"The Weight Of Oceans", the third full-length album from Swedish progressive death metallers IN MOURNING, will be released on April 18 via Spinefarm Records. The CD was recorded in late 2011 at the Abyss and Black Lounge studios in Sweden with engineer Jonas Kjellgren. The cover art was created by Kristian Wåhlin and can be seen below.

"The Weight Of Oceans" track listing:

01. Colossus
02. A Vow To Conquer The Ocean
03. From A Tidal Sleep
04. Celestial Tear
05. Convergence
06. Sirens
07. Isle Of Solace
08. The Drowning Sun
09. Voyage Of A Wavering Mind

A five-minute YouTube clip containing audio samples of all the tracks that will appear on "The Weight Of Oceans" can be found below.

IN MOURNING's last CD, "Monolith", was released in January 2010 via Pulverised Records. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered at Black Lounge Studio in Avesta, Sweden in with producer Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY, CENTINEX, WORLD BELOW). The cover artwork was created by Travis Smith (NEVERMORE, OPETH, KING DIAMOND, AMORPHIS).

IN MOURNING's full-length debut, "Shrouded Divine" (2008), was released on vinyl on November 20, 2009 via Kolony Records. Limited to 500 copies worldwide, it came with new exclusive artwork for this version only and inner sleeve containing all lyrics and info.

IN MOURNING is:

Tobias Netzell - Vocals, Guitar
Pierre Stam - Bass
Björn Pettersson - Guitar
Tim Nedergård - Guitar
Christian Netzell - Drums

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 will finally release its debut album, "The Treachery Of Senses", on April 30. The effort will be made available as regular CD and digital download.

"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.

ONE-WAY MIRROR — the French band featuring Guillaume Bideau (MNEMIC) and David and Franck Potvin (LYZANXIA, PHAZE I) — will release its sophomore album, "Destructive By Nature", on April 16. The cover artwork was once again dessigned by plastic arts master Alain Tréhard at the Maria Hell Studio in La Rochelle, France. According to a press release, "Alain was inspired by the title of the album to create this unstructured masterpiece."

A one-and-a-half-minute trailer for the CD can be seen below.

ONE-WAY MIRROR previously stated about the upcoming album, "Even though they composed these latest bombtracks in the similar vein of their first album, ONE-WAY MIRROR was able to nurture the fresh and perfectly controlled combination of violence and pure melodies with catchy components.

"This album is not unlike shrapnel as it will embed itself in your system upon explosion. Some songs will make the fans bang their heads while others will simply decimate them altogether.

"The band’s goal will remain playing the very music they want to listen to. No constraints, no limits or barriers and no rules apply. The musicians of ONE-WAY MIRROR agree that the motivation to compose and to record a metal album is pure pleasure before any other consideration.

"David Potvin and Guillaume Bideau are producing the album and . . . the sound is extremely powerful, natural and modern."

ONE-WAY MIRROR's self-titled debut album was released in June 2008 via Metal Blade Records.

ONE-WAY MIRROR is:

Guillaume Bideau (MNEMIC) - Vocals
David Potvin (LYZANXIA, PHAZE I) – Lead Guitar
Franck Potvin (LYZANXIA, PHAZE I) – Rhythm Guitar
Clément Rouxel (T.A.N.K) - Drums
Vincent Perdicaro (GENERAL LEE) - Bass

German death metallers DAWN OF DISEASE will release their sophomore album, "Crypts Of The Unrotten", on April 27 via NoiseArt Records. The CD was once again recorded at Soundlodge Studio in Rhauderfehn, Germany with producer Jörg Uken (GOD DETHRONED, DEW-SCENTED, SINISTER).

Commented the band: "After recording our debut album in Soundlodge, it was clear to us to go there again, since we had been very happy with how it turned out the first time. Jörg is a great guy and this time we had much more time to record and all than last time."

The "Crypts Of The Unrotten" concept was based on the eerie Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily, which were constructed after the death of Silvestro of Gubbio, a famous 16th century monk. Four long limestone corridors underneath the Capuchin Church hold about 8,000 mummies, lying in repose or hung from hooks by their necks and feet and wearing their best clothes.

"Our guitar player Lukas 'dug up' the topic and the atmosphere as well as the stories around all those 'crypts' have both fascinated and influenced us as a band," DAWN OF DISEASE said. "It's the main theme of the album and also refers to it unmistakable in the album title."

"Crypts Of The Unrotten" track listing:

01. Descent Into Another World (intro)
02. Alone With The Dead
03. Knife Vs Flesh
04. The Unrotten
05. Skinless And Impaled
06. Enter The Gates
07. Calcined Bones
08. Catacombs
09. Final Resurrection
10. Devouring Obscurity
11. But Death Goes On
12. Soulless Shape (bonus track)

A snippet of the track "Alone With The Dead" can be streamed below.

DAWN OF DISEASE's debut album, "Legends Of Brutality", came out last April via NoiseArt.

DAWN OF DISEASE is:

Tomasz Wisniewski - Vocals
Lukas Kerk - Guitar
Oliver Kirchner - Guitar
Michael Wächter - Bass
Mathias Blässe - Drums

Swiss hard rockers GOTTHARD are putting the finishing touches on their new album, "Firebirth", for a June 1 release via Nuclear Blast/Warner Music. The CD is being 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 new singer Nic Maeder, who was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, lived in Melbourne, Australia and grew up between Switzerland and "Down Under."

