caught the ear of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Blackmore recruited Dio for his own band, RAINBOW, after leaving PURPLE in 1975.

Dio recorded three studio albums and one live set with RAINBOW before exiting in 1978, including "Rising" and "Long Live Rock And Roll".

He replaced Ozzy Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH in 1980, recording the "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil", before leaving in 1982. He rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the HEAVEN & HELL banner in 2006. HEAVEN & HELL released an album called "The Devil You Know" in 2009.

He has also recorded 10 studio albums with his own band, DIO, including a classic 1983 debut, "Holy Diver", and an equally renowned follow-up, 1984's "The Last In Line".

Dio was also behind the HEAR N' AID project, a collection of metal artists who recorded the track "Stars" in 1985 to raise funds for African famine relief.

Rock and metal musicians around the world paid tribute to Dio in the weeks and months following his death. STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor shared his feelings with The Pulse Of Radio about the fallen metal icon. "When I got that news that he had passed away, man, it seriously — it broke my heart. It broke it in two. Because honestly, I just feel like there will never be another Ronnie James Dio. He had such a pure voice — and still singing his ass off. I just know he'll be missed, and I will miss him as well."

Ex-VAN HALEN and current CHICKENFOOT bassist Michael Anthony also shared his memories of Dio with The Pulse Of Radio. "I don't know anybody that didn't grow up listening to his stuff," he said. "You know, VAN HALEN, we used to do from the first RAINBOW album, we did 'Man On The Silver Mountain'. I remember one time, the second VAN HALEN tour we were doing some festivals in Europe, and we actually played on the same show as Ronnie's band. Real powerful voice, you know, and definitely a driving force in hard rock music, that guy was."

Slash told The Pulse Of Radio that he felt the loss of Dio very keenly. "He's just somebody I was influenced by," he said. " I played all the RAINBOW stuff, I played the DIO stuff, the SABBATH stuff when I was in, you know, high school. I don't think that it's really set in what a, you know, huge figure in rock 'n' roll we lost, you know. Really major. Probably one of the most influential heavy metal singers of all time."

U.K.-based modern thrash heroes SYLOSIS recently completed work on their new album, "Monolith", with Romesh Dodangoda at Monnow Valley Studio in Wales. The CD will be released on October 5 via Nuclear Blast Records. The cover artwork was created by Dan Goldsworthy and can be seen below.

Commented SYLOSIS vocalist and guitarist Josh Middleton: "We're beyond pleased with the artwork for 'Monolith'. It needed to be something to accentuate the dark, gloomy vibe of the album without going for anything too cliché or stereotypically metal.

"We listen to a lot of '70s progressive music and with the Art Nouveau style was quite popular at that time.

"At this point, we don't want to reveal too much about the concept but one of the figures on the cover loosely represents the devil in disguise or a satyr. Some of the inspiration behind the concept came from Greek mythology.

"Working with Dan again was awesome. He's very patient, eager to please and can very quickly tap into what we're trying to put across.

"We always like to pay as much attention to the artwork as possible and it's never been an afterthought for us. It's about creating a complete piece of work so the music and the packaging really go hand in hand."

Added Goldsworthy: "Visually, the cover artwork for 'Monolith' has taken notable inspiration from the Art Nouveau movement. Diverting from the usual flowery aesthetic of the style, 'Monolith' has a significantly darker vein running thoughout, as fitting with the sonic nihilism of SYLOSIS' music. As far as the concept goes, it is merely my interpretation of the band's vision. Much like their previous album, 'Edge Of The Earth', the artwork is completely related to certain themes running throughout the songs, so if you wish to extract any deeper meaning, I would recommend studying the lyrics as well.

"Josh and I kept a very close working relationship throughout the entire design process, such was the importance of having the artwork represent his lyrics and the story they tell. However, the cover art and illustrations throughout the packaging are only small snapshots of the bigger picture so open the booklet, press play and enjoy the journey."

Middleton recently stated about "Monolith": "'Monolith' is the best representation of us as a band in terms of our diverse influences and stylistically it's what we've always been aiming for. A mixture of thrash, big doomy riffs and dark atmospherics and ambience.

