Despite the fact that legendary Swedish doomsters CANDLEMASS have just completed work on their final studio album, the band's bassist/leader Leif Edling tells Terrorizer magazine that the group is not planning on hanging it up anytime soon.

"We're not splitting up," he said. "Yes, this is to be our last album, but we don't plan to disappear from the scene for quite awhile. We will tour this year, hopefully the next one as well, and then there's our upcoming 30th anniversary. So plenty more doom to come! It's just that we want to stop before we get too old and start putting out half-lame albums. Instead, we'll slowly fade away into the sunset with our dignity intact. We're not young anymore. Actually, some of the stuff I've been writing for this album ism in fact, about saying goodbye. It's a bit psalm-like in parts and has got a big epic vibe."

He added, "I have got a very good feeling about this album. It's so metal, so heavy, so doomy, so epic.. It's fucking colossal! I think this will turn out as good as [2009's] 'Death Magic Doom', something I thought would be impossible."

CANDLEMASS's final CD is tentatively due in April via Napalm Records. Songtitles set to appear on the effort include "Prophet", "Sadness Run Deep" and "Water Witch".

CANDLEMASS celebrated its 25-year anniversary by performing an extra-long, two-and-a-half-hour set at Debaser Medis in Stockholm on December 18, 2010. The band's classic debut album, "Epicus Doomicus Metalicus", was played in its entirety for the first time with the original singer Johan Längqvist.

CANDLEMASS released a new DVD, "Ashes To Ashes - Live", in North America on June 29, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records (April 23, 2010 in Europe). The set contains footage of the band's performance at Sweden Rock Festival in front of 30,000 people as well as CANDLEMASS' entire October 2009 concert in Athens, Greece. It also includes a 30-minute interview and two photo galleries. The DVD was released as a CD+DVD, with the Sweden Rock show as the audio CD.

"Death Magic Doom", the latest album from CANDLEMASS, debuted at No. 79 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.

"Death Magic Doom" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 52. The group's previous CD, "King of the Grey Islands", debuted at No. 83 back in June 2007.

QUEEN's Brian May and Roger Taylor have confirmed the band will headline the second day of U.K.'s Sonisphere appearing on the Apollo stage on Saturday, July 7. Knebworth was the setting for QUEEN's final concert with Freddie Mercury, in August 1986.

May and Taylor also confirmed that for this very special event they will be joined by U.S. singer-songwriter, and "American Idol" finalist, Adam Lambert.

The potent chemistry between QUEEN and Lambert broke the surface when at the invitation of Brian May and Roger Taylor, Lambert joined them for the closing showcase at the recent MTV Europe Music Awards where QUEEN were present to collect their "Global Icon" award.

During a brand new interview with NME.com, Lambert insisted that he is not trying to replace the later Freddie Mercury. He said, "The way I look at it is I'm not trying to imitate or outdo him or compete in any way, that's not even in my mind at all, I think it's really an honor to be asked to sing the music that he and the band wrote and get up there and put on a good show. If people are too busy trying to compare, they're not going to enjoy the music."

Although Lambert did not rule out another collaboration with QUEEN in the future, he insisted that for now the Knebworth show is simply a one-off. He told NME.com, "One of the things [people have said] was, 'He's gonna be the permanent frontman of QUEEN.' And although that would be a beautiful experience, the tricky thing this year for me is I also have my album coming out, 'Trespassing', and that's gonna take a lot of work and time and energy. So it's really a one-off experience with the band, and I'm really excited for it. But I'm not joining the band and touring with them."

During a February 17 interview with Mike Jones of the Washington D.C. radio station DC101, legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES) was asked if there was any truth to the reports that all all five original members of GUNS N' ROSES will be present when the group is inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland on April 14. "I know that there's a lot of rumor about it, as always when it comes to GN'R, out there on the Internet and stuff," he replied. "But as it stands right this second, I have no idea what's going on." (Listen to audio of Slash's response below.)

GUNS N' ROSES keyboardist Dizzy Reed told Billboard last week that the entire original band will be present at the Rock Hall induction. Reed revealed, "I know that all the original band is going to be there. I don't know exactly what's going to go down. It's one of those things I'm sure will all come together and be really cool. I'm just going to go in with a good attitude and a clear head and a grateful heart."

Singer Axl Rose, guitarists Slash and Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler will all be inducted into the Hall, along with later members Reed, drummer Matt Sorum and guitarist Gilby Clarke.

With more than 20 years of service, Reed is the longest-standing member of the current GUNS lineup after sole original holdout Axl Rose. He told The Pulse Of Radio that whatever happens at the Hall, he's already honored by the whole thing. "There's a lot of great, great people that I respect and grew up admiring and idolizing that are in that, as part of that institution, and obviously just to be mentioned in the same breath as them, you know, for this band and everything, I take it as an honor," he said.

As for whether any combination of the eight musicians will get together for a jam or full-blown reunion at the induction ceremony, Reed said, "Honestly, we haven't spoken about it. I don't know when or why or how to bring it up. It's not an everyday sort of thing. So we haven't really talked about it — but I'm sure we'll have to at some point."

Although Rose has made his peace with various members of the group over the years, including McKagan, Stradlin and Adler, there doesn't seem to be any change in his non-friendly stance toward Slash.

