A 41-second teaser for "Yellow & Green", the new album fromthe Savannah, Georgia-based quartet BARONESS, can be seen below.

BARONESS' two prior releases ("Red Album" and "Blue Record") were awarded record-of-the-year honors from both Revolver and Decibel magazines and placed on year-end best-of lists from Pitchfork and Village Voice.

Due on on July 17 via Relapse Records, "Yellow & Green" reunites BARONESS with "Blue Record" producer John Congleton (EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, ST. VINCENT, XIU XIU) following both the band's busiest period (multiple worldwide tours including stops at Coachella, Bonnaroo and Soundwave) and most luxurious year, having taken nearly all of 2011 off to freely write and demo for the 2CD/LP album.

"Yellow & Green" track listing:

Disc 1:

01. Yellow Theme
02. Take My Bones Away
03. March To The Sea
04. Little Things
05. Twinkler
06. Cocainium
07. Back Where I Belong
08. Sea Lungs
09. Eula

Disc 2:

01. Green Theme
02. Board Up The House
03. Mtns. (The Crown & Anchor)
04. Foolsong
05. Collapse
06. Psalms Alive
07. Stretchmarker
08. The Line Between
09. If I Forget Thee, Lowcountry

The cover artwork can be seen below.

"We had been on tour for eight years, and we decided to take a break from our adventure to dig our heels in at home and write a new record," explains John Baizley, frontman for the band and the artist responsible for BARONESS' now-iconic album art. "We spent the entirety of the past year dedicating ourselves to the new album. Without the break from touring and the time we took to rest and reflect, we would have been entirely unable to write this new record. We have become re-inspired. Now it's time to get back out on the road."

Baizley also recently spoke with Alternative Press regarding the recording of "Yellow & Green".

BARONESS will embark on their first tour dates since 2010 as they join MESHUGGAH for a spring trek across North America, previewing material from "Yellow & Green".

BARONESS is John Baizley (guitars, vocals), Pete Adams (guitar, vocals), Allen Blickle (drums) and Matt Maggioni (bass).

Niclas Müller-Hansen of Sweden's Metalshrine recently conducted an interview with vocalist Biff Byford of British heavy metal legends SAXON. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Metalshrine: What are you up to?

Biff: I'm in the studio actually, writing songs for the next album.

Metalshrine: How far gone are you?

Biff: Just a couple of songs at the moment.

Metalshrine: When you write, do you write with a guitar or…?

Biff: Well, the whole band's here so we're all writing together. It's just a writing session. It's going good.

Metalshrine: So this is probably planned for next year then?

Biff: Yeah, February 2013 is the scheduled release for it. It's a mixture of classic rock and heavy metal. That's where we're at, at the moment. It should be good.

Metalshrine: Cool. Are you gonna produce it yourselves or bring someone in?

Biff: We're gonna co-produce it ourselves and we're gonna get Andy Sneap [MEGADETH, EXODUS, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY, ACCEPT] to mix it for us. He's a pretty cool mix engineer.

Read the entire interview from Metalshrine.

According to the official blog of the MOTÖRHEAD fan club organizer/editor Alan Burridge, the band's "The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 2" DVD will be released to tie in with MOTÖRHEAD's annual U.K. tour in November.

Released in North America in January via Motörhead Music/UDR, "The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" was a blistering DVD containing some of the finest moments from MOTÖRHEAD's 2011 tour.

Mixed by the band's long-time producer Cameron Webb, "The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" was stuffed with the classics Motörfans demanded, from "Overkill" to "Ace Of Spades" to "Killed By Death" as well as some old gems like "Over The Top" and new favorites such as "I Know How To Die".

"The Wörld Is Ours Vol. 1 - Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else" contains the complete set from the band's supreme performance in Chile at the Teatro Caupolican in Santiago on April 9, 2011, shot by Banger Films and Sam Dunn ("Iron Maiden Flight 666", "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage"). The DVD continues with some tasty morsels from New York's Best Buy Theater and the Manchester Apollo.

The official lyric video for the song "Black September" from the Swedish female-fronted symphonic rock/metal band THE MURDER OF MY SWEET can be seen below.

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET will release its second album, "Bye Bye Lullaby", on May 25 via AFM Records. The follow-up to 2010's "Divanity" will include 13 brand new tracks. The album's first edition will be available as digipak.

Commented THE MURDER OF MY SWEET singer Angelica Rylin: "'Bye Bye Lullaby' has been a long time coming. We wrote nearly enough songs for two full albums and had to carefully choose these thirteen to truly represent the new, updated THE MURDER OF MY SWEET. This album includes performances from close friends Jesper Strömblad (who you all know from IN FLAMES), Fredrik Åkesson (from OPETH) and Peter Wichers (from SOILWORK), so it's a really brave record. The major difference for me is the variation in the songs; we've taken them down a darker path, as well as on a more commercial path. It's unorthodox, maybe, but since there are so many female-fronted bands out there, we felt that this combination had never been tried before, and would be breaking new ground, which is way more fun."

Added THE MURDER OF MY SWEET composer and drummer Daniel Flores: "Who doesn't like huge variety and impact created with sound? Small fragments of sonic whispering, say mixed with soulful performances? With this new lineup, my imagination had no limits and you will surely be hearing an even bigger cinematic soundscape than you all grew to love on 'Divanity'!"

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET's new lineup includes Daniel, Angelica, guitarist Christopher Vetter and bassist Teddy Westlund.

"Bye Bye Lullaby" track listing:

01. Armageddon
02. Fallen
03. Unbreakable
04. I Dare You
05. Violently Peaceful
06. Meant To Last Forever
07. Idolize
08. Kind Of Lousy
09. The One
10. Resurrection
11. Waiting For The 27th (Booh Prologue)
12. Black September
13. Phantom Pain

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET formed in early 2007 when Flores met Rylin. "There was a rumor that Angelica was the finest vocalist in Stockholm and I wanted to see if that was true," said Daniel. "To my amazement, she was!" Daniel had already hooked up with Daniel Palmqvist on guitar, Johan Niemann on bass and Andreas Lindahl on keyboards, so the next step was to start writing songs. "Angelica's voice needed another sort of songs than what we had on the table," continued Daniel. "So we wrote more than 25 songs with 12 of them that [ended] up being on the [first] album."

