Die finnischen Female-Fronted Symphonic Metal Band AMBERIAN DAWN werden ihr neues Album "Circus Black" am 02. März 2012 in Europa via Spinefarm Records veröffentlichen. "Circus Black" features Gastbeiträge von Timo Kotipelto (STRATOVARIUS) und Jens Johansson (STRATOVARIUS, DIO, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE). Kotipelto singt im Song "Cold Kiss" und Johansson spielt ein Keyboard Solo bei "Crimson Flower". Jetzt wurde das neue Album "Circus Black" HIER komplett zum probehören online gestellt.

"Analysis Paralysis", the new video from British/American grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH, can be seen below. The clip was shot and edited by the band's own guitarist, Mitch Harris, who has his own unique underground style and manages perfectly to capture the energy, hate and sheer power of NAPALM DEATH's songs.

"Analysis Paralysis" comes off NAPALM DEATH's 14th studio album (excluding the cover album "Leaders Not Followers"), "Utilitarian", which was released on February 27 in Europe and February 28 in North America via the band's longtime partner, Century Media Records. The cover artwork (see below) perfectly fits the album's theme and was created by the Danish artist Frode Sylthe, who is also responsible for THE HAUNTED's "rEVOLVEr" artwork.

"Utilitarian" track listing

01. Circumspect
02. Errors In The Signals
03. Everyday Pox
04. Protection Racket
05. The Wolf I Feed
06. Quarantined
07. Fall On Their Swords
08. Collision Course
09. Orders Of Magnitude
10. Think Tank Trials
11. Blank Look About Face
12. Leper Colony
13. Nom De Guerre
14. Analysis Paralysis
15. Opposite Repellent
16. A Gag Reflex
17. Aim Without An Aim (bonus track)
18. Everything In Mono (bonus track)

NAPALM DEATH frontman Mark "Barney" Greenway explains the album title and concept: "After some deliberation, we have decided on 'Utilitarian' as the album title. We generally try to avoid generic titles, and this seemed to have a lot of scope to it. I won't explain the full meaning of utilitarianism here because it's an ethical theory, and as ethical theories go, the depth and debate around it is quite heavy at times. It has a certain 'morality' aspect to it and that isn't something that drives me, so I also certainly have issues with it."

"So, rather than just nail that straight to the mast, of course we wanted to put our own spin on it by suggesting that those (i.e. the utilitarian in us, perhaps) who try to challenge everything, or fight against conventions, well, we go through periods of real self-doubt where we wonder if we're really making a difference. I suppose the conclusion is that, for the sake of all our freedoms, you should never stop, as even the feeling of resistance is at least a signal to those who would like to entirely control and dominate us — meaning everything from our instinctive behavior to our human entitlement to walk the earth unprovoked.

"Regarding the album overall, the final creases should be ironed out fairly soon, and immediately after that, we thought it would be good to top it off with a few U.K. dates. We've been playing one new song ('Quarantined') out on a tour of Canada and it's been well received, so we hope to perhaps throw in another one for now. Either way, we'll be bouncing off the walls again near you very soon."

Fan-filmed video footage of NAPALM DEATH performing "Analysis Paralysis" on January 27 at the Vortex club in Siegen, Germany can be seen below.

"Analysis Paralysis" video:

Bassist Oskar Pålsson (COLDWORKER), vocalist Calle Henriksson (KVOTERINGEN) and drummer Andreas Gustavsson (OND BRÅD DÖD) have joined forces in a brand new Swedish band called NERVGIFT ("Nerve-Venom" in Swedish). The group states, "The main goal right now is to enter the studio in late March to record our first four songs that hopefully will end up on a seven-inch inch [single]."

Los Angeles-based progressive/melodic death metal act DREAMING DEAD will release its sophomore album, "Midnightmares", on April 20. The follow-up to 2009's "Within One" "showcases DREAMING DEAD's ability to meld elements of black, death, thrash and Chuck Schuldiner-inspired progressive metal into one thought-provoking and intense sonic assault," according to a press release.

"Midnightmares" was recorded in part at DREAMING DEAD's home studio, with vocals, drums and mixing completed at North Hollywood's Architeuthis Sound. The cover artwork for the CD was created by renowned artist Travis Smith (OPETH, KING DIAMOND, DEVIN TOWNSEND).

DREAMING DEAD is working with directors Thomas Mignone and Peter Leininger (MORBID ANGEL, SEPULTURA, MEGADETH) on a video for the track "Corpse Mtn". Details on the video shoot are forthcoming.

"Midnightmares" track listing:

01. Wake
02. Midnightmares
03. Overlord
04. Corpse Mtn
05. In Memoriam
06. Lapse
07. Into The Abyss
08. Exile
09. Departure

On March 2, DREAMING DEAD will perform at the Echoplex in Los Angeles, California. Also scheduled to appear are NUNSLAUGHTER. SADISTIC INTENT, INSANITY and MUTILACION.