Slash, McKagan, Sorum and Adler have all expressed uncertainty about the possibility of a reunion at the ceremony.

Candlelight Records has announced the signing of hardcore/metal veterans VISION OF DISORDER (a.k.a. V.O.D.). The band will enter the studio in the next month or so with producer Will Putney (SHADOWS FALL, SUICIDE SILENCE, FOUR YEAR STRONG) to begin recording its new album for a late 2012 release. Cameron Webb (MOTÖRHEAD, SOCIAL DISTORTION, IGNITE, PENNYWISE) will mix the CD.

Commented VISION OF DISORDER: "Before the word 'metalcore' existed… VISION OF DISORDER did. We did what we did because we loved it, not because we thought others might. 20 years later, we're once again at work with the same approach.

"After a newly inked deal [with] Candlelight Records, we are about to begin tracking on our first studio album in a decade. We are bringing all the elements of what made us unique and ferocious to the table.

"Playing reunion shows over the past few years and seeing such positive responses has truly been inspirational.

"This album is absolutely dedicated to our fans that have stuck by us through our ups and downs. Without them, it would not have been.

"We are excited to be a part of the Candlelight roster. They were a perfect choice for us. After numerous record label woes, it was refreshing to partner with people that are passionate about music — not just profit or agenda."

Added Darren Toms, Candlelight's European label manager: "I have been a fan of the band since the first release many years ago on Roadrunner/Supersoul and after hearing the new material, I'm very excited to be working with the band and getting them back to where they need to be in today's market."

A demo version of a new VISION OF DISORDER song, "The Enemy", can be streamed below. According to guitarist Matt Baumbach, the track will appear on what will be V.O.D.'s next release. "This track is a good example of the style of the record so that's why we picked it first," he said. Other working songtitles that are set to appear on the CD include "Hard Times", "Annihilator" and "Be Up On It".

Regarding the musical direction of VISION OF DISORDER's new material, bassist Mike Fleischmann previously told Greg Prato of UGO, "The songs are what you would expect from V.O.D. — very aggressive and melodic. We really feel that on these new songs we have kind of mixed up all of our past efforts into a blender with a dash of new flavor, and we are excited to see what V.O.D. fans will think of it."

VISION OF DISORDER's current lineup includes singer Tim Williams, guitarists Matt Baumbach and Mike Kennedy, Fleischmann and drummer Brendon Cohen.

The band's last studio album, "From Bliss to Devastation", came out in 2001 via TVT Records.

VISION OF DISORDER toured with some of metal's biggest names during the late 1990s — including PANTERA, BLACK SABBATH, TYPE O NEGATIVE, ANTHRAX and BAD BRAINS — before calling it quits in 2001, and then reuniting in 2008.

Former NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis has recorded a guest appearance on the forthcoming debut album from LEANDER, the Hungarian metal band featuring NEVERMORE guitarist Attila Vörös. The CD, which features Loomis in the song called "Six Feet Under", is being mixed and mastered by acclaimed Swedish producer Jens Bogren (KATATONIA, OPETH, PARADISE LOST, AMON AMARTH) at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden. The cover art for the album is being designed by Robert Borbas (SOILWORK, CALIBAN, ALL SHALL PERISH, METALLICA, SUICIDE SILENCE).

Vörös makes a guest appearance on Loomis' forthcoming sophomore solo album, "Plains Of Oblivion", to be released on April 10 in North America (one day earlier in Europe) via Century Media Records.

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry has revealed via Twiter that he has "officially started writing [his] biography this week." More details will be made available soon.

AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler's memoir, "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?", debuted at No. 2 on The New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best seller list. The book came out in May 2011 and the outspoken singer made the press rounds to talk about the book. Speaking candidly about his past drug addictions with People.com, Tyler said, "I blew 20 million. I snorted my Porsche, I snorted my plane, I snorted my house in that din of drugs and booze and being lost." He added, "I kept my medicine cabinet on stage, in a 14-inch drum head, the bottom of which contained . . . one Dixie cup (paper cup) with a straw and blow (cocaine) in it and the other with Coca-Cola and Jack Daniels in it."

But Tyler told The Pulse Of Radio that he also wanted to show a different side of himself in the book. "Being in a band with AEROSMITH, you're kind of depicted as Peck's bad boy," he said. "They love the bad boys of Boston. Everybody's intrigued by the badness of it all. And I just thought, why not just share it with the world the way it really is, and tell them my feelings about my cat, and how addicted to Christmas time I am, and hearing my kids laugh — I don't think they know that side. The press tends to put out the greasy, grimy, gopher guts side of AEROSMITH."

Tyler went into detail in the tome about the stage injury that led him back to drugs and eventually another stint in rehab in late 2009, during which AEROSMITH flirted with the idea of hiring a new vocalist.

The singer explained to Billboard, "I wanted America to know that I didn't just go off on my own somewhere and buy some street drugs. There really was a story behind it." Saying he got hooked on painkillers after having long-delayed surgery on both feet, Tyler revealed, "I have an addictive personality and I got in trouble again. I did, and shame on me for that."

Audio samples of the tracks that are set to appear on "Veniversum", the third album from Finnish technical death metallers DE LIRIUM'S ORDER (DLO), can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The CD is scheduled for release on March 16 via DLO Productions, distributed by Inverse Records.