Commented Leoni: "We are delighted with the new album. Songwriting with Nic and Freddy was a real explosion of inspiration and new ideas! Regarding sound and production, we have returned to our roots and we deliberately produced it with a pure — and for GOTTHARD — typical sound. For us, 'Firebirth' is the comeback album with the rating: back to basics!"

Added Marc Lynn: "Collaboration with Nic was unbelievable — it feels that we have known each other forever and the euphoria in the band is now burning like a new fire. It is a true rebirth of the zest of 20 years ago, when the band took off 'to conquer the world.' Producing this album with the new lineup was a real 'birth of fire' — we are very proud of our new baby."

GOTTHARD's first recording with Maeder, a song called "Remember It's Me", was made available late last year as a free download via the GOTTHARD web site and was met with a firestorm of enthusiasm and positive feedback.

Stated Maeder: "It was absolutely amazing to experience the positive feedback from the GOTTHARD fans and the media after the release of 'Remember It's Me'. Now I am looking forward to the reaction to our first album together. The chemistry in the band feels fantastic and we are very much looking forward to being onstage in a couple of weeks and rocking with the fans."

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.

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

A couple of new audio samples of songs that will appear on "Private Sessions", the fourth album from Kentucky rockers HYDROGYN, can be streamed using the ReverbNation TuneWidget below (click on "Songs" tab).

"Private Sessions" will be released in Europe on April 20 through Music Buy Mail. The CD will be made available in the U.S. on April 17. 13 songs were recorded for the CD at guitarist Jeff Westlake's Ridgeline Studio in Ashland, Kentucky and Patrick Liotard's Peek Studio in Boisseron, France.

The U.S. version of "Private Sessions" will feature the following track listing:

01. Something To Say
02. Forbidden Kind
03. Scream
04. I Don't Know
05. Heated Nights
06. Creeper
07. Don'tcha Walk Away
08. Roseline's Song
09. Feeling
10. Un Monde Perdu
11. It Doesn't Matter

After months of uncertainty surrounding the band because of singer Julie Westlake's health, the green light was given to Julie and the rest of the band last year to proceed ahead with the new album recordings.

Commented Julie: "This is the quickest we have ever completed a project to date.

"We decided in June that we were going to do another CD after I got clearance from my doctors to get back to work and by August we were in the studio."

For "Private Sessions", things changed up a bit as far as production. For the past two albums, Jeff Westlake handled the production, engineering, mixing, etc., to go along with the writing and song prep. Jeff said he wanted a chance to just worry about the songs on this release with limited production going on from his end. Enter the team of Anthony Dura and Patrick Liotard (who co-wrote the song "Alone" on HYDROGYN's last album, "Judgement"). Anthony and Patrick stepped in and teamed up with Julie and Jeff for this project, not only from a production standpoint but also in the creation of the project itself.

"I love these guys and what they bring to the table," said Julie. "To be able to turn to them and have a new team in the mix for the entire process with fresh ideas and a great perspective as well is just priceless. We were all introduced by our French team at Musiconlights (Mike Jublin) back in 2007 and as time has gone on, we have gotten to know each other. The working part of the relationship is just a natural progression for us all and takes some pressure off Jeff for a change."

A HYDROGYN live CD and a digital-only best-of release called "Phase 1" are also in the works.

"Ghost", the new video from FINAL DARKNESS — the project led by former INTO ETERNITY guitarist Rob Doherty — can be seen below. The clip, which was filmed in January in Serbia, was produced by Stanimir "Staca" Lukic and directed by Ivan Colic.

Commented Rob. "Staca and Ivan did 'Push The Venom' for KATAKLYSM, which is one of my favorite videos. Their work has a visual appeal that really stands out for me."

"Ghost" is the first "official" video for the new FINAL DARKNESS album, which was released on December 21, 2011.

The project was put on hold when the label it was originally to be released under changed priorities and decided to go in a different direction, but Rob remained determined to push forward and bring FINAL DARKNESS to life.

Doherty rewrote and reworked some of the songs from the original project and began recording the new music last year at Touchwood Studios. The recording was engineered by Justin Bender (INTO ETERNITY), who also provides additional guitars on the track "Memories". The album also features guest performances from Tim Roth (INTO ETERNITY) on the songs "Kill Room", "Memories" and "Darkness Falls". A big break came when legendary producer/engineer Neil Kernon (NILE, NEVERMORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE) agreed to do the final mix for the project. Neil also helped hook Rob up with mastering engineer Alan Douches from West West Side Music in New Windsor, New York to help give the album a killer sound.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/final_darkness.

"Murderer", the brand new video from Riverside, California-based Christian death metallers IMPENDING DOOM, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's fourth full-length album, "Baptized In Filth", which will be released on March 13. The CD was produced by Andreas Magnusson (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, THE FAMINE) and was mixed by Machine, who has previously worked with LAMB OF GOD, SUICIDE SILENCE and DEMON HUNTER, among others.

Commented bassist David Sittig, "'Baptized In Filth' represents the mindless indulgance and self-worship in the vile world we live in. This album is meant to scare the hell out of you!"