DREAMING DEAD guitarist/vocalist Elizabeth Schall and drummer Michael Caffell were recently interviewed by KNAC.COM's Jimmy Cabbs about "Midnightmares". You can listen to the podcast below.

DREAMING DEAD is:

Elizabeth Schall - Vocals/Guitar
Juan Ramirez - Bass
Michael Caffell - Drums/Vocals/Samples

"Theme Park Family Fun", the new video from ROSVO, the Swedish hardcore band fronted by former THE HAUNTED vocalist Peter Dolving, can be seen below. The song comes off the group's debut EP, "Ticks And Ants", which is available on iTunes. The clip was created by THE HAUNTED guitarist Anders Björler, Hans Simonen and Mark Alan Loso as "a continued cooperation of vigilante art for art's own sake."

"Ticks And Ants" track listing:

01. Mommy Dearest
02. Start Chopping
03. Seasick
04. Theme Park Family Fun

ROSVO is currently touring Scandinavia and putting the finishing touches on the material for the follow-up to "Ticks And Ants". According to Dolving, the forthcoming effort will be "a nice friendly audio anvil administered to the frontallobe of our beloved audience."

ROSVO has been entertaining "tiny punk rock clubs and drunkard pub audiences" around Sweden and Denmark in January and February and will continue to do so throughout 2012. Currently unsigned and quite happily so, the four-piece outfit delivers a diverse and highly personal brand of intense, catchy heaviness more akin to that of DEAD GUY, COALESCE, CONVERGE and KEN MODE than more traditional hardcore.

In an interview with Metal Shock Finland, Dolving stated about ROSVO, "[The band] in itself is not really open for speculation or storytelling. It's all about the music and the words. Anything outside of that, and the images it brings out are really completely uninteresting."

Regarding ROSVO's musical direction and lyrical themes, Dolving said, "We are like a fastfood hardcore. We ARE the identikit. We ARE the cool tattoos. We ARE the macho. The über-tough guys, and a token of a politically correct. We are more straight-edge than an ecological box, We are stamped justice mince soy and we are angry. Very very angry. I'm sure some people will feel a great deal of discomfort by our well-defined agro. We are like Ninja in the night. Oh yes. Beware."

ROSVO consists of Dolving, Hans Simonen, Martin Lundgren and David Andersson.

Dolving announced his departure from THE HAUNTED earlier today, writing on his Facebook page, "I have had it. I will NOT answer questions to why. It's no one else's business. I am looking forward to seeing you people at other shows with other projects."

"Theme Park Family Fun" video:

Shauna O'Donnell of Alternative Addiction recently conducted an interview with drummer Mike Portnoy (ADRENALINE MOB, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENDFOLD). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Alternative Addiction: ADRENALINE MOB is unlike projects that you have done in the past. Do you see that as being a challenge for you both musically and with getting the fans to the shows and buying records?

Portnoy: A bigger challenge is getting the fans to accept something that is so different from anything I have done in the past. Musically, it is not really difficult for me. For me, it is very easy to jump into different musical environments. I'm a big fan of many different styles of music, so I'm as at home playing this kind of music as I am with technical and progressive music. Really the challenge for me was the anticipation and expectations of my existing fan base who are kind of expecting something to be very progressive, whereas in this case it is a very different style from what I used to do in DREAM THEATER. That has been the challenge so far, getting people to put there pre-conceptions aside and listen to this for what it is. It is basically riff-driven, groove-oriented and melodic, song-oriented music. You don't need to use a calculator to enjoy it. You basically just bang your head and get into the bounce of the groove.

Alternative Addiction: You did a cover of DURAN DURAN's "Come Undone" featuring vocals by Lzzy Hale from HALESTORM. What was it about that particular song that made you choose it to cover?

Portnoy: Mike [Orlando, guitar] and Russ [Allen, vocals] had already kind of demoed up a new rockin version of it when I came on board, so they had already picked the tune. In fact, I had never even heard the original, even though I guess it was a radio hit, but I was never really aware of it. When I first heard it, I thought it was another song that those guys were working on. When they told me it was a cover, I thought it really fit in with the rest of the stuff. Once we started recording it to the album, the idea came up of getting a female voice on there as well. I had known Lzzy from when AVENGED SEVENFOLD and HALESTORM toured together at Uproar. I knew that she would kill it and would be an amazing voice to have on there. She came on board and did it. She took it to a whole new level. I get goosebumps when I hear her singing along with Russ.

Alternative Addiction: You guys just added a new member to the band, John Moyer from DISTURBED. He will be filling the bass player spot. You are actually the one that gave him the call about joining the band right?

Portnoy: Yes, I've known John for a couple years now. We toured together when I was playing with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and he was with DISTURBED. We did Uproar festival together. I spent a lot of time hanging out with him and I knew what a cool guy he was. I knew musically he would also fit in because he comes with that background of what he has done with DISTURBED. I knew musically and personally he would fit in, but most important for us right now is scheduling. That is an important thing for us. The issue that we had with our previous bass player was scheduling, commitments, obstacles and conflicts with other bands that he was playing with and committed to. We needed somebody that had an empty schedule and no other band commitments. With DISTURBED on an indefinite hiatus, it worked out perfectly that John would be available and not have any scheduling conflicts in the coming year or so and just be able to devote himself to ADRENALINE MOB. With all three of those elements, the personal, musical and scheduling, he worked out to be the perfect guy for us. He fits like a glove.