Century Media Records, the Finnish Metal Expo, Inferno magazine, Terrorizer magazine and Imperiumi.net joined forces in 2010 to find the "Suomi Metal Star 2011." Around 240 Finnish bands signed up to take part in the contest and 12 were selected to be voted on by the public prior to the end of that year. The four finalist bands played at the Finnish Metal Expo in Helsinki in February 2011 and it was ODDLAND from Turku who won over the majority of the jury members with its brand of sophisticated prog metal/rock — described as a cross between DEVIN TOWNSEND, OPETH and KATATONIA.

After spending months writing new material, ODDLAND has finally released its debut album, "The Treachery Of Senses", on April 30. The effort will be made available in North America on May 8 as a digital download only.

A teaser for "The Treachery Of Senses" is available below.

"This record was long in the making, as most of the tracks were already composed when we got signed by Century Media, but even the older songs evolved a lot during pre-production," says ODDLAND vocalist/guitarist Sakari Ojanen. "We feel that in the end we succeeded in making a great record as a whole, rather than just a collection of individual songs."

He adds, "Working with Dan Swanö was very satisfactory — he really helped us attain the sound we were after. Also worth mentioning is the contribution of Samu Oittinen at Fantom Studios, who helped us nail the organic sound we wanted for the raw tracks.

"We feel there isn't too much of this kind of music out there, so hopefully 'The Treachery Of Senses' won't go unnoticed. In the end, we couldn't be happier with the outcome — we feel we made a killer debut album."

Swanö states: "One of the best albums I have mixed. Ever! Incredible songs, stellar musicianship. I am proud to be a part of this amazing record!"

ODDLAND teamed up with Elton Fernandes to perfect their artistic vision for "The Treachery Of Senses" album. Check out the cover artwork below.

"The Treachery Of Senses" track listing:

01. Above And Beyond
02. Flooding Light
03. In The Eyes Of The Mourning
04. Aisle Of Array
05. Past The Gates
06. Still The Spirit Stays
07. In Endless Endeavour
08. Sewers
09. Lines Of Silver Blood
10. Ire

The song "Flooding Light" can now be streamed below.

ODDLAND was formed in 2003 when four 18-year-old "wimps" decided to play heavy music to as a mental anti-acne medication. The mental acne never disappeared, but neither did the passion to play overdriven music with captivating melodies and intense energy. So far they made two recordings: the EP "Connecions Critical Behind" (2007) and the demo/promo "Away From The Watching Eye" (2009).

For more information, visit the ODDLAND Facebook page.

American black metal titans AVERSE SEFIRA have officially called it quits. The band formed in 1996, and went on to make their mark through Europe and the Americas, performing with other notable black metal groups like DARK FUNERAL, GORGOROTH, WATAIN, MARDUK, 1349, ABSU, ANTAEUS, and SECRETS OF THE MOON. They gained a respectable following despite a fiercely independent stance that garnered them a complex reputation in the underground. They achieved wider exposure with their signing to Candlelight Records in 2007 and the release of their highly-rated fourth LP, "Advent Parallax", the following year. Over the last decade, they also appeared in multiple documentaries and books examining metal culture.

AVERSE SEFIRA was known for dealing in esoteric themes, involved lyrics, and fractured musical styles that were regarded as both ambitious and confounding in equal measures. They were also known for strong ties with several veteran death metal acts, many of whom regularly touted the band in interviews.

Formal farewell statements from founding members Sanguine Mapsama and Wrath Sathariel Diabolus can be found at the band's official blog.

"Live To Rise", the official video for the first SOUNDGARDEN song in almost 16 years, can be seen below. The track was made available as a free download on iTunes beginning April 17 as part of the promotion of "Marvel's The Avengers". The seven-day promotion included an exclusive clip, "The Face Off", from the superhero team-up movie coming out on May 4.

"Live To Rise" was written specifically for "Marvel's The Avengers" after SOUNDGARDEN was approached about contributing a song to the film.

"The hard part of writing a song for a film is it has to act as a SOUNDGARDEN song, first and foremost, then obviously, it has to coexist with the film," SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell told Billboard.com.

Cornell told Seattle radio station KISW that fans should not think of "Live To Rise" as an indication of what the rest of the group's new record will sound like. Chris explained, "Some of the songs on our new album are pretty far left of center, and sort of zero in on more of a hardcore SOUNDGARDEN fan and not necessarily a family that goes to see a film like that. Although ['Live To Rise' is] not really what I think of as a necessarily family-friendly song, but it's as close as we've ever come."

The singer added that the tune wasn't specifically based on the movie, saying, "I think a film like this appeals to little kids all the way to old people because it's an action film, it's comic book characters, but it's also pretty witty dialog and accomplished actors doing it. So it had to be somewhat open to all of that. But also first and foremost it has to be a SOUNDGARDEN song."

SOUNDGARDEN officially reunited in early 2010 after disbanding in 1997. Since then, the group has played one full-length North American tour, a batch of festival and club gigs, and some overseas shows.

The group also released a career retrospective called "Telephantasm" as well as a concert album titled "Live On I5", which was recorded on its last tour before breaking up.

A release date and title for the new SOUNDGARDEN album have yet to be announced.

MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil appears in the season finale of "Ghost Adventures", the weekly American paranormal television series that first premiered on October 17, 2008 on the Travel Channel. The episode featuring Neil was taped at a Las Vegas hotel and aired on April 27. Neil joined the show's team of paranormal investigators — Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin — to check out The Riviera Hotel, which some say is haunted.

Neil told Robin Leach of the Las Vegas Sun, "After what we experienced, I now really believe in this paranormal phenomena. When you watch, you, too, will be scared out of your pants."

He added, "We experienced unexplained, first-hand encounters, including scratch marks on one woman's back, cold sensations, voices and knocking. Zak, Nick and Aaron documented the multiple EVPs and unexplained events. But when we went into Room 908, we really had the shocking, overwhelming physical experience of our lives."

"Built in 1955, it's one of the oldest hotel and casinos still standing on the Vegas strip," a show synopsis says. "Filled with history, the hotel has had a roster of celebrity clientele and was formerly connected to the Chicago Mafia — needless to say, the hotel has had its share of good times and bad. Perhaps its most well-known guest was Frank Sinatra, who had his own penthouse suite where he often threw lavish parties. As the 'Ghost Adventures' team heads into the hotel to begin their investigation, exploring paranormal occurrences in Sinatra's room and various guest rooms. Attempting to channel Sinatra, they recreate a party in his suite, which delivers some startling results. As Vince and his entourage experience unexplained first-hand encounters — including scratch marks on one woman's back, cold sensations, voices and knocking — Zak, Nick and Aaron document the multiple EVPs and unexplained events. But it's not until Vince and his girlfriend, Rain, head into room No. 908 that Vince encounters an overwhelming physical experience."