"Baptized In Filth" track listing:

01. Murderer
02. For the Wicked
03. Chaos: Reborn
04. Deceiver
05. Falling Away
06. Absolute Horror
07. Angry Letters to God
08. Baptized In Filth
09. My Light Unseen
10. Death. Ascension. Resurrection

IMPENDING DOOM will take part in the Metal Alliance Tour 2012 alongside DEVILDRIVER, THE FACELESS, DYING FETUS, JOB FOR A COWBOY and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD.

IMPENDING DOOM is Brook Reeves on vocals, Cory Johnson on guitar, David Sittig on bass and Brandon "B-Town" Trahan on drums.

IMPENDING DOOM's third full-length album, "There Will Be Violence", was released on July 20, 2010 via Facedown Records.

Dayton, Ohio Christian metalcore band THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA has released a performance video for the song "Vengeance". The clip features footage from the group's upcoming live CD/DVD, which was filmed at a Worcester, Massachusetts show during the "Dead Throne" tour. The as-yet-untitled CD/DVD will arrive in stores everywhere on June 26.

A new series of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA shows will kick off tomorrow, March 9, at The Castle Theatre in Bloomington, Illinois, with dates continuing through early April. Support on all dates comes from EVERY TIME I DIE, LETLIVE and OH, SLEEPER.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA will then head down to Latin America for a headline tour alongside fellow metalcore heroes WHITECHAPEL, with stops slated for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Columbia, and Mexico. The band is then slated to spend its summer as one of the main stage performers at the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, set to get underway June 30 at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA recently parted ways with keyboardist James Baney.

The band lso entered the mobile gaming world with the release of "Zombie Slay", a first-person, multi-level, action game specifically designed for mobile devices, that integrates all five songs from the band's critically-acclaimed 2010 release, "Zombie EP".

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's latest full-length album, "Dead Throne", debuted at No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH will release a special "tour edition" of their latest album, "Imaginaerum", on April 13 via Nuclear Blast Records. It will be a 2CD+DVD digibook in slipcase.

The track listing:

CD1 - The Album

01. Taikatalvi
02. Storytime
03. Ghost River
04. Slow, Love, Slow
05. I Want My Tears Back
06. Scaretale
07. Arabesque
08. Turn Loose The Mermaids
09. Rest Calm
10. The Crow, The Owl And The Dove
11. Last Ride Of The Day
12. Song Of Myself
Song 1: From A Dusty Bookshelf
Song 2: All That Great Heart Lying Still
Song 3: Piano Black
Song 4: Love
13. Imaginaerum

CD2 - Orchestral Version

01. Taikatalvi
02. Storytime
03. Ghost River
04. Slow, Love, Slow
05. Scaretale
06. Arabesque
07. Turn Loose The Mermaids
08. Rest Calm
09. The Crow, The Owl And The Dove
10. Last Ride Of The Day
11. Song Of Myself
Song 1: From A Dusty Bookshelf
Song 2: All That Great Heart Lying Still
Song 3: Piano Black
Song 4: Love
12. Imaginaerum

DVD:

* Making Of "Imaginaerum"
* Storytime (video clip)
(16:9 anamorph / PCM Stereo / DVD-5 / region all / approx 90. min)

A trailer for the "Making Of 'Imaginaerum'" documentary can be seen below.

You can order it at the Nuclear Blast webshop.

In addition, there will be a two-LP version in black or clear vinyl with the orchestral version of the record in gatefold.

Track listing:

Side A

01. Taikatalvi
02. Storytime
03. Ghost River
04. Slow, Love, Slow

Side B

01. Scaretale
02. Arabesque
03. Turn Loose The Mermaids

Side C

01. Rest Calm
02. The Crow, The Owl And The Dove
03. Last Ride Of The Day

Side D

01. Song Of Myself
Song 1: From A Dusty Bookshelf
Song 2: All That Great Heart Lying Still
Song 3: Piano Black
Song 4: Love
02. Imaginaerum

"Imaginaerum" has been certified gold in Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia and Germany.

The effort entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 1 and has already been certifield triple platinum in the country after shifting more than 60,000 units.

"Imaginaerum" sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, 2007's "Dark Passion Play", opened with 11,000 units to land at No. 84.

"Dark Passion Play" has sold more than 130,000 copies in the U.S. so far, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Imaginaerum" was released in North America on January 10 via Roadrunner Records.

Swedish metallers SOLITUDE will release their debut album, "Tied To The Anchor", on March 21. The CD was produced by Henrik Udd and Fredrik Nordström (BRING ME THE HORIZON, IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR) at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden.

According to a press release, "You can expect an album full of energy and packed with melodies combining the screaming and singing of Patrik Larsson and Dennis Warelius. With role models like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, TRIVIUM, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, combined with the Swedish metal scene, these guys wants to bring some new quality metal to the world."

A video for the first single, "Under Fading Skies", can be seen below.

SOLITUDE is:

Patrik Larsson - Vocals
Dennis Warelius - Guitar, Clean Vocals
Christoffer Apell - Guitar
Niclas Staberg - Bass
William Turner – Drums

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

METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN, SAXON, LAMB OF GOD, OPETH and MESHUGGAH are among the nominees at this year's edition of the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards, set to take place on Monday, June 11 at Indigo2 in London, England.