"Overall, 'Monolith' has a darker vibe to anything we've done in the past, both lyrically and musically. It's a concept album which is just something I like to help guide me writing the lyrics. I like the fact that I can write about personal issues but dress them up in a way that people might not know exactly how they relate to me (if at all in some instances).

"The idea for the concept was very loosely inspired by the Greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. It's quite far fetched but it's about this guy who loses his wife and tries to bring her back from underworld. This giant monolith starts to grow out of her tomb. The most prevalent theme beneath it all is sort of accepting that you might not be as nice a person as you once thought. It sounds really cheesy but everyone has a darker side to their personality in terms of being selfish, manipulative or dishonest.

"A lot of metal lyrics are always 'you're this, you're that, you suck' and in a lot of cases it's probably really hypocritical. Some of the lyrics on this album are about owning up to those flaws and almost reveling in it.

"Some parts of the album is us covering new ground but everything that people have come to love about our band is still present. It's not necessarily a change in direction or something we're moving more towards, it was just about making a unique vibe for this album as a whole. There's a real urgency to a lot of this material and the really natural and honest production helps mirror that. We really wanted more of a 'live session' feel. Both Romesh and Jens [Bogren; mastering] have done a great job in giving this album a unique sound. Too many bands these days rely on technology and it can just suck all the life and personality out of the music."

QUEENSRŸCHE's Scott Rockenfield is selling the custom drum kit that he used for the two concerts that the band's new lineup performed under the name RISING WEST on June 8 and June 9 at the Hard Rock Café in Seattle, Washington. The kit is priced at $6,995.00 and can be purchased via eBay.

QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren announced on June 20 that they were parting ways with singer Geoff Tate and recruiting powerhouse vocalist Todd La Torre of CRIMSON GLORY as his replacement.

The new QUEENSRŸCHE lineup will headline the last day of this year's Halfway Jam, which is set to take place July 26-28 in Royalton, Minnesota. Also scheduled to appear at the three-day event are ENUFF Z'NUFF, LYNCH MOB, STRYPER, BANG TANGO, TRIXTER, JACKYL, BLACKFOOT, MOLLY HATCHET and .38 SPECIAL.

For more information, go to this location.

When asked in a recent interview with RollingStone.com if his former bandmates will be able to play shows as QUEENSRŸCHE before their legal dispute over the group's name is resolved, Tate said, "Well, they shouldn't. Definitely. It's a situation where, in my opinion, they're doing everything the wrong way. If there was a dispute over who is in the band, or who owns the band name, I think that stuff should all be worked out before they try to book gigs with the name QUEENSRŸCHE."
He added, "I'm forced to engage in a lawsuit with them now. This is not something I want to do at all. I want to make records and I want to tour and live a creative life. I don't want to be bogged down in some legal hassle. My God, but they're forcing me into it. I have no other way to go. I can't give up my life's work and walk away from it. These are my ideas, my concepts, my life, that I'm writing about. What are they gonna do — hand it to some kid to sing?"

British progressive metallers THRESHOLD will release their ninth studio album, "March Of Progress", on August 31 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2007's "Dead Reckoning" was recorded at Thin Ice Studios (DRAGONFORCE, PENDRAGON) by bandmembers Karl Groom and Richard West, with additional production at Eightspace Studio (LEAGUE OF LIGHTS, THE MORNING AFTER). Vocal duties on "March Of Progress" were performed by THRESHOLD's original frontman Damian Wilson (STAR ONE, HEADSPACE), who's been back touring with the band since the release of "Dead Reckoning".

Keyboardist Richard West comments on the approaching release: "It's been a long march but the new THRESHOLD album is finally ready. This is our longest album to date. We hope you're going to love it!"

"March Of Progress" will be made available in a limited-edition digipak, including a bonus track; a standard jewel case edition; as well as in a two-vinyl edition in two different colors, one of them exclusively available via the Nuclear Blast mail order.