According to a press release, "Veniversum" is "not to be taken lightly — its compelling sounds, myriad instruments, and incredible solos combined with unprecedented musical madness leaves you puzzled and wanting more.. will you survive this blasting inferno?"

"Veniversum" track listing:

01. Autistic Savant
02. .44
03. Maximum Sentence
04. Seppuku
05. The Gravity of Crime
06. Schizophrenic
07. My Kingdom from Baekdu
08. The Aftermath

DE LIRIUM'S ORDER's "twisted riffs and trashing talent have built the band strong cult following, and with over 800,000 views and moew than 3,000 followers in YouTube, DLO's Ukri Suvilehto is himself a wonder child among the modern death metal drummers."

Video footage of UNISONIC members Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen performing acoustic versions of the songs "Star Rider" and "We Rise" can be seen below.

In addition to Kiske and Hansen, UNISONIC features Dennis Ward (bass) and Kosta Zafiriou (drums) of Germany's PINK CREAM 69 and Swiss guitarist Mandy Meyer (who has previously played with ASIA, GOTTHARD and KROKUS).

The self-titled debut album from UNISONIC will be released on March 30 (nine days earlier in Japan) via earMUSIC/Edel. The effort will be made available in the following configurations:

Europe & rest of the world:

* CD jewel case
* CD limited edition Mediabook format with and extended booklet plus bonus track
* Vinyl and CD package limited edition

Japan:

*CD jewel case
* CD limited-edition digipack plus bonus track (exclusive for Japan)

The cover artwork, which was created by graphic artist Martin Häusler (MEAT LOAF, GOTTHARD, HELLOWEEN, MOTÖRHEAD), can be seen below.

"Unisonic" track listing:

01. Unisonic
02. Souls Alive
03. Never Too Late
04. I've Tried
05. Star Rider
06. Never Change Me
07. Renegade
08. My Sanctuary
09. King For A Day
10. We Rise
11. No One Ever Sees Me
12. Over The Rainbow (limited-edition bonus track)

UNISONIC's video for the song "Unisonic" can be seen below. According to a press release, the clip, which was directed by Häusler, "shows a powerful band performance at a magnificent ballroom in Heidelberg, Germany."

UNISONIC released its debut EP, "Ignition" on January 27 via earMUSIC/Edel. The effort includes the track "Unisonic" plus one demo song and a cover version of the HELLOWEEN classic "I Want Out", recorded live on October 15 at last year's edition of the Loud Park festival at Saitama Super Arena, a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Saitama City, Japan.

After the addition of Hansen to the group's lineup in early 2011, UNISONIC continued the songwriting process for its debut release, incorporating Kai's talent for writing great anthemic rock songs into its existing material. The recordings for the album started at end of September at ICP studios in Brussels, Belgium.

UNISONIC's music is very versatile and shows a broad approach to heavy rock without sacrificing the power and strong, catchy melodies that characterized the bandmembers' previous projects.

Kai Hansen's position in GAMMA RAY will be unaffected by his involvement with UNISONIC.

UNISONIC is:

Michael Kiske (vocals)
Mandy Meyer (guitar)
Kai Hansen (guitar)
Dennis Ward (bass)
Kosta Zafiriou (drums)

"Conviction", the new video from Florida-based death metal veterans DEICIDE, can be seen below. Directed by David Brodsky and Tim Kellen (Brodsky also handled editing duties while Kellen animated the video) and produced by MyGoodEye LLC, "Conviction" tells the story of frontman Glen Benton and his pursuit of Jesus, claymation-style.

Starting March 1, DEICIDE will be back on tour in North America for their headlining "March Of Death 2012" trek, with support from JUNGLE ROT, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS and LECHEROUS NOCTURNE.

"Conviction" comes off DEICIDE's latest album, "To Hell With God", which sold 2,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was issued on February 15, 2011 via Century Media Records. It was produced by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CHIMAIRA) at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida.

DEICIDE's previous CD, "Till Death Do Us Part", opened with 2,900 copies back in May 2008.

DEICIDE last year completed the "God Is Dead – To Hell With God Tour" with support from BELPHEGOR, BLACKGUARD, NEURAXIS and PATHOLOGY.

"Prophecy Is A Lie", a new song from Sydney, Australia-based "epic, aggressive" metallers DRAGONSCLAW, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track, which features guest vocals from Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE), comes off the group's debut album, "Prophecy".

Commented vocalist Giles Lavery: "We have worked really hard on putting together the best collection of songs, scrapping anything that wasn't up to our highest standards. In fact, we wrote and recorded one track we felt very strongly about in the final days of recording... Totally crazy, but that's what it takes to have the best record we can!

"The melody and songwriting has gotten a little bit lost these days in modern metal. We are hoping to re-introduce that while maintaining the crushing power that only heavy metal can provide. Basically, everything we grew up with and loved about the genre is here on display.

"I cannot wait for people to hear this material and to perform it live once we hit the road!"

DRAGONSCLAW is currently seeking a suitable label to release the album, which is tentatively due later in the year.

The band's lineup is as follows:

Ben Thomas - Guitar
Giles Lavery - Vocals
Ray Martens - Keyboards
Aaron Thomas - Bass, Orchestration

DRAGONSCLAW is looking for a full-time drummer.