The nominees for the 2012 Golden Gods are:

Best New Band

* ANIMALS AS LEADERS
* HEIGHTS
* THE DEFILED
* KOBRA AND THE LOTUS
* PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION

Best Underground Band

* BLACK BREATH
* ANCIENT VVISDOM
* WATAIN
* IN SOLITUDE
* SHINING (Norway)

Breakthrough

* CANCER BATS
* PARKWAY DRIVE
* WHILE SHE SLEEPS
* MOTIONLESS IN WHITE
* GHOST

Best U.K. Band

* SAXON
* FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM
* TESSERACT
* TRC
* BLACK SPIDERS

Best International Band

* OPETH
* MESHUGGAH
* LAMB OF GOD
* FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
* NIGHTWISH

Best Event

* MANOWAR returning to the U.K.
* IRON MAIDEN's U.K. tour
* Dave Mustaine playing with METALLICA
* Devin Townsend's DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT London shows
* Tommy Lee bringing his drumcoaster to the U.K.

Best Live Band

* IRON MAIDEN
* METALLICA
* RAMMSTEIN
* SKINDRED
* WATAIN

Dimebag Darrell Shredder

* Satchel (STEEL PANTHER)
* Devin Townsend
* Dino Cazares (FEAR FACTORY)
* Adam Dutkiewicz (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE)
* Ol Drake (EVILE)

Metal As F*ck

* Zoltan Bathory (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH)
* HELL
* SABATON
* ANTHRAX
* Nik Kai

The following awards will also take place on the night, as voted for by the esteemed team at Metal Hammer:

* Drummer Of The Year
* Album Of The Year
* Riff Lord
* Icon
* The Golden God

To cast your vote, go to this location.

"Pantheon", the new video from the English alternative rock band INME, can be seen below. The song comes off the group's fifth studio album, "The Pride", which reached No. 60 on the U.K. album chart.

"The Pride" was released in February via the PledgeMusic project, which encourages fans to contribute funds to the recording of albums and the artists themselves to donate to charity as a part of their fundraising.

INME's PledgeMusic campaign began on November 25, 2011 and exceeded 100 percent within the first week.

INME's 35-date tour of the U.K. and Ireland continues throughout March, finishing in London on March 31 at Islington Academy.

The INME of today is a very different animal to that of their 2003 debut album, "Overgrown Eden". Their continued evolution has maintained a fiercely loyal fanbase and challenged them further as musicians with the release of every album. Following on from "White Butterfly" (2005), "Daydream Anonymous" (2007) and "Herald Moth" (2009), the band released "Phoenix - The Best of InMe" in 2010: this celebrated their career so far and featured exclusive tracks that showcased INME's progression from their early days, when they had been thrust into the spotlight as teens.

Finnish melodic metallers STRATOVARIUS have issued the following update:

"We have now played the final Latin America gigs with [drummer] Jörg Michael, who is leaving the band after 16 years.

"2011 started with the release of the 'Elysium' album and was a long year with a long world tour together with HELLOWEEN. After some time off, we are now looking to the future, composing material for the next album, and we are also looking for the next drummer.

"We have some great candidates already, but since we have a bit of time, we decided to also cast a wider net to see what comes up. So, if you have some touring and recording experience, are — more important — musical and hard hitting, and — most important — a nice dude, you might be the one we are looking for!

"If you think this sounds like you, playing in a world-famous metal band for a living sounds like something you'd enjoy, and if you want us to listen, please put on some headphones and record a video of yourself playing any of these three STRATOVARIUS songs: 'Coming Home', 'Father Time' or 'Deep Unknown'. You can for instance upload them to YouTube.

"Send the video links and a short letter with your personal information to this e-mail address: drummer@stratovarius.com

"What do you have to lose? The world awaits you! Plus money, fame, great times, and all the beer you can drink."

Jörg joined STRATOVARIUS in 1995 and made his recording debut with the band on the "Episode" album (1996). He has appeared on nine full-length releases from STRATOVARIUS and has played nearly 1,000 shows with the band.

Commented STRATOVARIUS singer Timo Kotipelto: "The rest of us just has to accept Jörg's decision with a lot of sadness and wish him all the best for the future. But we can also assure that the band will still go on."

STRATOVARIUS and Jörg will not completely go their separate ways, however, since Jörg will still be working for the band through his booking agency, Twisted Talent Concerts.

Swiss hard rockers THE ORDER have inked a deal with Massacre Records. The band's fourth album, "1986", will be released in late July. The CD was recorded at the Little Creek Studio in Gelterkinden, Switzerland with V.O. Pulver and is said to be "an homage to the bands THE ORDER grew up with."

Formed in 2005, THE ORDER consists of childhood friends who previously played in several bands together.

THE ORDER is:

Gianni Pontillo - Vocals
Bruno Spring - Guitars
Andrej Abplanalp - Bass
Mauro Casciero - Drums

For more information, visit www.theorder.ch.

A new three-minute video trailer for Orion Music + More — the two-day festival created by METALLICA that will take place on June 23-24 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey — can be seen below.

An entire stage devoted to punk and thrash music — Damage Inc. Stage — will be headlined by SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and SEPULTURA, and will feature up-and-comers TORCHE, RED FANG, KYNG, LANDMINE MARATHON, BLACK TUSK, THY WILL BE DONE, and more.

Orion Music + More will feature multiple live music stages plus a lifestyle element that reflects each of METALLICA's bandmembers' many personal interests. METALLICA will headline both nights of Orion Music + More and play "The Black Album" in its entirety one night and "Ride The Lightning" in its entirety the other. This will be the only time the band will perform these albums in North America in 2012.