Alternative Addiction: Are you guys running all of your own social media sites?

Portnoy: I do mine, to me that is very important. My Facebook page has over 600,000 people and my Twitter has over 125,000. I oversee those day to day and I value an open relationship with my fans, I always have. In all my years with DREAM THEATER, the most valuable and important thing for the band and me was the relationship with the fans. Now that I'm on my own, I still value the relationship with the fans. I still continue to stay in touch with them daily and let them know everything that is going on.

Read the entire interview from Alternative Addiction.

Photo by Kellie Hoeke

German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN have posted the sixth episode of Guardian TV in which they field questions submitted by their fans on Facebook. Check it out below.

Clocking in at 3 minutes and 58 seconds, episode 6 of Guardian TV answers the following questions:

1. Unlike many other bands, you've consistently grown and developed. Where do you take the courage not to rely on a tried-and-tested formula?

2. You've succeeded in keeping your old fans and wowing a new, younger following for BLIND GUARDIAN at the same time. How do you do that without a striking image and extensive marketing campaigns?

3. In particular the kids from the live action role-playing scene have discovered BLIND GUARDIAN for themselves for more than two decades. How do you explain the special attraction which you hold for this scene?

4. In these times of declining CD sales, is there a danger that the BLIND GUARDIAN style of lavish audio productions will no longer be affordable?

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

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

Commented the band: "Finally, after all these years, we have found the time to gather our most worthy songs into a best of compilation, representative of our career's first 25 years.

"From the very beginning it was important for us to undertake this project only if we could put the necessary time and attention to detail into it. With overwhelming nostalgia we have looked back on 25 years and came up with 'Memories Of A Time To Come', an organic mixture of some of our greatest songs.

"With the exception of 'Sacred Worlds', all songs on 'Memories of a Time to Come' have been remixed while 'The Bard's Song - The Hobbit', 'Valhalla' as well as 'And Then There Was Silence' have been re-recorded.

"This album contains some very pleasant surprises for the die-hard BLIND GUARDIAN fan and delivers a perfect image of our musical spirit to those who are not, or just loosely, familiar with the band. 'Memories Of A Time To Come' precisely defines our progression and the long-standing dedication to our music. We are proud to present an album that will take the listener on a musical voyage. This year's Christmas will be in January!"

CD 1:

01. Imaginations From The Other Side (7:11) *
02. Nightfall (5:34) *
03. Ride Into Obsession (4:46) *
04. Somewhere Far Beyond (7:32) *
05. Majesty (7:29) *
06. Traveler In Time (6:01) *
07. Follow The Blind (7:11) *
08. The Last Candle (6:03) *

CD 2:

01. Sacred Worlds (9:17)
02. This Will Never End (5:07) *
03. Valhalla (5:13) **
04. Bright Eyes (5:15) *
05. Mirror Mirror (5:09) *
06. The Bard's Song (In The Forest) (3:26) *
07. The Bard's Song (The Hobbit) (3:41) **
08. And Then There Was Silence (14:06) **

CD 3: (only available with the deluxe limited edition)

01. Brian ***
02. Halloween (The Wizard's Crown) ***
03. Lucifer's Heritage ***
04. Symphonies Of Doom ***
05. Dead Of The Night ***
06. Majesty
07. Trial By The Archon
08. Battalions Of Fear
09. Run For The Night
10. Lost In The Twilight Hall
11. Tommyknockers
12. Ashes To Ashes
13. Time What Is Time
14. A Past And Future Secret
15. The Script For My Requiem

* Remixed 2011
** Re-recorded 2011
*** Reworked 2011

An audio sample of an orchestral version of "The Bard's Song (In The Forest)" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

BLIND GUARDIAN is currently collaborating with Germany's best fantasy author Markus Heitz on an orchestral album which is expected to be released in 2012.

"At The Edge Of Time", the tenth studio album from BLIND GUARDIAN, sold around 4,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 108 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 1 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

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

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

Guardian TV episode 6:

Vocalist Peter Dolving has announced via his Facebook page that he has left the Swedish metal band THE HAUNTED. He writes, "I am officially quitting THE HAUNTED. After years of working with the band, I am out. I have had it. I will NOT answer questions to why. It's no one else's business. Thank you very much. I am looking forward to seeing you people at other shows with other projects."

Previously a vocalist for MARY BEATS JANE, Dolving joined THE HAUNTED in 1997 and sang in their debut self-titled album. In 1998, he left the group to concentrate on a band called ZEN-MONKEY but returned in 2003 following the departure of Marco Aro (the vocalist which took over Dolving's spot after Peter's 1998 exit). He has since appeared on the studio albums "Revolver" (2004), "The Dead Eye" (2006), "Versus" (2008) and "Unseen" (2011).