"Prophecy Is A Lie" audio stream:

The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH was set to head out on a reunion tour this year but due to guitarist Tony Iommi's cancer treatment and drummer Bill Ward's contract dispute, it doesn't seem like it is going to happen. Instead, the band will play one date at the U.K.'s Download festival in June. So will SABBATH play in America at all? Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon, tells VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner, "They're gonna be doing one show in America this summer but I can't say yet because we can't announce it, the promoters have to, but they are doing one show in August here together."

When asked if that means Ward will be part of the reunited band's lineup for the U.S. concert, she said, "We don't know yet, we really don't know. It's up to Bill. The door is open for him to join us, so it's up to him."

Meanwhile, SABBATH, without Ward, continues to work on its upcoming album in England. Sharon gave VH1 Radio Network an update on how that is going. "It's going good," she said. "They're doing really well in the studio. Gosh, they must've written 15 new songs already and it's going great."

When Bill Ward announced he wasn't taking part in the reunion until he was presented with a "signable" contract, many fans unjustly blamed Sharon for it all. She told VH1 Radio Network why she has nothing to do with Bill's contract. "It's unbelievable," she said. "Everybody has their own manager in SABBATH. They've been doing this a long time and we have an independent team of people that work for everybody because everybody's got their own manager, so we have an independent group of people that have come in to manage the project, and I don't, and I get the blame because Bill doesn't want to play with the band; he doesn't like his deal and I get the blame. It's like, 'Alright, I'm a big girl, I can take it.'"

The rest of BLACK SABBATH's previously scheduled European summer shows will be replaced by "Ozzy And Friends", at which the singer will be joined by SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler, former Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde and other special guests, including Slash on selected dates.

Butler will join Ozzy during the shows for a set of SABBATH songs in honor of Iommi. The 64-year-old guitarist continues to make "excellent progress" in his battle with cancer, which was diagnosed earlier this year.

On February 17, Ward posted an update in which he said he "remains hopeful" for a positive outcome to the situation and is "prepared to go to the U.K. and record, and later tour with the band." It is not clear whether Ward issued his statement before the news broke about SABBATH's plans being canceled.

Legendary singer Meat Loaf stopped by the offices of Metal Hammer magazine and basically caused chaos upon his arrival. The magazine managed to get the man himself to shoot a few videos, and one of those clips involves him talking about SLIPKNOT (see below).

Said Meat Loaf: "SLIPKNOT has amazing arrangements, and musically, they're like a metal Beethoven."

Meat Loaf's daughter Pearl Aday is married to ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian. The couple welcomed their first child, Revel Young Ian, last June.

When asked what it's like having the iconic Meat Loaf as his father-in-law, Ian said in an interview, "It's like having anyone as your father-in-law. It's not like he's on stage when you're hanging out with the guy. We actually had dinner with him last night, and all we talked about was fantasy football. He's just a regular guy who happens to be a legendary rock star."

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)

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.

Australia's long-running rock station Triple M is premiering a 30-second audio sample of "You're A Lie", a brand new song from the iconic, Grammy-winning rock guitarist and songwriter Slash. You can check it out below. The track comes off Slash's second solo album, "Apocalyptic Love", which will be released on May 22 via the guitarist's own label Dik Hayd International distributed through EMI

"Apocalyptic Love" will follow his 2010 debut album, "Slash", and his November 2011 first-ever live solo album, the two-CD/DVD set "Made In Stoke 24/7/11". Notably, the "Slash" album debuted on The Billboard 200 chart at #3 (#1 on the Rock chart, #1 on the Independent chart, and #1 on the Hard Music chart). Digitally, the album also became the #1 overall digital album and hit #1 on iTunes in 13 countries. Internationally, the disc achieved Top 5 chart positions in over a dozen major territories, hitting #1 in both Japan and New Zealand.

In the U.K., the album will be released on May 21 in exclusive Classic Rock Fan Pack form — providing a unique collectable package containing the studio album with bonus tracks alongside a specially created magazine with unseen behind-the-scenes content put together by Classic Rock. The Fan Pack format will also come with free gifts, including a pin badge and artwork poster and will be available to buy via more than 2000 retail outlets on newsstands nationally as well as the traditional high street and online music retailers. Roadrunner Records will simultaneously release the record digitally. The standard physical release of the Slash album will follow through Roadrunner Records on June 18.

For the new album, Slash — along with and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass) — teamed with producer Eric Valentine, who also produced the "Slash" disc. All the songs were written together by Slash and Kennedy, and cameras have been rolling throughout the entire making of the album.

"Utilitarian", the new album from British/American grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH, is available for streaming in its entirety at CMDistro.de.

NAPALM DEATH frontman Mark "Barney" Greenway will take part in a live chat today (Friday, February 24) at 22:00 CET//1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET on Yowie.

NAPALM DEATH will release its 14th studio album (excluding the cover album "Leaders Not Followers"), "Utilitarian", 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.

In anticipation of this release, the band has now launched an "Occupy Napalm" Facebook tab to show their support for the Occupy movement and to provide fans with the latest news about their politically-charged "Utilitarian". With downloadable Occupy-themed stencils and screensavers, plus a special video teaser for "Utilitarian" created by Mitch Harris (guitar, vocals), this Facebook tab is the place to go for everything NAPALM DEATH!