Watch Vince's appearance in "Ghost Adventures" in two parts below.

Extreme-metal drummer Gene ''The Atomic Clock" Hoglan (DETHKLOK, FEAR FACTORY, TESTAMENT, DEATH, DARK ANGEL, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) has issued the following update:

"Hey everybody, I just got back from Chile, where I played with TESTAMENT at The Metal Fest and boy, was it a hoot! I swear, the swirling mass of metalheads was a site to see indeed. You young'ns with yer karate choppin', believe me, you would get mowed down in the psychosis that is a Chilean pit, no doubt about it.

"There was somewhere around 10-12,000 ragers there [see video below], and at some points there were at least 4,000 lunatics running in that circle, and all innocents would be cut down like weeds in that wall of utter brutality. My hat's off to ya, Chilean Metalhead, you know how to bring it.

"It was also great to hang out (albeit briefly) with my bros in FORBIDDEN, ANTHRAX (who were on FIRE, [by the way]!), KREATOR, DESTRUCTION, OBITUARY, EXODUS, and FEAR FACTORY. I wish I could have stayed the next day to see what the ragers would have done for EXODUS. 'Toxic Waltz'? 'Toxic Death Sprint of the Apocalypse' is more like it.

"I do have some maddeningly sad news to report, however. Somewhere at the venue, the Movistar Arena, my gear bag was stolen, containing my two Alesis DM5's, my triggers, my stickbag, my in-ears, my leg weights, but most importantly, my BOOTS. The same boots I've played and recorded in for almost the last decade.

"Sentimentality aside, they don't make these boots anymore, as the company who makes them, Boodaz, went out of business around the time I got them. Or else I would just be forced to go out and pick up another pair of size 13 Flameboots. Since I can't do that, I am going to appeal to you directly, my Chilean friends.

"If, for whatever reason, you were to gain knowledge of the whereabouts of my bag (or the bag itself), especially my boots, could I ask you to contact me in care of Rob Shallcross, my manager, at rob@reversedrecords.com. Those boots mean an awful lot to me, and you would have me as friend for life if you would find a way to have them returned to me. Y'see, though the contents of my gear bag can be replaced (at QUITE a cost to me personally), the boots can't.

"So of course, I'd love for the entire gear bag to be returned to me, but I would REALLY appreciate it if at least the boots were. I wouldn't be able to thank you enough, my Chilean friends.

"Thank you so much, Gene.

"P.S.: I had to play in tennis shoes for the first time in 17 years this weekend. They might as well have been ballet slippers. Okay, I'm gonna stop sniveling about it now. Thanks for listening, my friends."

"Phantom Antichrist", the video for the title track of the new album from German thrash metal veterans KREATOR, can be seen below. The clip was helmed by Poland's Grupa 13, which has previously worked with BEHEMOTH, ELUVEITIE, SONATA ARCTICA and DECAPITATED, among others.

Commented KREATOR guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza: "The clips produced by Grupa 13 are groundbreaking visual trips that justify the existence of music videos in this day and age. In support of the lyrical concept of our new album, I could not think of a better creative solution than a collaboration with these great visionaries."

He added, "Grupa 13 strikes again! The most apocalyptic video in the history of KREATOR is here!"

"Phantom Antichrist" will be released on June 1 in Europe and June 5 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with renowned producer Jens Bogren (OPETH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK, DEVIN TOWNSEND, AMON AMARTH).

The cover artwork for the standard edition of "Phantom Antichrist" was created by Wes Benscoter (SLAYER, DIO, BLACK SABBATH) and can be seen below.

The limited edition of "Phantom Antichrist" will be made available as two-disc digipack, including a bonus DVD.

"Phantom Antichrist" formats:

- Jewel case CD *
- 2LP yellow vinyl *
- 2LP bi-colored vinyl (red/black): limited to 500 copies, hand-numbered *+
- 2LP picture vinyl **
- CD/DVD digi limited edition: 2 digipacks in a slipcase. **
- Limited mailorder edition: metallic box including CD/DVD digi limited edition, T-shirt, exclusive CD "Live In Wacken", poster, signing card, limited to 500 copies, hand-numbered **+

* = Featuring artwork by Wes Benscoter (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, SLAYER)
** = Featuring artwork by Jan Meininghaus
+ = only available at www.nuclearblast.de/shop

In a recent interview with Suicide Scriptures, Petrozza stated about "Phantom Antichrist", "We made sure that it contains all the trademarks that we're known for — crushing brutality, riffs that are very hard to play, lyrics that talk about things that I get angry about. You know, the full treatment, basically. We didn't try to do anything different. The only goal that we set for the band was we wanted to top everything that we'd done before and make this record an exciting record. That's always the main goal."

He added, "First off, we don't plan ahead too much. I take a long time to prepare the songs at home, in my little home studio, and then when I feel that have something lyrically and musically that I feel is good and exciting and powerful, then I play it to the other guys and then we discuss it. And we might come up with new ideas or we might arrange the songs differently, or we tear them apart and put them back together. It's a long process. We started this in the beginning of 2011, and we kept writing and rehearsing the songs until January 2012."

Regarding the lyrical themes covered on "Phantom Antichrist", Mille said, "Many things: injustice; the crisis in Greece; me thinking that religion is obsolete now in this day and age; personal things. I think the lyrics for 'From Flood Into Fire', they're very different, but it's very hard for me to explain what it's about. I want people to listen to it and leave room for their own imagination. I go to the movies all the time and I'm a big movie nerd, and I hate watching a 'making-of' [documentary featuring behind-the-scenes footage] before I go into a movie. So if I would explain the lyrics right now, [it would lose the magic]."

On the topic of the "Phantom Antichrist" artwork, Mille said, "I got in touch with [artist] Wes Benscoter in the middle of June last year and I gave him a couple of songtitles. And I told him that the album might be called 'Phantom Antichrist'. I already had the idea and I told him what the lyrics were about — it's all about the apocalypse, evil in the world… typical KREATOR topics that I always write about. I think he had 'Pleasure To Kill', and he knew about the band. I liked this AUTOPSY cover that he did, and then I found that he did a lot of great stuff for BLACK SABBATH, SLAYER and many, many bands. . . I talked to one of my colleagues that plays in a German band and he told me that he would draw, with a pencil, artworks and then he would give it to a professional artist. I don't have that much influence on the artwork. I think it's best to give an idea and maybe a title or something, maybe some music even… I think that's more of letting the artist be the artist. He needs to create the visual as we do with the music."