"March Of Progress" track listing:

Digipack

01. Ashes
02. Return Of The Thought Police
03. Staring At The Sun
04. Liberty Complacency Dependency
05. Colophon
06. The Hours
07. That's Why We Came
08. Don't Look Down
09. Coda
10. Rubicon

Bonus track:

11. Divinity

CD

01. Ashes
02. Return Of The Thought Police
03. Staring At The Sun
04. Liberty Complacency Dependency
05. Colophon
06. The Hours
07. That's Why We Came
08. Don't Look Down
09. Coda
10. Rubicon

2LP

Side A:

01. Ashes
02. Return Of The Thought Police
03. Staring At The Sun

Side B:

01. Liberty Complacency Dependency
02. The Hours

Side C:

01. Colophon
02. That's Why We Came
03. Don't Look Down

Side D:

01. Coda
02. Rubicon

"Dead Reckoning" was released in 2007 and featured vocals by Andrew McDermott, who sadly passed away last year. The album entered the charts at position No. 64 in Germany, No. 95 in The Netherlands and No. 37 in the U.K. rock chart.

THRESHOLD's most recent output was the 2009 limited-edition box set "Paradox: The Singles Collection", a 24-song collection including a number of unreleased songs and recordings with vocals by Wilson, Glynn Morgan and McDermott.

THRESHOLD is:

Damian Wilson - Vocals
Karl Groom - Guitar
Richard West - Keyboards
Johanne James - Drums
Steve Anderson - Bass
Pete Morten - Guitar

Earlier this year, Rhino unveiled the 20th-anniversary edition of PANTERA's "Vulgar Display Of Power", which featured the debut of the incendiary lost track "Piss". Following up on "Vulgar"'s success, Rhino continues to honor PANTERA's legacy as one of metal's most influential bands by offering the Texas quartet's final three releases on 180-gram vinyl.

Presented in gatefold jackets, "The Great Southern Trendkill", "Official Live: 101 Proof" and "Reinventing The Steel" will be available July 24 from retail outlets, including Pantera.com and Rhino.com. The first two albums are double LPs and available for a suggested price of $24.98 each, while "Steel" will be issued as a single LP for $17.98.

This vinyl release of "Trendkill" is different from an earlier version that was issued as a single LP without the track "Suicide Note Pt. I". To include the song for this new release and ensure ultimate sound quality, Rhino expanded the album to a double LP.

Recorded over four years (1996-2000), these two studio albums and live collection represent the final three releases from PANTERA — singer Philip Anselmo, guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, bassist Rex Brown and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott.

The follow-up to the classic "Far Beyond Driven", "The Great Southern Trendkill" is the group's fourth platinum album, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard chart. It yielded three singles, "Drag The Waters", "Suicide Note Pt. I" and "Floods", the latter an epic track that features one of Dimebag's defining guitar solos.

The following year, the band returned with its first live album, the gold-certified "Official Live: 101 Proof". Recorded during the tour for "Trendkill", the collection captures the group at the peak of its live prowess as it grinds and grooves through many of its greatest songs, like "Walk", "Cowboys From Hell" and "Cemetery Gates", as well as "Dom/Hollow", which combines the tracks "Domination" and "Hollow". Along with the live recordings, the release also includes two studio recordings, "Where You Come From" and "I Can't Hide".

The group's final studio album, "Reinventing The Steel" was certified gold, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard charts. Along with the singles "Revolution Is My Name" and "I'll Cast A Shadow", the album's other standout tracks include "Death Rattle" and "Goddamn Electric", which features a guest guitar solo by SLAYER's Kerry King.