"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)

Upon "Utilitarian"'s release, NAPALM DEATH's limited-edition "Analysis Paralysis" seen-inch EP will also be available for purchase at CM Distro in black and clear vinyl. Its B-side includes the exclusive track "Youth Offender", making this a very collectable piece for any diehard NAPALM DEATH fan.

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."

"Utilitarian" track-by-track - part 4:

According to The Guardian, Robert Plant and his new band the SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS will make their live debut as headliners of the 30th-anniversary edition of the Womad festival. The group's lineup will include the former LED ZEPPELIN singer alongside members of his former backing band STRANGE SENSATION and regular collaborator Justin Adams.

SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS say they draw inspiration "from the roots music of Mississippi, Appalachia, Gambia, Bristol and the foothills of Wolverhampton."

The inaugural installment of Womad — an acronymn for World of Music, Arts and Dance — was conceived by GENESIS singer Peter Gabriel and took place in 1982 at the Royal Bath & West showground in Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

"Intersections", a collection of re-recorded classics by the legendary German progressive thrash outfit MEKONG DELTA, will be released in Germany on April 20, in the rest of Europe on April 23 and in the U.S./Canada in early May via SPV/Steamhammer.

MEKONG DELTA — founded in the '80s by producer and bass player Ralf Hubert — plays unconventional and technical thrash metal whose list of former members includes Jörg Michael (STRATOVARIUS) and Uli Kusch (ex-HELLOWEEN). Outstanding and critically acclaimed albums like "The Music of Erich Zann", "Dances Of Death" and their latest effort, "Wanderer On The Edge of Time", were said to be milestones of the genre.

"Intersections" track listing:

01. Prophecy
02. The Cure
03. Memories Of Tomorrow
04. Heroes Grief
05. Shades Of Doom
06. The Healer
07. Transgressor
08. Sphere Eclipse
09. Heartbeat
10. Innocent

MEKONG DELTA in 2008 announced the addition of vocalist Martin LeMar (TOMORROW'S EVE) and drummer Alex Landenburg (AT VANCE, ANNIHILATOR) to the group's ranks.

MEKONG DELTA's current lineup:

Ralf Hubert - Bass
Benedikt Zimniak - guitar
Erik Grösch - guitar
Martin LeMar - vocals
Alex Landenburg - drums

Polish extreme metal veterans BEHEMOTH are twelve shows into their European tour with CANNIBAL CORPSE, LEGION OF THE DAMNED, MISERY INDEX, SUICIDE SILENCE and NEXUS INFERI.

Commented BEHEMOTH guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski: "We are in the middle of this tour and on behalf of the band I must state that's probably the best European run we've done ever! And it's not just courtesy but a fact. Never seen European venues so crowded and enthusiastically reacting to our show. I know, we've been away for a while, the band's future was a big question mark and if you ask me, I have to say I was seriously worried if I can pull it off at all. Now I can finally admit: Fuck yes! I can still get my ass on stage and give my blood, sweat and heart to the people who truly deserve that. These 'return' shows have some transcendental touch to it and I can't get rid of the feeling, it's a new life injected in band's veins. I am proud. Of my band, myself and all the fans coming to the shows. Thank you. Stay strong and see you soon!"

BEHEMOTH, WATAIN, THE DEVIL'S BLOOD and IN SOLITUDE will join forces for the inaugural Decibel Magazine Tour in April/May.

BEHEMOTH's "Evangelia Heretika - The New Gospel Three" DVD (2010) — a three-disc set featuring two full shows ("Live In Paris 2008" and "Live In Warsaw 2009"); every BEHEMOTH music video ever made; "Evangelion" tour documentary featuring band interviews plus tons of backstage footage; and a bonus "Live in Warsaw" audio CD — was certified platinum in the Poland for sales in excess of 10,000 copies.

BEHEMOTH recently released a video for the song "Lucifer", off "Evangelion". The Grupa 13-directed clip features Polish singer, guitarist, and poet Maciej Malenczuk, who also contributed guest vocals to the track.

When METALLICA recently confirmed reports that it was working on a 3D movie, the band was vague about what exactly the project would entail or when it come out. The Pulse Of Radio asked drummer Lars Ulrich for more info and he said that film production is new territory for the group which they're taking very slowly. "It's been an idea that's been kind of circling in everybody's heads for about the last two years," he said. "Getting your own 3D movie off the ground is easier said than done, but we're doing our best and we have a window for that later in the year that we're hoping to still make happen. We just want to make sure that we don't throw ourselves out into something that gets so completely overwhelming that the whole thing just blows up in our face."

Ulrich added that the band hopes to get the movie onto screens in late 2013.

Entertainment industry web site Deadline first broke the news in October that METALLICA was looking to self-finance its own 3D feature film, and had hired Hollywood producer Charlotte Huggins to develop the project for them.

Ulrich did hint to Rolling Stone a few months back what the film might be like, saying, "Imagine if you took [LED ZEPPELIN's concert film] 'The Song Remains The Same', which is 75 percent concert, 25 percent other stuff, and flipped it around. And all the non-concert footage, instead of being about the band members, is a story that unfolds, set against the backdrop of the concert."

METALLICA's next major project is its Orion Music + More festival, a band-curated two-day event which will take place in late June in Atlantic City and feature over 20 bands as well as lifestyle attractions and other entertainment.

German black metallers SECRETS OF THE MOON will release their new album, Seven Bells, via Prophecy Productions on March 16th. The first video from the album for the song 'NYX' can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Fursy Teyssier and François-Marc Baillet at Viva Emptiness Studios.