THE HAUNTED's seventh studio CD, "Unseen", sold around 1,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort landed at position No. 33 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Unseen" was released on March 29, 2011 via Century Media Records. The CD was once again recorded with longtime producer Tue Madsen (MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST, SICK OF IT ALL) at his Antfarm Studio in Århus, Denmark.

DEEP PURPLE drummer Ian Paice was interviewed on Edmonton, Alberta, Canada's classic rock radio station CIRK K-97 97.3 FM when the band performed in town on February 21 as part of their 16-date Canadian tour. You can now listen to the entire 24-minute chat using the audio player below.

When asked for an update on former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord (pictured below), who last year revealed that he was fighting cancer, Paice said, "[Jon] was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but really early, early stages. And we know it's not a good one — whether there [ever] is a good one — but so far all the news from Jon is great. There are no more cancer cells being produced, and those that are lying dormant are being, hopefully, wiped out as we speak by a brand new treatment which he is over in Israel having right now. So we're already thinking that he may be back working in April or May."

Interview (audio):

Four musicians who performed on KING DIAMOND's 1990 album, "The Eye" — guitarists Andy La Rocque and Pete Blakk, bassist Hal Patino and drummer Snowy Shaw — are featured on "Free Falling Angels", the forthcoming debut album from Patino's son, Danish rock singer Maryann Cotton (born Jackie Patino). The CD, which also features guitarist Sebastain Sly, has already been recorded and will be mixed next week for a May release via Pure Steel Records.

Said Maryann: "The album will consist of 11 old school garage rock songs, combined with a brutal and dirty rhythm sections, to the most beautiful orchestra arrangements."

Blakk, Hal Patino and Shaw are also expected to be part of Cotton's touring band, which will begin playing shows in the fall.

Maryann Cotton's career was launched in 2006 when he performed live on Danish TV as part of the "Scenen Er Din" program (Danish version of "Star Search").

King Diamond stated about Maryann's Shock Me" single (which also featured appearances by La Rocque, Blakk, Hal Patino and Shaw), "I checked out the Maryann Cotton song 'Shock Me'. I really liked it. It reminded me in a positive way of Alice Cooper 1971. I think his vocals fit really well in the music, and the few backing vocals he did seemed to make everything sound a lot bigger. Normally horn sections really give me the creeps, but the way they used it in this song, I didn't mind. Great musicians, of course. I really look forward to hear more songs from him, so I can begin to get the full picture."

"The Rains Begin", the new video from Finnish progressive death metallers BARREN EARTH, can be seen below. The song 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

"The Rains Begin" video:

Former INTO ETERNITY guitarist and current FINAL DARKNESS mainman Rob Doherty has tapped ex-INTO ENTERNITY drummer Adam Sagan for FINAL DARKNESS's upcoming shows.

Commented Doherty: "Adam is the first piece of the live puzzle, we are currently looking for a bass player and a guitarist who can sing to round out our live band.

"I spent a lot of time working with Adam when we toured with INTO ETERNITY. He is a really great drummer and just as importantly a brother. He is a hard worker and really easy to get along with. I am looking forward to getting this live band together and both he and I are excited about getting back to business and playing some metal!"

Doherty was interviewed for a recent edition of "Radioactive Metal". You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

Interview (audio):

Video footage of Creighton Fraker — the biological son of FLOTSAM AND JETSAM singer Eric "A.K." Knutson — performing a cover version of the 1986 CYNDI LAUPER ballad "True Colors" during last night's (Tuesday, February 28) episode of the Fox singing competition "American Idol" can be seen below.

Fraker has resided in Astoria, New York for the past eight years, although he grew up in South Dakota as the adopted son of a preacher.

In an interview that aired on "American idol", Fraker said, "I was adopted when I was just a little baby and I grew up as a preacher's kid, singing church music. And then, I always had this rock and roll thing going on in me and it was kind of out of nowhere. Come to find out my birth father, who I never even knew until I was, like, 25 years old, was the lead singer of this big heavy metal band from the '80s called FLOTSAM AND JETSAM. I meet my dad and I'm like 'Oh, I get it, Fine. OK, It makes sense now.'"

Fraker went on to say that Knutson is "the person who really inspired me to audition for this," adding that, "He's a person whose opinion I can respect, so if he says I should be doing this, I guess, OK, I'm gonna do it."

After Fraker made the final 24, his birth dad said, "I've always hoped I would have a part in his life. I just can't wait for the rest of [his] career to start right now."

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM released its first album, "Doomsday For The Deceiver", on Metal Blade Records in 1986. The bassist on that LP was future METALLICA member Jason Newsted.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's latest album, "The Cold", was released in Europe in February 2011 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was made available in North America on September 14, 2010.

Video footage of GENERATION KILL's February 24 performance at Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey as the support act for GOD FORBID can be seen below.