"The Great Southern Trendkill" track listing:

Side One

01. The Great Southern Trendkill
02. War Nerve
03. Drag The Waters

Side Two

01. 10's
02. 13 Steps To Nowhere
03. Suicide Note Pt. I
04. Suicide Note Pt. II

Side Three

01. Living Through Me (Hell's Wrath)
02. Floods

Side Four

01. The Underground In America
02. (Reprise) Sandblasted Skin

"Official Live: 101 Proof" track listing:

Side One

01. New Level
02. Walk
03. Becoming
04. 5 Minutes Alone

Side Two

01. Sandblasted Skin
02. Suicide Note Pt. 2
03. War Nerve
04. This Love

Side Three

01. Dom/Hollow
02. I'm Broken
03. Cowboys From Hell
04. Cemetery Gates

Side Four

01. Strength Beyond Strength
02. Hostile
03. Where You Come From *
04. I Can't Hide *

"Reinventing The Steel" track listing:

Side One

01. Hellbound
02. Goddamn Electric
03. Yesterday Don't Mean Shit
04. You've Got To Belong To It
05. Revolution Is My Name

Side Two

01. Death Rattle
02. We'll Grind That Axe For A Long Time
03. Uplift
04. It Makes Them Disappear
05. I'll Cast A Shadow

* Studio Recording May '97

"True Defiance", the sixth album from Seattle-based Christian metallers DEMON HUNTER, will be released on limited-edition vinyl on July 31 via Solid State Records. Limited to a one-time pressing of 1,000 copies, the double LP, double gatefold package features stunning large-scale versions of DEMON HUNTER frontman and graphic artist Ryan Clark's beautiful artwork — making this a must-have for DEMON HUNTER fans and vinyl collectors.

Preorders are available now at this location.

Fresh off a stint headlining the Scream The Prayer tour, DEMON HUNTER is currently gearing up for another headlining run, the True Defiance tour with support from BLEEDING THROUGH, CANCER BATS, THE PLOT IN YOU and WILLOWS. The trek is scheduled to kick off on July 26.

"True Defiance", sold 12,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 36 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on April 10, 2011 via Solid State Records.

Produced by Aaron Sprinkle (ANBERLIN, EMERY) and mixed by Jason Suecof (ALL THAT REMAINS, TRIVIUM), "True Defiance" finds DEMON HUNTER continuing in their hard rock evolution while embracing the components that have always formed the backbone of their music: true metal, dark rock and balladry.

"Time I", the long-awaited new CD from Finland's WINTERSUN, will be released on October 19 via Nuclear Blast Records.

According to WINTERSUN mainman Jari Mäenpää, the band's new
"'Time' is going to be two albums, titled 'Time I' and 'Time II'. We made this decision simply because of few reasons:

* All the 80 minutes of material won't fit on a regular CD and we didn't want to cut anything out.
* We want you to be able to hear new material sooner and not wait any longer and we want to go on tour sooner.
* The music is very full and complex, so listening this kind of 'hard listening (not easy listening)' material straight for 80 minutes is a bit too much (even for me).
* Both albums will be approximately. nice 40 min epic packages of fireworks.
* We like the idea of releasing two albums within one year, so the band will stay more visible longer, which is important in these 'modern times.' No more years of silence for us!"

"Time I" track listing:

01. When Time Fades Away
02. Sons Of Winter And Stars
I) Rain Of Stars
II) Surrounded By Darkness
III) Journey Inside A Dream
IV) Sons of Winter And Stars
03. Land Of Snow And Sorrow
04. Darkness And Frost
05. Time

The second "Time I" trailer can be seen below.

"Time II" will be releaed in 2013.

WINTERSUN will headline this year's edition of the Heidenfest tour, set to take place in October. Support on the trek will come from KORPIKLAANI, VARG, TROLLFEST and KRAMPUS.

WINTERSUN's debut CD was released in September 2004 through Nuclear Blast Records.

Trailer #2:

Less than two years after the release of their last record, the critically acclaimed Mammoth, BEARDFISH have returned with a new masterpiece, THE VOID, which will be released August 28 via InsideOut Music. The album is darker and heavier, and in some parts even has a bit of a metal edge to it, while still incorporating all that BEARDFISH and their typical warm retro-sound stand for.

The band comments: “We went full-on with this one… We’ve had some trouble in the past conveying our live energy on the studio albums. This is the one that shines through! It’s an album about loss. It’s about love. It celebrates both life and death and the struggle in between to heal the wounds that don’t show and to actually take the step to move forward in life. We’ve been waiting to share these songs with all of you for a while now and we, Beardfish, are really proud to present to you ‘The Void’.”