The "Phantom Antichrist" single was released April 20 on seven-inch colored vinyl and as a digital download via iTunes, Amazon and various other digital music providers. The release also includes the exclusive IRON MAIDEN cover "The Number Of The Beast".

A brand new promotional photo of KREATOR can be seen below (photo by Stefan Heilemann of Stuttgart, Germany's Heilemania).

KREATOR is:

Miland "Mille" Petrozza – Vocals, Guitrar
Sami Yli-Sirniö - Guitar
Christian "Speesy" Giesler - Bass
Jürgen "Ventor" Reil - Drums

"Phantom Antichrist" video:

"Dark Fate Of Atlantis", the new video from the Italian "cinematic" metal band LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in Stockholm, Sweden by Swedish director Owe Lingvall of Dreamday Media (THE RASMUS, KAMELOT's "The Great Pandemonium").

"Dark Fate Of Atlantis" comes off LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY's new album, "Ascending To Infinity", which will be released on June 22 via Nuclear Blast. The song was edited and made shorter for the video while on the CD it will appear in its original version of 6 minutes and 29 seconds.

Commented LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY: "This video represents just the first step of the collaboration between RHAPSODY and Dreamday Media, the company of our friend Owe. He was just the right choice for a band willing to sound and look cinematic like ours. We share with him the passion for the cinema. We are amazed by his ability of turning our cinematic visions into reality and at the same time he loves the cinematic impact of our music. This means Owe is, and will be, our artistic partner at all effects, now and in the future. The first results of this unique collaboration will be announced very soon. Therefore please expect great visual surprises in the months to come, headliner tour included!"

RTN Touring and All Access, in association with Nuclear Blast and Owe Lingvall's Dreamday Media, are working right now on the "Ascending To Infinity Cinematic World Tour 2012/2013" which will bring the cinematic metal of RHAPSODY on the stages of the entire world.

In August 2011, RHAPSODY OF FIRE guitarist Luca Turilli and keyboardist Alex Staropoli announced their decision to go their separate ways.

Due to legal reasons, Staropoli will continue under the RHAPSODY OF FIRE name. Turilli, on the other hand, will make his future efforts available under the RHAPSODY moniker (RHAPSODY OF FIRE's original name), in which he will be joined by guitarist Dominique Leurquin, bassist Patrice Guers, singer Alessandro Conti (TRICK OR TREAT) and drummer Alex Landenburg (AT VANCE, ANNIHILATOR, MEKONG DELTA, STRATOVARIUS).

"Ascending To Infinity" track listing:

01. Quantum X
02. Ascending To Infinity
03. Dante's Inferno
04. Excalibur
05. Tormento E Passione
06. Dark Fate Of Atlantis
07. Fantasia Gotica
08. Clash Of The Titans
09. Of Michael The Archangel And Lucifer's Fall
I. Alma Mundi
II. Fatum Mortalis
III. Ignis Divinus

You can check out the "Ascending To Infinity" cover artwork below.

The album will have a running time of around 65 minutes.

In a recent interview, Turilli stated about "Ascending To Infinity", "Honestly, this album is very important for me, and personally, it is the one I always dreamed to record. The basic composition process lasted around five months. In this period of time I worked at the rhythm of 12-14 hours per day and, while very hard because very demanding mentally and spiritually, this was one of the most rewarding sessions of composition of my whole life. It rarely happened I had so much fun playing the guitar, the keyboards or my beloved piano and creating original classical parts, cinematic interludes, orchestrations and all the rest. As you know, I don't hire external people to orchestrate the music, but I do all by myself writing the music for each section of the orchestra, the choirs etc. and this sometimes can be a very long and hard process stealing a lot of time and energy. I cannot deny that this is a very ambitious album, because of the investment, artistic vision etc., and all the people working on it, Nuclear Blast included, are thinking the same."

Regarding the change in the production team for the LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY album, Luca said, "After many years of work in Wolfsburg at the court of our friend Sascha Paeth, I decided to start this new artistic adventure with a different team of people. Sascha and the other friends of the Gate Studio (Miro, Olaf, Robert, Simon, etc.) are a winning team and their help in the past was really important for RHAPSODY. But it's since many years already that Alex and I took the productions in our hands, becoming producers of our own albums, despite Sascha remaining always fundamental as engineer and mixer man. His mixes will remain legendary and our list of thanks will be never long enough for all the professional contribution he gave. All the years of work, fun and sufferance in the Gate studios of Wolfsburg will surely remain unforgettable and are carved in our heart. For LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY and the new band adventure, I decided to change the studio and the main man behind the console. We [recorded] the new album at the Backyard Studio of Kempten, Germany. Our new engineer and main mixer man is the same owner of the studio and his name is Sebastian Roeder, the person who worked for RHAPSODY OF FIRE in the last worldwide tour making real miracles while mixing our music live. Apart from being a talented engineer, he is a great person and he shares with us the love for this style of music."

"Starlight", the new video from Swiss hard rockers GOTTHARD, can be seen below. The clip was filmed in an old animal food factory near Berlin, Germany where scenes from the Quentin Tarantino film "Inglorious Basterds" were previously shot.

According to a press release, the "Starlight" video features GOTTHARD fans "doing what they love to do: a concert crowd, urging on their band as loudly as possible."

The filming went on into the middle of the night and saw the band performing in the middle of blazing flames in honor of their new album, "Firebirth".

"During the filming of the video, we could feel again that the chemistry between us and the fans was great," the musicians said. "We are sure this will be seen in the clip."

For GOTTHARD, it was very important that to include some of those fans who have shown the band support through some of its darkest times, including the passing of the group's longtime singer Steve Lee.

"We simply have the feeling that not only those of us in the band have become even closer but also our GOTTHARD family, those who are in our surroundings, are close to us and shared with us the difficult unhappy months after Steve's death," GOTTHARD said. "We want to show this in the video: we are a community and we are rocking together again!"

"Starlight" was released as a single on April 20. The title track was made available in two versions: a rock and an acoustic rendition.

"Starlight" was one of the first songs that the band wrote with new singer Nic Maeder.