Frontman sG comments: "This is the very first Secrets Of The Moon video clip. In its total length the song is about 11 minutes long. We had to cut almost half of it to make it more comfortable for everyone. However, you still get a decent impression of it. Parts of the lyrics are taken from the 'Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente' - an account of the relations of the aspirant and his holy guardian angel. Now, enjoy!"

"Private Sessions", the fourth album from Kentucky rockers HYDROGYN, 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

Several audio samples can be streamed using the ReverbNation TuneWidget below (click on "Songs" tab)

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.

LIMP BIZKIT has inked a new record deal with Cash Money Records, the American hip hop label founded in 1991 by the brothers Bryan "Baby" Williams (a.k.a. Birdman) and Ronald "Slim" Williams.

LIMP BIZKIT last year parted ways with Interscope, the label that released all of the band's records thus far through its subsidiaries Flip, Geffen and Suretone Records.

Even though LIMP BIZKIT's latest album, "Gold Cobra", was the band's first CD to feature the original lineup of Fred Durst (vocals), Wes Borland (guitar), Sam Rivers (bass), John Otto (drums), and DJ Lethal since 2000's "Chocolate Starfish And Hot Dog Flavored Water", it has sold less than 75,000 copies in the United States since its June 2011 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

During an appearance on the November 21, 2011 edition of the "Poolside With Dean Delray" podcast, Durst stated about the band's current status, "One of the things with 'Gold Cobra' was that that was a record, for us, to do for ourselves, for the core fans, for some of the people that we know in the industry — its wasn't our step forward to make a big pop, smash radio record; we just didn't wanna make that record at that time. We have been working for awhile now to renavigate where we are going to take LIMP BIZKIT, and finally we have been able to get off our label and become independent. . . We do very, very good on our touring, and we mainly tour outside the United States, because we wanna make sure that when we push something to our homeland that it kind of catches their attention in a way that they're used to it catching their attention. It seems like in the United States, man, they're waiting on a song, they're waiting on a hit, and the rest of the world doesn't necessarily operate that way; they're, sort of, career people. So I'm waiting until we can really give them something they can sink their teeth into and then they can be reminded about how ill LIMP BIZKIT is live, 'cause we're having a lot of fun doing what we do, and if it's not fun anymore, we don't wanna do it. We don't wanna go out in the United States without it being a lot of fun, so we're just waiting until that song happens . . . without forcing it. We're not gonna go in the studio and try to write a mega-hit song that people in America are gonna like; when it happens, we'll know."

Formed in 1995, LIMP BIZKIT achieved massive success with its studio album "Significant Other", which debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart and went on to sell over 16 million copies worldwide. In 2000, the band's third studio album, "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water", continued the band's success by selling approximately 1.5 million copies in its first week, making it the fastest-selling rock album of all time.

Sully Erna's upcoming live DVD, "Avalon Live", which features the GODSMACK frontman performing songs from his debut solo album, "Avalon", on December 16, 2011 at The Wilbur Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, will be released as a box set this spring (probably late April) and then in 3D and as a single disc (Blue -ray 2D and in 3D) in the fall. The box set will contain three DVDs (the show, the "Journey To Avalon" documentary and a behind-the-scenes documentary), two CDs, a book, T-shirt, guitar pick, poster, incense, etc and a custom metal Sully Erna engraved metal box with a suede lining. Only 5,000 copies will be available.

Released in September 2010, "Avalon" features flutes, cellos, hand drums and other exotic instrumentation, along with female vocals. Erna has emphasized that it is "not a rock record."

Chicago's KOMMANDANT has just released the trailer for the band's new full-length album, "The Draconian Archetype", which will be made available shortly on Aeternitas Tenebrarum Music Foundation (A.T.M.F. ) The CD was recorded and engineered by Chris Djuricic at Belle City Sound in Racine, Wisconsin.

Commented guitarist James Bresnahan in a statement: "We are extremely proud of our new album and feel it is certainly our best work to date. This sounds likes a typical statement, but we assure you it is fact.

"KOMMANDANT is in the midst of planning live appearances to promote the album and various East Coast shows have already been confirmed, such as the Martyrdoom festival in New York City on Saturday, June 30 at Public Assembly. We are still awaiting confirmation on our tentative West Coast dates, and European dates are still being negotiated. "

"The Draconian Archetype" preliminary track listing:

01. Hate Is Strength
02. Call Of The Void
03. Arbiter Of Enslavement
04. Obsidian Gravitational Torrent
05. The Transition
06. Atavistic Species
07. We Are The Angels Of Death
08. Of Blood And Iron
09. Fore-Aft Synthesis
10. Downfall

Bresnahan previously said about "The Draconian Archetype", "We have been constantly pushing the KOMMANDANT sound into new extremes. 'The Draconian Archetype' is the best representation yet of who we are and what we stand for. ['Draconian archetype'] is the idea of applying an older or more traditional set of values or rules to modern situations. [The] songs explore the concept of promoting strength, decisiveness and traditional virtues instead of coddling weakness and obfuscation. Obviously metal in general promotes stripped-down hyper-masculine concepts like war, and in that respect we are similar, but that's where the similarity generally ends. I think it would be rather short-sighted to classify us as simply a 'war metal' band, since our songs range quite a bit beyond conflict in their subject matter."