Swiss metallers SYBREED will release their fourth album, "God Is An Automaton", on September 24 in Europe and October 2 in North America via Listenable Records. The follow-up to 2010's "The Pulse Of Awakening" was recorded at Downtone Studio in Geneva and was once again mixed in Los Angeles by Rhys Fulber, who has previously worked with FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, FEAR FACTORY and PARADISE LOST, among others. The artwork was created by Seth Siro Anton (SOILWORK, PARADISE LOST, SEPTICFLESH) and can be seen below.

Commented Seth Siro Anton: "My works are distorting dream mirrors of the body and soul. Human nature attracted often to specific art forms which are essentially attracted by the reflected dream world. On SYBREED new artwork, I tried to decode-externalize the architect of the blackest light, an automated God, an ironic priest which is fighting between two different levels of reality. An ironic synthesis combination of modern classicism. It was a great challenge and pleasure trying to visualize their new masterpiece."

SYBREED last year recorded a new song called "Challenger", which was released for download exclusively on iTunes. The track was enhanced with three "ass-kicking" remixes from BAK XIII, Voicians and Drop.

The "Challenger" EP was a standalone release, meant to serve as a sneak preview of the "catchy" kind of material SYBREED was working on for its next CD.

"The Pulse Of Awakening" was released in North America in July 2010 via Listenable Records.

Video footage of Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA performing the song "Dialog" on June 22 in La Garriga, Spain can be seen below.

SEPULTURA played its first show with new drummer Eloy Casagrande (GLÓRIA, ANDRÉ MATOS) on November 25, 2011 in Lichtenfels, Germany.

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA as the replacement for Jean Dolabella, who left the band because he could no longer handle being away from home for long periods of time.

Eloy is a 21-year-old drum prodigy from São Paulo, Brazil who won the Modern Drummer "Undiscovered Drummer" contest as a teenager in 2006.

Dolabella left SEPULTURA after a five-year run of relentless touring and two studio albums. He joined SEPULTURA in 2006 following the departure of the band's original drummer, Igor Cavalera.

SEPULTURA is touring in support of its 12th studio album, and Nuclear Blast Records debut, "Kairos", which hit stores in July 2011.

"Memories", the new video from the Chicago heavy metal quintet DIRGE WITHIN, can be seen below. The clip was filmed last month with local director Peeler.

Commented DIRGE WITHIN guitarist Shaun Glass: "The video has a very cool storyline as well as some exciting new elements; we think it will blow people's minds."

"Memories", as DIRGE WITHIN vocalist Jeremy "Jerms" Genske explains, is one of the more emotional tracks on the band's sophomore album, "There Will Be Blood", as it addresses the sensitive subject of losing someone close to you.

"For me, the song is about the loss of one of my old friends to suicide — the fact that it came out of nowhere when it happened, and how it still lives with me," said Genske. "But the beautiful part about it is that it's open to individual interpretation. Anyone can take their own feeling from it."

DIRGE WITHIN's sophomore album, "There Will Be Blood", was released on April 10 via Rocket Science Ventures/THC: Music. The CD was recorded at Mercenary Studios in Zion, Illinois with engineer Scott Creekmore and producer Ari Mihalopoulos and was mixed at Inner Light Studios with Ari and DIRGE WITHIN guitarist Shaun Glass.

Guitarist Matt Szlachta left DIRGE WITHIN to continue to focus on his passion for teaching guitar to his students and for other personal reasons. He has since been replaced by Chuck Wepfer.

DIRGE WITHIN's new album is the band's first to feature drummer Frankie Harchut and bassist Jeff Paulick (bassist/vocalist of LAZARUS A.D.), who has been filling on bass duties on tour with DIRGE WITHIN.

DIRGE WITHIN's debut album, "Force Fed Lies", came out on September 1, 2009 via E1 Music.

"Memories" video:

FOZZY — the band featuring WWE wrestling superstar Chris Jericho and STUCK MOJO mastermind Rich "The Duke" Ward — will release its new album, "Sin And Bones", on August 14 (one day earlier internationally) via the group's new label, Century Media Records. The cover artwork for the CD can be seen below.