"The chemistry between us worked immediately," says guitarist Leo Leoni. "It is really unusual to be able to sit down together and straightway write a song which is later the single."

"Right from the get-go, we had a really laid-back atmosphere between us," agrees Nic. "It was therefore not hard to come up with good ideas. It was really good fun from the start!"

"Starlight" comes off GOTTHARD's new album, "Firebirth", which will be released on June 1 via Nuclear Blast/Warner Music. The CD was produced at the band's own Yellow House Studios in Lugano, Switzerland, with guitarist/songwriter Leo Leoni and Paul Lani (who has previously worked with GOTTHARD on several of their earlier albums, including "G-Spot" and "Homerun") at the helm.

"Firebirth" marks GOTTHARD's first release with Maeder, who was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, lived in Melbourne, Australia and grew up between Switzerland and "Down Under."

"Firebirth" track listing:

01. Starlight
02. Give Me Real
03. Remember It's Me
04. Fight
05. Yippie Aye Yay
06. Tell Me
07. Shine
08. The Story Is Over
09. Right On
10. S.O.S.
11. Take It All Back
12. I Can
13. Where Are You? (dedicated to Steve Lee)

GOTTHARD vocalist Steve Lee was killed on October 5, 2010 in what has been described as a freak road accident in Nevada.

The "Firebirth" album cover depicts the firebird Phoenix, which symbolically rises "from the ashes to the sky" — this line expresses what each GOTTHARD fan feels and underlines the turbulent time that GOTTHARD has gone through in the past months.

GOTTHARD's first live shows with Maeder will take place in May in South America before the band makes several European festival appearances. The new group's German live debut will take place on July 14 at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen.

CrankItUp.se recently conducted an interview with GOTTHARD bassist Marc Lynn and Nic Maeder. You can now watch the chat below.

"Starlight" video:

"Harakiri", the new studio album from singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet and political activist Serj Tankian, will be released July 10 on Reprise Records/Serjical Strike. The official lyric video for the first single, "Figure It Out", is available below. Also available is the CD cover art.

"Harakiri", a Japanese word meaning ritual suicide, is the follow-up to 2010's critically acclaimed "Imperfect Harmonies", and the third solo release from the SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman. As with 2007's "Elect The Dead" and "Imperfect Harmonies", Serj produced "Harakiri" himself at his home studio in Los Angeles. He tried to approach writing a little differently this time around. "I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record," explains Serj. "We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results." The album will also feature performances by Serj's touring band, THE F.C.C. — Dan Monti on guitar, Mario Pagliarulo on bass, and Troy Zeigler on drums. Dan Monti is also co-mixing and co-engineering the album with Serj. The album was mastered by Vlado Meller (METALLICA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, KANYE WEST, BEASTIE BOYS).

Serj reveals each of the songtitles in a statement describing "Harakiri" below. The song names are in order and in bold:

"The Cornucopia of love/hate affairs with Gaia have made us scream 'Figure It Out! CEOs are the disease." Where abusive capitalism's only fate is human/environmental devastation. The Ching Chime, diminutive drama of a gangsta Butterfly revealed that humanity's tears actually outweigh yearly rainfall on the planet.

"We have witnessed Harakiri on a grand scale tearing out the Occupied Tears of victims preyed on by victims turned aggressors creating a Deafening Silence through which we hear a voice plead, 'Forget Me Knot, my child.'

"Reality TV has become the searing indictment of a society best described as the Uneducated Democracy. The daughters of the evolution Weave On with blood dripping down their guilty hands onto the flag as the word republic is replaced by empire."

Much of the new record was written in 2011, which was an incredibly busy year for the diversely talented musician and what Serj describes as "the busiest, most productive year of my life so far." In February, the rock musical "Prometheus Bound", which he composed all of the music for, opened at the Oberon Theater at Harvard in Boston to rave reviews. 2011 also saw Serj release his second poetry book, "Glaring Through Oblivion". He toured with SYSTEM OF A DOWN across three continents, performed with the Opera Orchestra in Yerevan, Armenia, where he also had political meetings with heads of state and hosted non-profit events. He then performed his first ever concert in Lebanon, the place of his birth, with the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra. When he returned to the U.S., he finished writing four records: a jazz record, an electronic record he wrote with his friend Jimmy Urine of MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE, a full classical symphony called "Orca", and the new solo rock record that he is currently mastering.

"The year 2011 started with a fire. Some kids in Piha, New Zealand were setting off fireworks that landed on my neighbor's property and lit the whole hill on fire. I knew it was going to be a hell of a year and it certainly was," says Tankian. "Within five days of that, reports came out about birds and fish dying in massive numbers globally. The omen was not lost on me. Varied creatures on earth were committing massive hara-kiri (the Japanese term signifying ritualistic suicide.) Do they know something we don't about the coming times or the sustainability of the environment? That is the day I started writing this record."

The symbolism of entire species eradicating themselves on a large scale struck Serj emotionally, and is an underlying theme on the entire record. He took that idea and went to work writing, incorporating all of the experiences of his chaotic year to make a different kind of record. "The record is different than any I've made as a solo artist," he says. "It is much more driving and punk-oriented, with influences ranging from goth to electronic to '80s vibes, dynamically heavy rock to epic melodic songs. Lyrically, it spans the gauntlet of themes from personal, political and philosophical to spiritual, humor and love."

He also tried to approach writing a little differently this time around. "I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record," he says. "We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results."

"I've Been You", the new single from Danish modern metallers MNEMIC, can be streamted using the SoundCloud player below. The song comes off the band's fifth album, "Mnemesis", which will be released in Europe on June 8 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD 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.

Commented MNEMIC guitarist Mircea Gabriel Eftemie: "This is the first single of the new album and at the same time one of the most accessible songs on it — it's simple, easy to digest and just melodic. If you thought you were about to listen to something technical, weird and crazy — or supposedly djenty, which we are not — you were wrong. You would have had to listen to the other songs, 'cause they might be like that — who knows? Maybe you should get the album once it's out, and let us know what you think. You can always tell us if it sucks or rules on our Facebook page!"