GENERATION KILL is the crossover metal outfit featuring EXODUS frontman Rob Dukes.
The band's debut album, "Red White And Blood", was released last September via Season Of Mist. The CD was recorded at J. Rod Production Studios in New City, New York (where the vocal tracks for EXODUS' "Let There Be Blood" and OVERKILL's "Ironbound" were previously laid down).

Commented the writing team of Dukes and Moschetti (bass, backing vocals): "This release is the most diverse project that either of the two of us been a part of. This is an honest, no-holds-barred album containing various styles of music. In a way, it is a bit of a selfish record. We wrote the kind of material that we like. You can't please everybody, so you might as well please yourself. Honestly, that's what true art is. Freedom of expression."

GENERATION KILL is:

Rob Dukes - Vocals
Rob Moschetti - Bass/Backing Vocals
Lou Lehman - Lead Guitar
Jason Trenczer - Lead Guitar
Jim DeMaria - Drums

Harry of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X recently conducted an interview with ex-METALLICA guitarist and current MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine . You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

When asked about the status of his proposed "supergroup" with David Ellefson (bass; MEGADETH), James Hetfield (guitar/vocals, METALLICA) and Lars Ulrich (drums; METALLICA), Mustane said, "Yeah, that was just me talking. I don't think [James and Lars are] interested in doing that. It would be cool, and I've mentioned it to them before. I just think that they're so busy that they don't have time to do something like that. My wife and James' wife are friends, and they talk a lot. From what I know, too, there's a lot of work that those guys do, and they're gone a lot, and they tour a lot, so for them to take on a project like that, I think it would have to really be a labor of love. Of course, David and I would do it, 'cause I think it would be great to play with them again. When I went up there and did the 30th-anniversary thing, I thought it was really cool. MEGADETH is doing really fine right now. I'm not in the place to be asking for favors from anybody. I like who I am right now, I'm satisfied with where my career's at. But don't kid yourself, if we got together and played, I imagine it would be really cool. It wouldn't be anything like MEGADETH, of course, and it wouldn't be anything like METALLICA. But we'll see what happens. Maybe with enough people asking them, they'll buckle. [Laughs]"

Mustaine joined his former METALLICA bandmates on stage on December 10, 2011 for the fourth and final intimate show at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the group's week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only.

Mustaine, who was one of the original members of METALLICA, was fired from the band by drummer Lars Ulrich in 1983. He was replaced by Kirk Hammett and went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.

According to the New York Post, FOREIGNER guitarist Mick Jones underwent aortoiliac bypass surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami beach, Florida on Monday and "already up and walking around." The procedure involves using a shunt to unite the aorta and iliac artery to relieve obstruction. "The surgery was more urgent because Mick had needed it for some time," a source said.

Jones, 67, missed some of the shows on FOREIGNER's 2011 tour with JOURNEY and NIGHT RANGER due to illness. He was temporarily replaced at various shows by NIGHT RANGER guitarist Joel Joekstra and former ROD STEWART axeman Bruce Watson.

FOREIGNER's last studio album, "Can't Slow Down", came out in 2009.

The band is scheduled to hit the road for another round of U.S. dates on March 1.

Even though FOREIGNER has never fallen into the category of "critics' darlings," Mick Jones told The Pulse Of Radio that the band's album sales and ticket receipts prove that FOREIGNER has always struck the right chord with fans. "How can you complain about people listening, and hearing, and your music reaching so many people?" he said. "I think it's wonderful. It's a great achievement to have these songs having stood the test of time like this, you know, and getting the amount of play they still do."

InsideOutMusic has announced the signing of the progressive rock/metal band band AFFECTOR to a worldwide deal. The group's debut album, "Harmagedon", was mixed and mastered at The Mouse House in Los Angeles by Rich Mouser (SPOCK'S BEARD, TRANSATLANTIC, NEAL MORSE) and is scheduled for release on May 22 (one day earlier internationally).

AFFECTOR is a highly skilled, new international band consisting of German guitar-player Daniel Fries, Dutch drummer Collin Leijenaar (NEAL MORSE, DILEMMA) as well bass player Mike LePond (SYMPHONY X) and vocalist Ted Leonard (SPOCK'S BEARD, ENCHANT, THOUGHT CHAMBER) — both from the United States.

Commented Leijenaar: "We are thrilled to be signing with InsideOutMusic/Century Media. It is THE home for progressive rock and metal, and it feels very much home to us! It has always been a personal dream of mine to release something on this label, and with AFFECTOR this dream has come true! I'm stoked about the future of AFFECTOR, and I hope the audience is too!"

On "Harmagedon", AFFECTOR is joined by four very special guests on keyboards: Alex Argento, Neal Morse (TRANSATLANTIC, FLYING COLORS), Jordan Rudess (DREAM THEATER) and Derek Sherinian (PLANET X, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION). Also featured on the album is the Polish orchestra Sinfonietta Consonus. This concept album fuses a dark, apocalyptic scenery with themes of hope and light and features heavy riffs and lightning fast solos, but also has softer and more fragile moments, where the soulful singing of Ted Leonard opens a wide spectrum of vocal harmonies.