Orion Music + More has also just launched a complete web site where fans are able to explore the full Orion Music + More lineup by clicking any band name for a bio, video, streaming music and more. They will also be able to use the Custom Scheduler to make their own personalized lineup.

Tickets for Orion Music + More are currently on sale for $150 for a two-day pass including all fees. Visit www.orionmusicandmore.com to buy tickets.

Orion Music + More scheduled performers:

METALLICA
ARCTIC MONKEYS
AVENGED SEVENFOLD
MODEST MOUSE
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
ERIC CHURCH
CAGE THE ELEPHANT
FUCKED UP
THE JIM BREUER HEAVY METAL COMEDY TOUR
BEST COAST
HOT SNAKES TITUS ANDRONICUS
GARY CLARK JR.
LUCERO
ROKY ERICKSON
THE BLACK ANGELS
THE SWORD
WOODEN SHJIPS
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
LITURGY
SOUL REBELS

Damage Inc. Stage

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
SEPULTURA
TORCHE
RED FANG
KYNG
LANDMINE MARATHON
BLACK TUSK
THY WILL BE DONE

During an interview aired immediately after the announcement, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich stated about how the bands were selected to perform at Orion Music + More, "Music, to us, is really diverse; it covers all grounds. If you took the four of ours;' iPods and scanned through those, you would find the biggest variety and diversity of music, so we're trying to bring that spirit to this festival."

He added, "A lot of the European festivals, and certainly also Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo and so on, in outside lands in America, these festivals are really about diversity and about different experiences. You go there, you go check out bands you don't know a lot about, you go check out bands where it will be the first time you'll experience them. So there's a whole big pile of stuff — from punk to thrash to country to, sort, of alternative, straight-ahead rock, blues. But it's really about diversity."

"We'd love to have people open up their focus. Maybe they come to see us but wind up discovering some blues or country act," METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett told USA Today.

Added Ulrich: "It's all about balance, keeping things fresh."

"We've done festivals our whole career," said METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield. "We wondered what made those people come back year after year, and it was because it was someplace you had to be. Maybe we can create something like that."

The METALLICA members explained that Orion was named in honor of the band's late bassist Cliff Burton. "Orion" is also the name of the instrumental song from METALLICA's 1986 album "Master Of Puppets", which is widely considered to be one of the greatest metal LPs of all time.

"We've had the idea of doing our own lifestyle festival with lots of diverse music and fun and games for years," said Ulrich. "Finally this year all the practical ducks lined up in a row, and we are beyond psyched to bring Orion to our fans, friends and the curious. After the most incredible of weeks ever in December 2011 celebrating our 30th anniversary at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California, bringing the spirit of that week, the looseness of that week, the possibilities of that week, the fan interactive elements of that week, and the (fill in your own blank here) of that week to a festival setting is so exciting we can hardly contain ourselves."

Bassist Peter London of Swedish Swedish glam rockers CRASHDIET underwent surgery earlier this week after he was diagnosed with spinal disc herniation. A herniated (slipped) disk occurs when all or part of a disk in the spine is forced through a weakened part of the disk. This places pressure on nearby nerves.

Writes London on Facebook: "Just woke up from surgery, feeling fine. Got some photos but I'll show them later. All went just fine, lots of congratz to myself!"

As a result of London's surgery, CRASHDIET was forced to cancel its March 9 appearance at the Rock The Night festival in Lichtenfels, Germany and the following night's concert at the Shout It Out Loud festival in Mülheim, Germany.

As previously reported, CRASHDIET drummer Eric Young fractured his right hand and his unable to perform with his bandmates in December in Rome, Italy; Milan, Italy; and Lichtenfels, Germany. Filling in for him for those shows was Michael Sweet, the "kid brother" of CRASHDIET guitarist Martin Sweet.

CRASHDIET's third album, "Generation Wild", was recently released on vinyl. This gatefold LP features the new bonus track "Hollywood Teaze" as well as updated artwork.

"Generation Wild" entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 3. The CD, which was made available in Sweden in April 2010 through Gain/Sony Music, was helmed by RamPac, the production and songwriting team formed by Johan Ramström and Patrik Magnusson, in Gröndal, Sweden and was mixed by Tobias Lindell.

CRASHDIET in 2009 announced the addition of Simon "Simme" Cruz from the Stockholm act JAILBAIT as the group's new lead singer.

The band parted ways with its previous vocalist, the Finland-based H. Olliver Twisted, in July 2008.

Spanish thrashers ANGELUS APATRIDA will release their new studio album, "The Call", on April 30 via Century Media Records. The CD was once again recorded at Ultrasound Studio in Moita, Portugal with producer Daniel Cardoso (ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN, ANATHEMA). The artwork was handled by Gustavo Sazes of Abstrata (ARCH ENEMY, KRISIUN).

"The Call" track listing:

01. You Are Next
02. At The Gates Of Hell
03. Violent Dawn
04. It's Rising!
05. Blood On The Snow
06. Killer Instinct
07. The Hope Is Gone
08. Fresh Pleasure
09. Still Corrupt
10. Reborn

Check out the cover artwork below.