Guitarist/vocalist Helmuth Lehner of the Austrian blackened death metal outfit BELPHEGOR has revealed that the group is working on material. The band's as-yet-untitled new album for a tentatively slated for a late 2012 release.

From this coming Saturday until next Wednesday, BELPHEGOR will rehearse for the upcoming recordings in Abtenau, Austria.

The drum duties will again be handled by Marthyn, who did an outstanding job on last year's "Blood Magick Necromance".

Commented Helmuth: "[it's] amazing to have the opportunity to be creative again and compose a new album.

"I begun the compositions in November 2011, after I had to spend five weeks in the hospital and six weeks in rehabilitation center because of my health issues. I survived this hard trial, which still seems unreal. I m not fully recovered, but feel way better now, I can say. Unfortunately, we had to cancel all tours until June 2012, when we will get back on the road, and will start with some European open-air rituals.

Added bassist Serpenth, "At this time, we dont feel the pressure of a hard touring schedule and all the rigors surrounding that, so we can concentrate and create these arrangements in a completely focused way and can even put more energy, blood and guts inside. Working intensely on ten tracks. We are totally concentrated, you know, the musick reigns above all. Magick. It's time for a new chapter."

"Blood Magick Necromance" was released in January 2011 in Europe and February 2011 in the U.S. via Nuclear Blast Records. The album was produced by Peter Tägtgren (IMMORTAL, CELTIC FROST, HYPOCRISY, DIMMU BORGIR) at his Abyss Studios in Pärlby, Sweden and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren.

"Blood Magick Necromance" was made available in four formats: a limited edition in black slipcase with metallic effect; a strictly limited Nuclear Blast mailorder edition box set, including a bondage necklace and chain (only 500 hand-numbered copies available); a limited picture gatefold LP on blood-red vinyl; LP on black vinyl; and a standard jewel case CD.

BELPHEGOR tapped two artists from Austria for artwork purposes: Helmut Wolech (a fetish photographer and former mortician) and Joachim Luetke for the magickal graphics and cover artwork.

Drummer Thomas Noonan has left the the Alaskan metal band 36 CRAZYFISTS due to personal and family matters. He explained in an online post, "I just lost my passion for [playing heavy music] and drumming for that matter. I'm not saying I will never play again, it's just that I'm ready for something different, and more challenging for me that will not take me far away from home to do it. I love what we have built as a band and with friends, but after years and years of dealing with the in and outs of the industry, I'm just over it for now. I'm not a person that can do two things at once, and I feel I want to put everything I have into pencil art. I know that sounds crazy, but it's something I fell in love with and strive every day to excel at. So it was a very hard decision for me to decide between the two for this year, but I choose art. I choose being happy and spending time with my family and not touring."

36 CRAZYFISTS's latest album, "Collisions And Castaways", sold around 3,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 161 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at No. 3 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.

"Collisions And Castaways" was written and recorded between October 2009 and May 2010. It follows on the heels of 2009's DVD, "Underneath a Northern Sky", and is the band's second straight effort to feature Steve Holt in the producer's chair and Andy Sneap handling the final mix.

The reactivated original lineup of SPINESHANK — featuring Jonny Santos (vocals), Tommy Decker (drums), Mike Sarkisyan (guitar) and Rob Garcia (bass) — has inked a deal with Century Media Records. The band's long-awaited fourth album, "Anger Denial Acceptance", will be released in early June. Produced by Sarkisyan and Decker and mixed by Mike Plotnikoff (PAPA ROACH, BUCKCHERRY), the CD promises to surpass everyone's expectation of what SPINESHANK is capable of.

The official "lyric video" for one of the songs from the forthcoming effort, "Murder Suicide", can be seen below.

In a recent interview with FrontRowRock.com, Decker stated about "Anger Denial Acceptance", "It's three of the stages of grieving, rearranged a bit. I think it's something a lot of people can relate to; things ending, relationships, people. Members of this band have been through a lot in the last few years and it all came out in this record. This is the most personal record we've ever done. Everything you hear is real. The pain, anger and sadness come from a real place. It was not a fun record to make."

When asked about the recording process for the new CD, Decker said, "The recording process was a lot different this time. It was the first record where we didn't have an outside producer come in, we did it completely on our own. We also did it in different sessions. We'd write three or four songs and then go record them. Write three or four more and record them in a different studio. We actually took our Pro Tools rig to a cabin in Big Bear and did a lot of the vocals there. We were totally isolated from the outside world; we were able to fully focus and concentrate on the songs. It was a really cool way to record."

Speaking to Valerie Bastien of RockSource360, Sarkisyan stated about "Anger Denial Acceptance", "I think the biggest difference in making this record was that it was done by us from the writing stage all the way to tracking. We didn't have a label rep up our asses all the time and we just kind of had the freedom to do what we wanted, when we wanted and how we wanted. Musically, it's light years ahead of what 'Self-Destructive Pattern' was, as it should be. We all have grown as writers and performers, and we've gotten better at expressing ourselves in our music.