Citing broad musical influences and diverse inspirations between prog and classic as well as modern rock acts, AFFECTOR is like an open marriage between progressive rock/metal and orchestral minimalism, destined to appeal to everyone into bands ranging from DREAM THEATER, A.C.T., SYMPHONY X, DARKWATER to QUEEN or RUSH.

AFFECTOR is:

Daniel Fries - Guitar
Collin Leijenaar - Drums
Mike LePond - Bass
Ted Leonard - Vocals

For more information, visit www.affector.net.

"Those Eyes", the new digital single from SHOK PARIS, is being released today via iTunes and other major digital retailers. It is the band's first commercially available new music in 23 years. The song, which was recorded and mixed at Mercinary Studios in Cleveland, Ohio by Jason Vanek (ETERNAL LEGACY), will appear on SHOK PARIS' fourth full-length album, "Full Metal Jacket", due later this year via Auburn Records.

"This one's literally hot off the presses," says SHOK PARIS guitarist and main songwriter Ken Erb. "It's the newest of the new SHOK PARIS songs. Our first commercial release since 'Concerte Killers'. I am very happy with the way it turned out. Jason did a great job with the recording and mix."

"You know everyone has a fear that has stayed with them since they where a young child," adds SHOK PARIS vocalist Vic Hix about the song's lyrics. "As you grow up, you learn to hide these fears, but if you search deep down inside, you will find that fear never leaves you. It's always there no matter how old you are. It can be many fears, like the fear of the dark, the fear of what's under the bed at night or the fear of sleeping alone. Every child has one. My fear has always been of a dark figure lurking in the room with those haunting eyes, so 'Those Eyes' represents all of my fears and maybe some of yours. I hope these fears doesn't come back to haunt ya'!"

SHOK PARIS will headline the first night of the Up The Hammers VII festival, set to take place March 2-3, 2012 in Athens, Greece. This will be the band's first visit to Greece.

"We are releasing this new song as a special thank you to our Greek fans for supporting the band and my label all these years," says Auburn Records president Bill Peters. "The song is dedicated to them."

A live version of "Battle Cry", recorded in Cleveland on May 1, 2010 at the Beachland Ballroom during a special performance of the band's 1984 debut "Go For The Throat" album in its entirety, was also released as the digital B-side to "Those Eyes". Tony Alberts from Spectrum Sound recorded and mixed the live track.

SHOK PARIS is:

Vic Hix - Vocals
Ken Erb - Guitar
John Korzekwa - Guitar
Ed Stephens - Bass
Donovan Kenaga- Drums

French act BLACKLODGE has inked a deal with Season Of Mist's Underground Activists division. The industrial black metallers' fourth album is already in the can and should hit the stores later this year.

Commented the band: "BLACKLODGE uncovers with fervour a new conspiracy with Season Of Mist to release their forthcoming album in 2012. The band is proud to join the label's quality squadron in order to weave a stronger web worldwide and push the venom of Industrial black metal to a higher level of toxicity."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has ditched the usual performance footage for its new video, "Remember Everything". The clip was shot over the course of three days in Los Angeles earlier this month, with the band members taking small cameo roles in the plot-driven narrative. Singer Ivan Moody told Noisecreep, "When we first developed the concept for 'Remember Everything', we decided we didn't want the band performing in the video. There are far too many ego shots of musicians these days playing their instruments in the desert, or churches or random places, that really have nothing to do with the song itself."

The video opens in a white setting and follows a little boy as he gets older, becomes an adult and eventually joins the military . As the boy continues to grow, he uses other means to create more visuals.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will hit the road in the U.S. and Canada for a spring tour that will kick off on March 23 in Las Vegas.

The group was last seen headlining the Share The Welt tour as the group continues to support its third studio album, 2011's "American Capitalist".

Perth, Australia-based deathcore/black metal band MAKE THEM SUFFER is officially the first act to graduate from SignMeTo — Roadrunner Records' dynamic free service that mimics the actual A&R process using social networking tactics — to a deal with Roadrunner.

On the back of the group's stunning "Lord Of Woe" EP, MAKE THEM SUFFER was brought to the attention of Roadrunner's Australian A&R executives after posting their tracks on SignMeTo. It was at this point that label staff were intrigued to see if MAKE THEM SUFFER could execute their unique blend of modern extreme metal, neo-classical strings, dark piano lines, razor-sharp riffing, crazy blast beats and roaring vocals in the live environment. Seeing the band up close in a small sweaty club immediately verified this in spades. The band sounded as good live as their EP had promised, with the multiple layers of each track finding space amongst the chaos and complexity.

Now in 2012, MAKE THEM SUFFER is preparing the impending release of its debut full-length album, "Neverbloom". Engineered by Roland Lim (BIRDS OF TOKYO), who also produced the "Lord Of Woe" EP, the world-class debut release captures the depth, darkness, musical prowess and brutality that is MAKE THEM SUFFER.