"Sandpaper", the lead single from "Sin And Bones", is available for streaming below. The trac, which features a guest appearance by AVENGED SEVENFOLD lead singer M. Shadows, will be released via iTunes on July 17.

"Sin And Bones" track listing:

01. Spider In My Mouth
02. Sandpaper
03. Blood Happens
04. Inside My Head
05. Sin And Bones
06. A Passed Life
07. She's My Addiction
08. Shine Forever
09. Dark Passenger
10. Storm The Beaches

Fan-filmed video footage of FOZZY performing "Sandpaper" at the pre-awards show boat party that cruised up the Thames to the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards on June 11 at Indigo2 in London, England can be seen below.

Speaking to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Jericho stated about how the new album title came about, "It's actually pretty funny. It's such a deep title and it can mean a lot of things. But how it really came about was Rich was texting me, saying, 'Man, I've gotta eat something on this tour. I'm all skin and bones.' And 'skin and bones,' he missed the [letter] 'k' and it came out [as] 'sin and bones.' And I showed it to him. I go, 'Dude, what do you think of this as an album title?' And he was like, 'Yeah, it's perfect.'"

In an interview with Sophie K of Total Rock at this year's Download festival, which was held June 8-10 at Donington Park in Leicestershire, United Kingdom, Jericho said about FOZZY's new CD, "Every artist says this, but it's definitely the best thing we've ever done. It kind of takes the FOZZY concept of what we do best, which is very heavy with very melodic choruses and a lot of harmonies. We're just super-proud of it. We worked on it for the last eight months."

He added, "We said we wanna make this like our 'black' album where all the songs kind of fit the same vibe. They're kind of darker lyrically, darker songs, but still catchy and hooky. So I'm really proud of the lyrics that I wrote for this. When I write lyrics, I give them to Rich Ward, and he takes them and writes riffs and songs based around what he feels the tone of the songs are. And I guess the lyrics I wrote are very dark, because it's a very dark record."

When asked if the "darker" vibe of the new album is reflection of personal things that might have gone on in his life, Jericho said, "I don't think so. I've just always been more attuned to that. Like, I write by songtitles. I read somewhere something about somebody woke up with a spider in their mouth. And I was like, 'Spider In My Mouth'. That's like the best title I could ever think of. So I wrote a bunch of lyrics that kind of fit that vibe. So a songtitle will lead… The first single is called 'Sandpaper'. And it's not about a piece of paper that you rub on your face that chafes you, it's just about an abrasive type of a feeling that you might have toward somebody. So it's just stuff like that. But we still sing it with a smile on our faces."

Speaking about some of the individual songs that make up the new FOZZY album, Jericho said, "We've been playing 'Sandpaper' live, and right off the bat people are bobbing their heads. So people can get into it right away, which is cool. I mean, there are so many great songs. There's another song called 'She's My Addiction', which is kind of a more [THE ROLLING] STONES-y, GUNS N' ROSES-type thing, but also very dark. Phil Campbell played a solo for it, from MOTÖRHEAD; he's been a very good friend of the band. There's a song called 'Inside My Head'. There's an 11-minute song about D-Day called 'Storm The Beaches'. 'Blood Happens'… that's a heavy one."

Elaborating further on how the "Spider In My Mouth" songtitle came about, Jericho said, "I read it in a Stephen King book. It said, 'He couldn't have been more disgusted if he woke up with a spider in his mouth. And I was like, 'Ahhh… Dude, how heavy is that?' And I wrote it down in my little songtitles book and about a year or two later, I went back and I looked through and it was like, 'Boom, I could do something with that.' So…"

Ward previously stated about the forthcoming CD, "Although every band says 'this is the best thing we've ever done,' I can honestly say that this new album is going to blow everyone away. It's the epitome of who FOZZY is as a band and will expand upon the ultra-heavy yet super melodic and hooky territory that we've refined for the last 12 years. I have a strong feeling that this will be known as our definitive masterpiece for years to come."

FOZZY last year parted ways with bassist Sean Delson and replaced him with Paul DiLeo (ADRENALINE MOB).