Commented ANGELUS APATRIDA guitarist/vocalist Guillermo Izquierdo: "Our new album is ready and it's damn great! Our only purpose was to put everything we have learned in the last three years into a fistful of songs that could reflect how we feel nowadays. And the result couldn't have turned out any better… it's strong, fast, immediate, sharp, technical and bloody furious!"

ANGELUS APATRIDA will embark on a European tour with 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, GOATWHORE and HAVOK in early May.

According to a press release, "[ANGELUS APATRIDA] was born in the Spanish town of Albacete in the year 2000 and perfectly combines both the aggression and the melodic edge of classic '80s thrash metal with a breathtaking modern southern fury that results in an impressive blend of rage, attitude and a high level of technical skills, rarely seen with young bands like this."

ANGELUS APATRIDA's band name mixes Spanish and Latin language and can be translated into English as "stateless" or "renegade" angels. Influenced by the early Bay Area thrash metal and NWOBHM scenes and more specifically bands like IRON MAIDEN, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, OVERKILL, PANTERA, TESTAMENT and ANNIHILATOR, ANGELUS APATRIDA established itself in its homeland with two independent album releases, "Evil Unleashed" (2006) and "Give 'Em War" (2007), as well as countless live appearances at various festivals (Lorca Rock, Alternavigo, Metalway, etc.) and at the clubs in most of the country's larger cities with acts like BARÓN ROJO, DESTRUCTION, SEPULTURA and many more.

ANGELUS APATRIDA is:

David G. Álvarez - Guitar
Guillermo Izquierdo - Vocals, Guitar
Víctor Valera - Drums
José J. Izquierdo - Bass Guitar

For more information, visit www.angelusapatrida.com.

Massachusetts stoner rockers CORTEZ have inked a deal with the German label Bilocation Records for the vinyl release of their long-awaited, self-titled full-length effort. The double LP will be released this spring on high-quality vinyl. The gatefold cover artwork and layout was created by renowned artist Alexander von Wieding (NUCLEAR ASSAULT, MONSTER MAGNET, KARMA TO BURN, SUPLECS).

"Cortez" was recorded by Ethan Dussault (CAVE IN, BLACK THAI, MORNE, TIDES, CASPIAN) at New Alliance Audio in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

CORTEZ's previous album, "Thunder In A Forgotten Town", came out in 2007 via Belgium's Buzzville Records.

For more information, visit www.cortezboston.com.

HATRIOT — the new thrash metal project led by veteran San Francisco Bay Area vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza (TENET, DUBLIN DEATH PATROL, EXODUS, LEGACY) — supported TESTAMENT on February 19 at The Avalon in Santa Clara, California. Multi-camera video footage of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of Zero To Hero Films).

HATRIOT's December 23, 2011 concert at The Avalon in Santa Clara marked the band's first live performance with new guitarist Miguel Esparza

HATRIOT is:

Steve "Zetro" Souza - Vocals
Kosta Varvatakis - Guitar
Cody Souza (Zetro's son) - Bass
Alex Bent - Drums
Miguel Esparza - Guitar

HATRIOT last year made its entire four-song demo available for free download.

Featured tracks:

01. The Fear Within
02. Weapons Of Class Destruction
03. Globacidal
04. The Mechanics Of Annihilation

"Weapons Of Class Destruction" audio stream:

KORN frontman Jonathan Davis spoke to RollingStone.com about his J DEVIL project, which sees the singer exploring his passion for electronic music.

"I've been working on my EP. I got a studio on the bus. I write every night," he says.

The J DEVIL debut, which will be released sometime this year on Dim Mak Records, will feature Jonathan's collaborations with Datsik, Infected Mushroom, Downlink, Excision and Slugoo, among others.

When asked how he would the new music, Davis said, "It's all these different genres. I love electro, I love jungle, I love drum and bass, I love dubstep, so it's a mixup of all that stuff."

He added, "[Working in different styles] keeps me motivated. It keeps me being creative and not getting bored with music. . . This is the biggest the EDM scene has ever been. There's so much creativity out there, and I love watching people play with their laptop. It's a new instrument."

Read more from RollingStone.com.

Last evening before entering the Tidalwave-Studio. 13 songs to be recorded, as many as never before, 11 of them new ones, one taken from the old tapes, and the last one a re-recording of an old CD-track as some kind of bonus in the end. Knowing how much work has to be done, how many things can go wrong, yet trusting in those who will be part of the process, and having highest hopes for those songs and the whole result to become...significant, for Falkenbach as well as for me personally, and maybe for some people out there, too.

DRAGONLORD, the California-based black metal band led by TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson, has inked a deal with Spinefarm Records for the release of its third album. Peterson tells Maximum Metal in a brand new interview, "We were supposed to record in December or January. Good news is that the record is almost written. We might start recording in March and I'm really excited to get started. The first few records were good but I didn't get it how I wanted it to sound. The new record is really gonna hit home for me and for my version of what I want it to be. I'm mixing my style with black metal and it's important to have it work fluidly. [It's] gonna be great — really melodic and grown-up sounding without losing any of the edge that I want to bring to the album."

DRAGONLORD's sophomore album, "Black Wings of Destiny", was released in the U.S. in October 2005 via Escapi Music. The follow-up to 2001's "Rapture" (Spitfire Records) was recorded and mixed by Fredrik Nordström (HAMMERFALL, DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY) at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden.

DRAGONLORD's "Until the End" video:

A new video message from guitarist/vocalist Rock 'N' Rolf of reunited German metal legends RUNNING WILD can be seen below.