"Neverbloom" will be released on May 25 on Roadrunner Records in Australia.

The first photo of the new lineup of the Knoxville, Tennessee-based female-fronted metal/hardcore act STRAIGHT LINE STITCH can be seen below.

STRAIGHT LINE STITCH 2012 is:

Alexis Brown - Vocals
Jason White - Bass
Ian Shuirr - Drums
Kris Hawkins - Guitar
Nathan Palmer - Guitar

STRAIGHT LINE STITCH bassist Jason White told Metalholic about the band's new lineup, "I'm excited that Lex and I are able to continue with the band. I hope that our fans won't be let down. Of course, things will be different. But for better or worse? Come see for yourself."

When asked if he felt any pressure stepping into STRAIGHT LINE STITCH because of the band's past success, Palmer told Metalholic, "Absolutely. Yeah, it's a little intimidating to come into a band this big. STRAIGHT LINE has been busting their asses for a very long time. They've worked for everything they have. But I feel confident in my writing and playing and dedication, that I think this is going to be a great thing. STRAIGHT LINE has a lot of fans that have stuck with them this whole time and they deserve for STRAIGHT LINE to keep going. Again, I'm so thankful for this opportunity. Everyone in the band wants the same thing, and everyone is prepared to do whatever it takes. I'm excited. Good things are to come for this band. STRAIGHT LINE STITCH deserves it."

STRAIGHT LINE STITCH's sophomore album, "The Fight Of Our Lives", sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 5 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

The follow-up to 2008's "When Skies Wash Ashore", "The Fight Of Our Lives" was produced and mixed by the Grammy Award-nominated producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, MACHINE HEAD, SEVENDUST) and includes eleven new songs. Additional work on the album was done by Ben Schigel.

Vocalist Göran Edman (JOHN NORUM, YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN) and drummer Scott Rockenfield (QUEENSRŸCHE, SLAVE TO THE SYSTEM) appear on the two new singles from reactivated '90s Italian heavy metal band HEADLESS. The first single, "Primetime", was released on December 14, 2011, and can be purchased on iTunes and Amazon. The second track, "Sink Deep In A Fairy Tale", was mastered in Hollywood, California by Warren Sokol and was issued on February 14. It can be downloaded from iTunes and Amazon.

HEADLESS is:

Walter Cianciusi - Guitar
Dario Parente - Guitar

For more information, visit www.headless.it.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of VAN HALEN's February 22 performance at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. You Really Got Me (THE KINKS cover)
02. Runnin' With the Devil
03. She's The Woman
04. Romeo Delight
05. Tattoo
06. Everybody Wants Some!!
07. Somebody Get Me A Doctor
08. China Town
09. Hear About It Later
10. Oh, Pretty Woman (ROY ORBISON cover)
11. Drum Solo
12. Unchained
13. The Trouble with Never
14. Dance The Night Away
15. I'll Wait
16. Hot For Teacher
17. Women In Love
18. Girl Gone Bad
19. Beautiful Girls
20. Ice Cream Man (JOHN BRIM cover)
21. Panama
22. Guitar Solo
23. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
24. Jump

VAN HALEN's new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", sold 187,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"A Different Kind Of Truth" is the band's first full-length offering with original singer David Lee Roth since "1984" was released in January 1984.

Roth exited the group in 1985, a year after its "1984" album was released. According to Billboard.com, "1984" spent five weeks at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 — VAN HALEN's highest charting set with Roth. (1996's "Best Of Volume 1" hits album, which included two new songs with Roth, debuted at No. 1 with 233,000 sold in its first week.)

VAN HALEN's other four other No. 1s were their four studio albums with Roth's replacement, Sammy Hagar: "5150" (1986), "OU812" (1988), "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" (1991) and "Balance" (1995).

VAN HALEN's previous all-new album, 1998's "Van Halen III", debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard chart and was certified gold for sales of 500,000 copies, a disappointment compared to their previous platinum efforts.

American/German hard rock band BANGALORE CHOIR will release its third album, "Metaphor", on April 27 via AOR Heaven. The group currently consists of original members David Reece (vocals; ex-ACCEPT), Curtis Mitchell (guitar) and Danny Greenberg (bass), alongside German guitarist/producer Andy Susemihl and drummer Rene Letters.

According to a press release, "Metaphor" features some collaborative efforts as well. David turned to old friends Rikard Quist, who collaborated on the tracks "Silhouettes On The Shade" and "Scandinavian Rose" on the new CD and also worked with lyricist Jon Wilde, with whom David had shared songwriting credits on his Reece-Kronlund release.

Commented Reece: "We look forward to the new release and to hitting the road this year in support of the new disc. We're currently looking at some U.S. dates this spring and hopefully, a return trip to Europe this summe."

Dutch symphonic black metal act CARACH ANGREN will release its third album, "Where The Corpses Sink Forever", on May 18 via Season Of Mist. The CD was recorded Tidal Wave studio in Karlsruhe, Germany.