On the topic of the new album's title track and why the band felt it was a perfect fit to name the whole album after it, Mike said, "That song was like my 'baby' on this record. I had come up with the skeleton of it before bringing it up to the guys. I had a pretty clear idea of where it needed to be, musically. Those three words just kept ringing in my head the whole time I was putting this together. It's some of the stages of dealing with loss. Any kind of loss. It was the first time that me, Tommy and Jonny collaborated on lyrics. It sort of became the centerpiece of the record and although it's not a full concept album, the album does tie together in more ways than one. And it's not structured like a basic song either. It's not that 'verse/chorus/verse…' thing. It has three distinct and different parts that sorta tie in together and represent 'Anger Denial Acceptance'. I'm super happy with the way it came out and am very proud of it."

SPINESHANK's third and last album, "Self-Destructive Pattern", was released on September 9, 2003. The album's lead single, "Smothered", was nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Metal Performance".

Following his departure from SPINESHANK, Santos formed SILENT CIVILIAN, which released its debut album, "Rebirth of the Temple", in May 2006. A follow-up effort, "Ghost Stories", came out in May 2010 via Mediaskare/Century Media.

BLACK LIGHT BURNS, the avant-garde alter ego of LIMP BIZKIT/ex-MARILYN MANSON guitarist Wes Borland, has signed a worldwide deal with Rocket Science Ventures/THC: Music. The project's long-awaited sophomore LP, "The Moment You Realize You're Going To Fall", in the summer.

"This is a really personal record for me," says Wes. "I spent three years writing it and trying to find the right home, and I am confident it's the best BLACK LIGHT BURNS record yet. I'm really looking forward to working with THC/Rocket Science to get it out to the fans. It's really exciting to be working with a great team who loves the band; I couldn't be happier."

BLACK LIGHT BURNS released its debut album, "Cruel Melody", in 2007 through I Am: Wolfpack, the record label headed by producer Ross Robinson (KORN, SLIPKNOT, SEPULTURA, SOULFLY, LIMP BIZKIT). The group's original recording lineup featured Danny Lohner (NINE INCH NAILS), Josh Eustis (PUSCIFER) and Josh Freese (WEEZER, A PERFECT CIRCLE, GUNS N' ROSES, DEVO). An LP/DVD of unreleased B-side material, "Cover Your Heart And The Anvil Pants Odyssey", followed in 2008. In 2009, after a yearlong stint playing guitar for MARILYN MANSON, Wes and BLACK LIGHT BURNS hit the road for an extended run with industrial powerhouse COMBICHRIST, and contributed the track "I Want You To" to the "Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans" soundtrack. BLACK LIGHT BURNS took a temporary hiatus while Borland stayed busy with the reformed LIMP BIZKIT, who embarked on an ongoing world tour supporting their recently released LP "Gold Cobra". In 2012, BLACK LIGHT BURNS returned, to the delight of fans, with the track "It Rapes All In Its Path" on the "Underworld: Awakening" soundtrack.

American heavy metal juggernauts THY WILL BE DONE have posted a video teaser for their anticipated upcoming EP via their recently launched YouTube channel. The clip features a sampling of new music from their forthcoming release combined with live footage and some familiar faces.

"We, as a band and as individuals, went through a lot during the writing process of this EP.", comments rhythm guitarist Kurt Fraunfelter, who also engineered the forthcoming release. "You can hear so many emotions and feelings throughout whether it be in the vocals, the guitar solos, or whatever."

THY WILL BE DONE's new EP was mixed by acclaimed metal producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (WHITECHAPEL, SUICIDE SILENCE, CHIMAIRA, SOULFLY) at Planet Z in Hadley, Massachusetts and features six brand new studio tracks, including "You, The Apathy Divine", which the band debuted live on the Stillborn Fest tour with HATEBREED.

"Musically, it is still very much a THY WILL BE DONE release," Kurt elaborates. "However, I think when this new EP is played from start to finish you will definitely hear a darker and far more 'moody' vibe than throughout our entire last album. Lyrically, I can assure you there is not one word on this EP that isn't straight from (vocalist) J's heart."

THY WILL BE DONE spent 2009 and 2010 supporting the likes of DEVILDRIVER, FEAR FACTORY, ALL THAT REMAINS and MACHINE HEAD, among others.

"In The End", the first song from VEXT, the new New Jersey/New York-based heavy rock band featuring singer Tommy Vext (DIVINE HERESY, SNOT), guitar virtuoso Angel Vivaldi, and the rythym section of the now-disbanded MUTINY WITHIN (Andrew Jacobs on bass and Bill Fore on drums), can be streamed below.

These four musicians came together in search of a different sound since they had all been previously involved with more extreme metal projects. How they came to know one another is a quite unconventional.

On the evening of September 19, 2010, Vext was the victim of a brutal attack at his home in Brooklyn. Having suffered severe injuries to his skull, abdomen and an open compound fracture to his left arm, Tommy was rushed to the ER. With medical bills soaring above seventy-five thousand dollars, his friends in the music scene banded together to help raise funds.

Enter Roadrunner recording artists MUTINY WITHIN. "We heard that GOD FORBID was doing a benefit concert for Tommy and when we found out why, we immediately jumped on the bill," says Jacobs. A few months later, Andrew introduced Tommy to Bill. After seeing Fore perform with the Angel Vivaldi band, it became apparent to Tommy that Angel and Bill were the missing pieces to this new musical effort.

VEXT is:

Tommy Vext - Vocals
Angel Vivaldi - Guitar
Andrew Jacobs - Bass
Bill Fore - Drums