RUNNING WILD will release its brand new album, "Shadowmaker", in Germany on April 20, in the rest of Europe on April 23 and in the U.S./Canada on April 24 via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort will be released as a limited first edition in a black jewel case with silver printing and slipcase plus a 40-minute bonus DVD with a "making-of" documentary and a track-by-track commentary by RUNNING WILD mainman Rock 'N' Rolf. The double gatefold LP will come with printed innersleeves and clear vinyl. There also will be a boxset limited to 1,000 copies worldwide. It contains 2 LPs, the black jewel case with the DVD, a poster, a sticker, a postcard and a 30-page book in LP size about the history of the band.

The cover of "Shadowmaker" is the most unusual in the history of the band, but when you listen to the title track and read the lyrics, you will understand the meaning of it. It was created by Rock 'N' Rolf and Jens Reinhold (EVERGREY, FREEDOM CALL, VIRGIN STEELE), who will also handle artwork for all configurations.

Black Jewel Case + DVD track listing:

CD

01. Piece Of The Action (4:25)
02. Riding On The Tide (4:18)
03. I Am Who I Am (4:51)
04. Black Shadow (5:13)
05. Locomotive (4:35)
06. Me & The Boys (5:00)
07. Shadowmaker (4:25)
08. Sailing Fire (4:14)
09. Into The Black (4:57)
10. Dracula (7:29)

DVD

* Making of "Shadowmaker"
* Track-by-track commentary by Rock 'N' Rolf

Length: approximately 40 min

LP track listing:

LP 1

Side 1

01. Piece Of The Action (4:25)
02. Riding On The Tide (4:18)
03. I Am Who I Am (4:51)

Side 2

01. Black Shadow (5:13)
02. Locomotive (4:35)
03. Me & The Boys (5:00)

LP 2

Side 1

01. Shadowmaker (4:25)
02. Sailing Fire (4:14)
03. Into The Black (4:57)

Side 2

01. Dracula (7:29)

Box Set:

* 2 LPs, clear vinyl
* Black jewel case including DVD
* Poster
* Postcard
* Sticker
* 30 page book in LP size about the history of the band plus photos
* 35 x 35 cm
* Hard cardboard material with top

An audio sample of the song "Riding On The Tide" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

German power metallers PARAGON will enter Piet Sielck's (IRON SAVIOR) studio at the end of March to record their tenth album. The band will lay down ten new original tracks plus an intro and an undisclosed cover song. The cover artwork will once again be created by Dirk Illing (SCORPIONS, RUNNING WILD), while the photos will be handled by Stefan Malzkorn (GAMMA RAY, SAXON) and the cover layout will be overseen by Claudia von Bihl (Auburn Records, ACCEPT, ANVIL). A tentative late summer release is expected.

In other news, PARAGON has recruited a new guitarist — Jan Betram (pictured below) — who previously played with the band's drummer, Chris Gripp. PARAGON bassist Jan Bünning states, "[Jan] is a longtime PARAGON fan and even wanted to join us a long time ago."

PARAGON 2012 is:

Andreas Babuschkin - Vocals
Wolfgang Tewes - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jan Bertram - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jan Bünning - Bass, Backing Vocals
Chris Gripp - Drums, Backing Vocals

Bünning previously stated about PARAGON's decision to once again work with Sielck on the new CD, "We already worked with him on four of our previous albums ('Steelbound', 'Law Of The Blade', 'The Dark Legacy' and 'Revenge') and it will for sure be like a coming home for us. Piet worked with bands like SAXON and BLIND GUARDIAN and knows best what we have to sound like."

PARAGON's latest album, "Screenslaves", was released in November 2008 via Massacre Records. The CD was produced by Uwe Lullis (ex-GRAVE DIGGER, REBELLION) at Black Solaris Studio in Frankfurt.

Bünning quit PARAGON after the recording of 2007's "Forgotten Prophecies" because of "musical differences" but rejoined the band in 2009.

DEATH DIVISION is the new heavy, technically aggressive and melodic band founded by bassist Jerry Montano (HELLYEAH, DANZIG, NOTHINGFACE), drummer Tim Yeung (MORBID ANGEL, DIVINE HERESY, HATE ETERNAL, NILE), vocalist/guitarist Sean de La Tour and lead guitarist Rick Di Marco. The group is currently rehearsing and writing material. More information is available at this location.

Beaupré, Quebec, Canada-based old-school death metallers KAOTIK have inked a deal with Massacre Records. The band's debut album, "Starving Death", will be released in the summer. The CD was recorded in May 2011 with producer Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH) and features guest vocals by Luc Lemay from GORGUTS.

According to a press release, KAOTIK is mainly influenced by bands like PESTILENCE, ASPHYX, ENTOMBED and MORGOTH.

Formed in late 2007, KAOTIK's first EP, "New Born Khaos", came out in May 2009 and was limited to 100 hand-numbered copies.

"Starving Death" track listing:

01. War At The Door
02. Carnivorous Madness
03. Creature
04. Lobotomy
05. Screeching Sound
06. Bad Awakening
07. Pesticide Shower
08. Starving Death
09. Terror
10. Inbreeding

Swedish have rockers GRAND MAGUS have inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band's new album, "The Hunt", will be released at the end of May.