"Mnemesis" track listing:

01. Transcend
02. Valves
03. Junkies On The Storm
04. I've Been You
05. Pattern Platform
06. Mnemesis
07. There's No Tomorrow
08. Haven At The End Of The World
09. Ocean Of Void
10. Blue Desert In A Black Hole
11. Empty Planet (bonus track)

As previously reported, MNEMIC bassist Simone Bertozzi will miss the first three shows of the band's upcoming tour due to "some last-minute kidney issues." He says, "I'm feeling well already, but, unfortunately, I'm forced to miss the [dates] in order to take the necessary medical tests and treatment measures. No panic, though, 'cause longtime friend Bo Lund (also known as THE HAUNTED's sound engineer) will provide the proper low-end dose on the first gig in Lyngby (Denmark), and the guys will increase their headbanging for the Czech Republic gigs to fill my empty spot. I will get back on the road with my fellas starting from Sunday, May 6th in Ferrara, Italy."

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

MNEMIC's fourth studio album, "Sons Of The System", was released in Europe on January 15, 2010 and in North America on January 26, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for "Nine", the third album from Norwegian progressive metallers CIRCUS MAXIMUS, is available below. The CD will be released on June 5 in North America (four days earlier in Europe) via Frontiers Records.

Five years after the release of the concept album "Isolate", CIRCUS MAXIMUS is back with what is described in a press release as "a strong and mature CD."

"A lot happened in our personal lives during the past few years," explains drummer Truls Haugen. "Three of us had kids, plus we also had a several bumps in the road with the production. So it has not exactly been a joyride, but it feels great to finally be done, and after all this time we are ready to unleash our new monster!"

CIRCUS MAXIMUS worked hard to further refine its sound. The band's musical formula is not easy to accomplish — take jaw-dropping musicianship, add a singer like Michael Eriksen with a voice from heaven and toss it together with hooks, anthemic melodies and enough groove and heavy riffing that really gets into your head.

For this new record, CIRCUS MAXIMUS presents the best of both worlds — offering their most melodic and at the same time heaviest moments of their repertoire, with class and maturity which is really from another world.

"The majority of the material on the new record was written by Mats Haugen and he has taken the music to a kind of simpler and more accessible approach, yet kept the progressive elements and the 'nerve' that is CIRCUS MAXIMUS," says Truls. "We're actually more melodic and heavier on this new record than we've ever been."

"Nine" track listing:

01. Forging
02. Architect Of Fortune
03. Namaste
04. Game Of Life
05. Reach Within
06. I Am
07. Used
09. The One
10. Burn After Reading
11. Last Goodbye

"Reach Within" was released as a digital single on April 27. A video for the song is also in the works.

"Reach Within" audio snippet:

FAITH NO MORE singer Mike Patton, joined by the Brussels-based Ictus Ensemble, pays tribute to pioneering composer Luciano Berio with the July 3 release of "Laborintus II" via Ipecac Recordings.

Berio, a groundbreaking Italian composer whose lengthy list of compositions revel in experimentation and intuitively fuse classical, jazz and electronic music, created "Laborintus II" in 1965 to mark the 700th anniversary of Dante's birth. The composition is based on the "Laborintus" poem by Edoardo Sanguineti. "Laborintus II" highlights the timelessness of love and mourning and is told in three voices. In 1972, Berio performed "Laborintus II" at the Holland Festival, the Dutch premiere of the piece, with a set that included a giant blow-up doll and old car tires.

In 2010, Mike Patton joined the Ictus Ensemble and Nederlands Kemerkoor at the Holland Festival for a performance of "Laborintus II", which is featured on this release. Lieven Bertels, Holland Festival's former artistic director, said of the recital, "Loyal to the historical context of a repertoire piece from the previous century, we were also aware that this project could attract a much younger audience, for whom 'Laborintus II' would be a first-time discovery of Berio's work. In reintroducing this piece, we added new touches — foremost being the refreshing combination of narrator Mike Patton, regarded as one of the world's most versatile and astounding vocalists, with the fine vocal filigree of the Nederlands Kamerkoor and the musical volcano that is the Ictus Ensemble."

Patton, who has continually paid tribute to Italian composers, most recently with his 2011 "Mondo Cane" album, discussed the differences and similarities between Berio, Morricone and Nono in an interview with Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, " I can listen to Berio and Nono as easily as I can to Morricone but like all modern music of Italy, it is unfortunately marginalized. Maybe because of the language barrier, maybe because it's not easily understood. Berio, who was teaching in California when he wrote this piece, was listening to jazz, pop and folk music and incorporated all of it in his works without prejudice."

Fan-filmed video footage of QUIET RIOT's April 20 performance at the Sunset Cove Amphitheatre in Boca Raton, Florida can be seen below.

QUIET RIOT in March recruited Scott Vokoun as its new lead singer.

The band played several shows in early February with ex-MONTROSE vocalist Keith St. John following the departure of Mark Huff.

QUIET RIOT's current touring lineup is as follows:

Scott Vokoun - Vocals
Frankie Banali - Drums
Chuck Wright - Bass
Alex Grossi - Guitar

QUIET RIOT singer Kevin DuBrow died in November 2007 of an accidental cocaine overdose. He was 52 years old.

QUIET RIOT was perhaps best known for its 1983 cover of "Cum On Feel The Noize". The song, featuring DuBrow's powerful, gravelly voice, appeared on the band's album "Metal Health" — which was the first by a metal band to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

Fan-filmed video footage of MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil and his solo band performing the CRÜE classic "Piece Of Your Action" on April 27 at Cubby Bear in Chicago, Illinois can be seen below.

Neil's live backing band continues to consist of bassist Dana Strum and Jeff Blando (both of SLAUGHTER) and drummer Zoltan Chaney.

Neil's latest solo album, "Tattoos & Tequila", sold 7,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 57 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was issued in Europe on June 4, 2010 via Frontiers Records and was made available in the U.S. on June 22, 2010 through Eleven Seven Music.

Neil recorded "Tattoos & Tequila" in the winter of 2009 with Strum, Blando and Chaney. The album includes two new songs — "Tattoos and Tequila" and "Another Bad Day", both produced by Marti Frederiksen (AEROSMITH, OZZY OSBOURNE, DEF LEPPARD) — plus a selection of classic cuts from some of the rock giants that have influenced Vince Neil throughout his musical career. The cover songs were produced by Vince and Jack Blades (DAMN YANKEES, NIGHT RANGER).

Italian folk/power metallers ELVENKING have parted ways with bassist Gorlan and have replaced him with Jakob.

Commented the band: "[Jakob] already recorded the bass in the new album and the ones of you that have already seen him live [on the recent tour with RHAPSODY OF FIRE] know he's got some skills! Obviously, this also means that we have to say goodbye to Gorlan, one of our dearest friends inside the band who was with us for so many years. This is life... especially in a band like ELVENKING, but one sure thing is that we and Gorlan will always be friends even if we won't share the stage anymore."