The first in a series of video clips featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the studio can be seen below.

CARACH ANGREN previously promised that the band's "new horrific concept album" would "be darker and more epic than ever before!"

CARACH ANGREN's "The Sighting Is A Portent Of Doom" video can be viewed below. The clip was shot over a period of about six months by CARACH ANGREN and Erik Wijnands of Negakinu Photography at different locations.

"The Sighting Is A Portent Of Doom" comes off the band's CARACH ANGREN's second album, "Death Came Through A Phantom Ship", which was released in early 2010 via Maddening Media.

CARACH ANGREN's previous concept album, "Lammendam", was released in April 2008 via Maddening Media, the label run by LE GRAND GUIGNOL singer Philip Breuer.

Studio footage:

Zero To Hero Films conducted an interview with PRONG mainman Tommy Victor when the band performed at Avalon in Santa Clara, California on February 16. The eight-minute clip, which includes performance footage can be seen below.

PRONG will release its new album, "Carved Into Stone", on April 24 in North America via Long Branch Records/SPV. The CD was recorded with producer Steve Evetts, who has previously worked with THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SYMPHONY X, SEPULTURA and HATEBREED, among others. The cover artwork was created by Vance Kelly (DOWN, THE SWORD) and can be seen below.

According to a press release, "Carved Into Stone" "is quintessentially PRONG. It stretches into the band's earliest and dirtiest foundations on which the band was founded on New York's Lower East Side to the present as a staple of today's post-metal and rock scenes."

Comments Victor: "It was hardest I've ever worked in the studio on any record I've ever been involved with."

PRONG — whose lineup is rounded out by bassist Tony Campos and drummer Alexei Rodriguez — has taken a major step forward in their constantly evolving brand of sonic schematics.

"I always believed there were many dimensions to PRONG," says Tommy. "Every record we've been associated with different scenes — hardcore, metal, industrial — even dance! I think this record brings all of that together and sounds very modern at the same time."

"Carved Into Stone" track listing

01. Eternal Heat
02. Keep On Living In Pain
03. Ammunition
04. Revenge ... Best Served Cold
05. State of Rebellion
06. Put Myself to Sleep
07. List of Grievances
08. Carved Into Stone
09. Subtract
10. Path of Least Resistance
11. Reinvestigate

Founded in 1986, PRONG is considered to be a pioneer of the American post-hardcore and post-metal scenes whose influence is still being felt today.

PRONG's last release was "Power Of The Damn Mixxxer", the remix counterpart to the band's 2007 album "Power of The Damager".

British metallers ARCHITECTS have completed work on their new album, "Daybreaker", to be released on May 28 in Europe and June 5 in North America via Century Media Records. The follow-up to "The Here And Now" was produced by the band with John Mitchell and Ben Humphreys at Outhouse Studios (ENTER SHIKARI, YOU ME AT SIX, THE BLACKOUT, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, EXIT TEN, YOUR DEMISE, LOWER THAN ATLANTIS, KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES) in Reading, the same team that previously worked on ARCHITECTS' "Hollow Crown" CD. The stunning artwork was created by Paul Jackson (Tank.Axe.Love).

ARCHITECTS has just released the "The Here And Now 2012 Special Edition" including "Devil's Island" and "Untitled" as well as all video clips ("Day In Day Out", "Learn To Live", "Heartburn", "Delete, Rewind" and "An Open Letter To Myself"), making-of footage for "Learn To Live" and "Heartburn" plus several previously released online clips.

ARCHITECTS' latest album, "The Here And Now", sold around 900 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 47 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"The Here And Now" was produced by Steve Evetts, who has previously worked with THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and SEPULTURA, among many others.

"The Here And Now" debuted at position No. 57 on the official U.K. chart.

Gothenburg, Sweden-based metallers ENGEL will release their third album, "Blood Of Saints", on May 18 via Season Of Mist. The CD was recorded at Antfarm studios in Aabyhøj, Denmark. According to the group, the new album "is going to be a good mixture between both [previous ENGEL efforts] 'Threnody' [2010] and 'Absolute Design' [2007], but with some new angles as well! If you liked 'Threnody', you will LOVE 'Blood Of Saints'!"

ENGEL filmed a video for the new song "Question Your Place" on February 10 at Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg.

A trailer for the CD can be seen below.

ENGEL features guitarists Marcus Sunesson (THE CROWN) and Niclas Engelin (PASSENGER, ex-GARDENIAN, IN FLAMES), vocalist Mangan Klavborn, drummer Jimmy Olausson (ex-MARIONETTE) and bassist Steve Drennan (LOCUS).

"Threnody" was released in Europe on November 8, 2010 and in the U.S. on January 11, 2011 via Season Of Mist. The CD was issued in Japan on April 20, 2010 via Avex.

The band was previously signed to SPV Records which issued ENGEL's debut album, "Absolute Design", in 2007.