Commented GRAND MAGUS frontman Janne "J.B." Christoffersson: "GRAND MAGUS have finally found their hailing port — we've wrapped up a deal with the mighty heavy metal label Nuclear Blast. By this, a new chapter will be opened, both in our band and in metal history. With 'The Hunt' we will consequently keep on marching down the metallic path we've started to pursue over the course of the past years. Be prepared to be lined up in our sights from the end of May on, when 'The Hunt' will strike! Fuck the world!"

Added Nuclear Blast label manager Andy Siry: "We're delighted to welcome GRAND MAGUS to the Nuclear Blast family. These guys class among the best today's heavy metal scene has to offer, though GRAND MAGUS are much more than just that. Both live and on their albums, GRAND MAGUS are terrific, plus they indicate a continuous development. This is why we're happy to turn over a new leaf in the history of band and label."

GRAND MAGUS's last album, "Hammer Of The North", was released digitally in North America in January 2011 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at 301 studios outside of Stockholm and features artwork by Necrolord.

During the band's 10-year history, GRAND MAGUS released two demos, one split EP and five full-length albums, and has received overwhelmingly positive reviews throughout. Their fourth opus, "Iron Will", was voted "Album of The Month" in the German Metal Hammer and Rock Hard magazines.

Drawing hefty influences from the hand-on-heart grandeur of the NWOBHM and the inspirational mythology of their forbears, GRAND MAGUS is steeped in pre-Christian tales of triumph, vengeance, betrayal, wisdom and death. But GRAND MAGUS also stands for energetic live performances, as seen at European festivals such as Sweden Rock, Hellfest, Wacken, Summer Breeze and on tour in Europe with bands like AT THE GATES, CATHEDRAL, CANDLEMASS, TYRANT, SERPENTCULT and ELECTRIC WIZARD.

"As It Is Written", a brand new song from Finnish progressive death metallers BARREN EARTH, can be streamed using the player below. The track comes off the band's sophomore full-length album, "The Devil's Resolve", which will be released in North America on March 13 via Peaceville Records. The effort will be made available on CD and vinyl, with artwork provided by notable U.S.-based artist Paul Romano (MASTODON).

Mixed by Dan Swanö (OPETH, KATATONIA) at Unisound in Sweden, "The Devil's Resolve" continues with all the trademarks one has come to associate with BARREN EARTH: brutal riffs, gloomy growls, majestic melodies, as well as acoustic and progressive passages. But this time the band has delved even deeper, taking this sophomore effort to the extremes through musical landscapes encompassing brutal death metal, doomy vocals, trippy '70s prog lunacy, pastoral passages and even bagpipes.

"The Devil's Resolve" track listing:

01. Passing Of The Crimson Shadows
02. The Rains Begin
03. Vintage Warlords
04. As It Is Written
05. The Dead Exiles
06. Oriental Pyre
07. White Field
08. Where All Stories End
09. Martyrs of Devotion (special edition)
10. World in Haze (special edition)

BARREN EARTH is:

Mikko Kotamäki (SWALLOW THE SUN) - Vocals
Olli-Pekka Laine (ex-AMORPHIS, MANNHAI) - Bass
Kasper Mårtenson (ex-AMORPHIS, BEN GRANFELT BAND) - Keyboards
Janne Perttilä (RYTMIHÄIRIÖ) - Guitar
Marko Tarvonen (MOONSORROW) - Drums
Sami Ylisirniö (KREATOR, WALTARI) – Guitar

"As It Is Written" audio stream:

"Burning Earth", the second album from Greek melodic metallers FIREWIND — who feature in their ranks current OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. — has just been reissued on Leviathan Records in the U.S. and Hydrant Records in Japan. The reissue was remastered and includes three previously unavilable bonus tracks.

Commented Gus: "'Burning Earth' was a very important step for FIREWIND as we needed to create an even stronger follow-up to our debut album, 'Between Heaven And Hell'. I wanted to create a killer record and finally get a chance to play some shows with FIREWIND and not just be a studio project. I remember it was a very inspiring period for me and the songs came to me so naturally.

"It seems that these days 'The Fire & The Fury' is a modern-day classic instrumental track, but I almost put it together accidentally. I had this cool riff but wasn't sure I would make it a vocal track. I started jamming and the main theme just came out. It's no wonder this song is still a highlight of our live setlist and fans go crazy when we play it.

"I definitely felt we were doing something different and more fresh within our genre and this is why this album has stood the test of time and I still think to this day that 'Burning Earth' is one of FIREWIND's finest musical moments."

FIREWIND's new album, "Few Against Many" will be released in Europe on May 21 via Century Media Records and in North America on May 22 through DisManic, Inc. via eOne Distribution. The CD was mixed by Jason Suecof and Eyal Levi at Audiohammer Studios (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, DEATH ANGEL) in Sanford, Florida.

Produced by Gus, "Few Against Many" was recorded with his longtime bandmates, vocalist Apollo Papathanasio, keyboardist/guitarist Bob Katsionis and bassist Petros Christo, at Valve Studio in Greece as well as the Sweetspot Studios in Sweden and sees the band expanding on its signature melodic sound with some of its most aggressive songs to date. The CD also marks the recording debut of new FIREWIND drummer Johan Nunez (NIGHTRAGE). The young Belgian is regarded by Gus as a "phenomenal talent," and anyone that witnessed him on the band's most recent world tour will no doubt agree.