Added Gorlan in a statement: "After more than ten years, I would like to thank all the great fellows in the ELVENKING family, especially the older ones. While I'm writing this words, I'm not sad or angry: I'm leaving a great part of my life, but I need to direct my efforts towards my personal life, even if this mean leaving the band.

"As you can imagine, being an ELVENKING member is a heavy duty...they smell like hell, you have to live together in a van full of every kind of shit many days a month and the worst thing is that they love to take showers all together… OK, I like these weird kind of things, but I prefer to stop! We have run so many miles side by side, at this time I pick a different choice but the direction is the same so we'll see what the future will bring!"

In other news, ELVENKING has re-signed with AFM Records for another two albums.

ELVENKING entered Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland on February 24 with producer Nino Laurenne (AMORPHIS, LORDI, SONATA ARCTICA, APOCALYPTICA) to begin recording its new album for a mid-2012 release. Nino previously worked with the band on "The Winter Wake" and "The Scythe" CDs.

Drummer Zender left ELVENKING last year for "personal" reasons and was replaced by Symohn.

ELVENKING's "Your Heroes Are Dead" video can be viewed below. The song comes off ELVENKING's most recent album, "Red Silent Tides", which was released on September 17, 2010 in Europe (November 9 in North America) via AFM Records. The CD was recorded at Piranha studios in Karsdolf, Germany with producer Dennis Ward (ANGRA, PINK CREAM 69, PRIMAL FEAR). The album's cover artwork was created by Samuel Araya, who has previously worked on CRADLE OF FILTH's "Thornography" CD.

The first in a series of webisodes featuring behind-the-scenes footage from TRILLIUM's European tour as the support act for DELAIN can be seen below.

TRILLIUM — the metal project launched by American singer/songwriter Amanda Somerville — released its debut album, "Alloy", on November 1, 2011 in North America (three days later in Europe) via Frontiers Records.

"Alloy" is a collection of songs that's charged with emotion and exploration and a very personal statement from Amanda.

"Since I'm an eclectic and diverse person and musician, that certainly comes out in this album," the singer states in a press release. "I think that the diversity is what is going to set this album apart from other stuff that's out there right now. It's got big choruses and epic symphonic hits, guitar solos you could imagine being played on a mountain top with an aerial camera view, but it's also got a lot of soul added to the raise-your-fists-in-the-air-and-make-a-mean-face vibe".

Musically, TRILLIUM melts rock and metal in a new, interesting and different way from anything Amanda has worked on so far. "Alloy" is also graced with the talents of several musicians with whom Amanda had the honor of working in the past. Sander Gommans (AFTER FOREVER, HDK) and Sascha Paeth (KAMELOT, AVANTASIA, EPICA, AFTER FOREVER) were the main songwriters along with the American singer on this album. They have brought a lot to the project and have certainly allowed the sound to be a lot richer and stronger.

"Sander is all around an awesome songwriter and guitar player, and he's especially good at coming up with riffs and movements of a song, while Sascha is a fantastic producer who can play any instrument there is — and play the hell out of it — and his sense of songwriting is really strong!" says Amanda.

Other contributing musicians include Miro Rodenberg, who handled all of the orchestral and keyboard arrangements, Robert Hunecke on drums, Olaf Reitmeier on acoustic guitar, Simon Oberender on keyboards (and mastering). But there are more surprises are on the record.

"Working with Mat Sinner on KISKE-SOMERVILLE established a solid professional relationship and I also found a good friend in him," says Amanda. "We co-wrote 'Love Is An Illusion' together for this album and it was a pleasure working with him once again!"

And last, but in no way least, Jorn Lande has lent his epic voice to the song "Scream It". Somerville tells the story: "I actually wrote that song with Jorn in mind not for his status in the scene, but because I absolutely love his voice, he's a wonderful friend of mine through working together on AVANTASIA and he was the perfect 'actor' to play the character in the song. And he nailed it!"

"Alloy" was released in a lavish digipack CD edition and includes the following songs:

01. Machine Gun
02. Coward
03. Purge
04. Utter Descension
05. Bow To The Ego
06. Mistaken
07. Scream It
08. Justifiable Casualty
09. Path Of Least Resistance
10. Into The Dissonance
11. Slow It Down
12. Love Is An Illusion *

* bonus track

"Alloy" recording lineup:

* Amanda Somerville - Lead and backing Vocals, Keyboards
* Sascha Paeth - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Drums
* Sander Gommans - Guitar
* Miro - Arrangements and Keyboards
* Olaf Reitmeier - Acoustic Guitar
* Robert Hunecke - Drums
* Simon Oberender - Keyboards
* Jorn Lande - Guest Lead Vocals on "Scream It"

Veteran San Francisco Bay Area thrashers EXODUS will be inaugurating their summer festival season with a performance at the Scion Rock Fest in Tampa, Florida on June 2. With Gary Holt still handling guitar duties for Jeff Hanneman on SLAYER's North American and European tour, EXODUS has invited out none other than former bandmember Rick Hunolt to fill in for the band's upcoming shows.

States Hunolt: "I'm ecstatic, I'm nervous, I'm psyched… all the emotions wrapped up into one! It's been years and I've been practicing hard. I CAN'T WAIT! I'm gonna rip it up!!!"

Longtime EXODUS fans will recall that Hunolt — the other half of the famed EXODUS "H-Team" who is on every studio recording from 1985 through 2004 and co-wrote some of the band's best-known songs such as "A Lesson In Violence" and "Deliver Us To Evil" — left EXODUS after the band's highly-acclaimed 2004 reunion album, "Tempo Of The Damned". "Murder In The Front Row", the recent photo book documenting the pinnacle of the Bay Area thrash scene, aptly documents Hunolt's tenure in the band.

Following his departure, Hunolt was replaced by HEATHEN guitarist Lee Altus.

Hunolt rejoined his former bandmates at a special concert in celebration of Holt and Lisa Perticone's wedding on September 24, 2011 at Avalon in Santa Clara, California (see video below). He also performed with them at "Bonded By Baloff: A Decade Of Remembrance", a special concert which marked the 10-year anniversary of former EXODUS singer Paul Baloff's passing. The event took place February 4 at the Oakland Metro Operahouse in Oakland, California.

On Tuesday, May 1, 2012, 7,273 guitar players joined together at the "Thanks Jimi Festival" in Poland to play the JIMI HENDRIX classic "Hey Joe" (see video below), breaking the record for "Largest Guitar Ensemble" set at the 2009 edition of the annual event.

The late rock legend's brother Leon Hendrix led the musicians at this year's festival, which was held on Wroclaw's Main Market Square.

All participants were registered and given IDs, with organisers approving electric, acoustic, classical and bass guitars.

May 1, 2009 saw 6,346 guitar players join together with festival founder Leszek Cichonski and DEEP PURPLE guitarist Steve Morse at the "Thanks Jimi Festival" to play "Hey Joe" and more than tripled the standing Guinness World Record for "Largest Guitar Ensemble" of 2,052.

According to GuitarPlayer.com, Cichonski is a well-known musician and music educator in Poland and the festival was an outgrowth of one of his educational programs and has taken place — and grown — annually since 2003.

Guitarist Glen Alvelais (FORBIDDEN, TESTAMENT, LD/50) made his live debut with HATEFX on April 21 at Fulton 55 in Fresno, California as part of the third anniversary of the popular "Dirty Dowdy" podcast with fellow local acts GROOVEYARD, SPACEHOOKER, FROM THE FALLEN and SIX DAY TRUCE.

Video footage of HATEFX performing the song "Stainless Kill" (off the band's last CD, 2009's "The Holy Frail") at the Fresno show can be seen below.

Commented Glen: "t was really cool to take a break and play a show in HATEFX's hometown Fresno while deep in the middle of recording the next CD.

"Most of the guitar tracks are done and we'll be announcing a release date soon.

"I'm really enjoying the new songs a lot and it was really good to play one live to see the crowd response."

According to a press release, HATEFX's forthcoming third CD will contain "a diverse range of material" and will feature "some interesting musical guests that will be announced at a later time."

Regarding the new music, HATEFX's Chilean frontman G, who was previously a member of DOGMA, stated, "We have been hard at work since the incorporation of Glen to the fold and are very excited with what we are coming up with. It feels like we have such a musical connection that the new material is flowing organically and we will be taking our fair share of risks and branching out to add even more textures to the music. We are using a unique new method to record that has proven to be very effective and the sound should speak for itself, can't wait for everyone to check it out."

Added Glen: "I can't say enough how pumped up I am to do this CD. I get the opportunity to write solos over music that is not only driving but outstanding on its own. There's something about the music of HATEFX that is bringing out the melodic but technical solos out of me. So far the solos that I've written are coming out epic and becoming more and more of a challenge to beat the last one written. I can't wait for people to hear this new material."

Alvelais brings years of experience to the up-and-coming metal heavy hitters, who encompass a distinctive approach to metal, adding sonic textures to their mix and a light/FX-filled live show. They have become one of the strongest Central Valley outfits, having previously shared the stage with such national acts as EXODUS, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and STATIC-X, among others.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/hatefx.

Relapse Records has announced the vinyl reissue of MORBID SAINT's criminally underrated debut album "Spectrum Of Death". Originally released in 1988, this death/thrash cult classic, produced by Eric Greif, was light years ahead of its peers, leaving posers crushed in a heap of destruction! The long-out-of-print album has been repressed in celebration of the band's reunion performance at this year's Maryland Deathfest.

"Spectrum Of Death" will see a June 19 re-release, with pre-orders and an officially licensed exclusive shirt available now at this location.

Toulouse, France-based post-apocalyptic metal monsters ERYN NON DAE. (formerly END.) have finished mixing and mastering their sophomore album. The follow-up to 2009's "Hydra Lernaia" is said to be "about metamorphosis," and will feature such songtitles as "Scarlet Rising", "Chrysalis", "The Great Downfall" and "Black Obsidian Pyre". The CD was recorded at Mobo's ConKrete Studio in Bordeaux, France.

Professionally filmed video footage of ERYN NON DAE. performing the new track "Scarlet Rising" on April 19, 2011 at the Impetus Festival in Montbéliard, France can be viewed below.

According to a press release, ERYN NON DAE. gives the metal scene exactly what is needed — something unique, groundbreaking, and a new style of extreme to follow upon. Much like fellow homeland heroes GOJIRA, ERYN NON DAE. pulls off a signature sound that can immediately be picked up by the metal critics. ERYN NON DAE.'s ever-evolving brand of extreme music makes for an open-minded listen from start to finish. Their technicality not only stands out, but also goes towards metal's advantage, expanding the genre. ERYN NON DAE. delivers complex and brutal structures while at the same time adding doses of dark and apocalyptic moods, keeping you addicted. Their creativity, power, and aesthetics without a doubt will stun the metal genre."

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.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl has confirmed several months of rumors and word-of-mouth by officially announcing that he is directing and producing a feature-length documentary called "Sound City". The film, about the legendary and now defunct recording studio in Van Nuys, California, was conceived by Grohl after he bought an equally famous Neve 8028 recording console from the studio. The console, built in 1972, is considered by many to be the crown jewel of analog recording equipment, having recorded classic albums by artists such as NIRVANA, Neil Young, FLEETWOOD MAC, Tom Petty, CHEAP TRICK, GUNS N' ROSES, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, SLIPKNOT, NINE INCH NAILS, METALLICA and countless others over the past 40 years.

Producer Butch Vig, who is working on the movie's soundtrack with Grohl, told The Pulse Of Radio how the seed for the film was planted. "When Dave got the board and put it in his studio, he had the idea to interview people who had recorded there. And he got a roster list of all the bands that had recorded there over 20 years — it's huge. I mean, it's like, FLEETWOOD MAC and THE JACKSONS and Tom Petty and METALLICA... I mean, it's amazing. And so Dave started calling up people and saying, 'Hey, man, do you want to do the interview for this documentary?' And everybody said yes."

Grohl said in a statement about the project, "'Sound City' is a film about America's greatest unsung recording studio . . . it was the birthplace of legend. It was witness to history. It was home to a special few, intent on preserving an ideal. An analog church, a time capsule, the last bastion of a craft defied by technology. It was rock and roll hallowed ground."

Grohl interviewed dozens of artists and producers who worked at Sound City about their experiences there and some of the legendary albums that came out of the studio.

The film will also feature brand new performances by artists who recorded at Sound City, including collaborations between musicians like SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor and Rick Springfield.

Grohl hopes to get the film, his first feature-length project as a director, out by early 2013.