Finnish heavy metal monsters LORDI have released the following statement:

"Our dear friend and bandmate, 'Otus' Tonmi Lillman, has sadly passed away. He will be greatly missed and we send our condolences to his family and friends.

"Otus: we thank You from the bottom of our hearts for the short time we got to know you and spend with you together. Rest in peace, friend."

Members of LORDI always wear masks at interviews and have stated their desire for their personal identities to remain private. Therefore, Lillman's status as a member of LORDI had never been publicly acknowledged until now.

Lillman joined LORDI in October 2010 as the replacement for Kita, who was fired from the band after he "made a decision to pursue his own career publicly as himself [under his real name], without his alter ego Kita." LORDI explained at the time that revealing a member's true identity was "in direct conflict with one of the cornerstones of LORDI's image. Therefore it is not possible for [Kita] to continue as a member of the band anymore."

In addition to LORDI, Tonmi previously played with TO/DIE/FOR, SINERGY and AJATTARA, and was part of the parody punk band KYLÄHULLUT (featuring CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho and KLAMYDIA vocalist Vesku Jokinen).

Tonmi, who was actually born Tommi Lillman but changed his name to Tomni in 2004, grew up surrounded by a large assortment of instruments. He received his first drum kit at age nine and started performing live at age 14.

A gifted musician, Lillman also played guitar, bass and keyboards. Over the course of his career, he taught digital recording and drums at Kouvola Musiikkiopisto (Kouvola Conservatoire) and played in numerous folk, dance and pop orchestras. He also sat behind the kit during the "Dimebag Beyond Forever" 2009 tour alongside Rainer "Raikku" Tuomikanto.

Lillman was featured on several albums as a studio musician, including REFLEXION and TWILIGHT OPHERA, and made a name for himself as a studio engineer, having mixed and recorded such bands as BEHERIT, LIE IN RUINS, MYGRAIN, RYTMIHÄIRIÖ and SAATTUE.

Artisan News caught up with Ozzy Osbourne's wife/manager Sharon Osbourne last Thursday (February 9) at The Grammy Foundation's annual Grammy Week preservation event at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California and spoke to her about the current BLACK SABBATH drummer situation (see video below). When asked if Ozzy, bassist Geezer Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi have found a replacement for the band's original drummer, Bill Ward, she replied, "You know, I don't know. I honestly, honestly don't know. It's all up in the air. The one thing that is for sure is that SABBATH are in the studio with [producer] Rick Rubin and they are going on tour. That's all I know. And Tony is doing brilliantly well."

Ward announced two weeks ago that he could not participate in the planned reunion of the band's founding lineup without what he called a "signable" contract.

The other three members of SABBATH have already announced that they will move forward without Ward, with Ozzy's solo band drummer Tommy Clufetos rumored to be already in the studio with them.

The reunion of the original lineup was announced last November, along with a new album and tour. Iommi's current battle with cancer has put prospects for a full world tour in question at this point.

As previously reported, Bill's son Aron has gone online to defend his father. In a lengthy message posted at Facebook, Aron wrote in part, "The press is spinning this shitstorm to read as if my dad has quit. This is not true. The guys know that. That's why they said the door is ALWAYS open. My dad hasn't 'declined' playing with BLACK SABBATH or 'threatened' to pull out of this reunion."

Addressing accusations that his father is being "greedy," Aron wrote, "He is by no means greedy, man. If he was, he would have settled with whatever contract given him. It's kind of obvious someone else is greedy . . . sadly, the current 'SABBATH' statement reads as if someone would rather see the remaining members play in front of thousands of disappointed, confused and resentful fans then give my dad a dignified agreement."

After defending his father against the "idiots slagging off my dad" — presumably fans not taking his side — Aron concluded with a message to SABBATH members Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Terry "Geezer" Butler, writing, "To Terry (my godfather), Ozzy (my friend when I was little) and Tony (towering hero), I hope that you will listen to your fans. They want all of you together. As YOU are BLACK SABBATH so is my Dad. I hope you guys can work it out."

Due to schedulding conflicts, drummer Tobias Gustafsson (TORTURE DIVISION, VOMITORY) will not take part in the recording sessions for the next album from THE PROJECT HATE MCMXCIX — the Swedish band featuring Jörgen Sandström (vocals; VICIOUS ART, KRUX, ex-ENTOMBED, GRAVE), Lord K. Philipson (guitar; TORTURE DIVISION, ex-GOD AMONG INSECTS, HOUSE OF USHER, LEUKEMIA), Anders Bertilsson (guitar; COLDWORKER) and Portuguese vocalist Ms. Roque (a.k.a. Ruby Roque of WITCHBREED). Tobias says in a statement, "I am sorry to tell you that I will not be playing the drums on the upcoming THE PROJECT HATE MCMXCIX album. There are several reasons for this, but what it basically comes down to is that I am not able to put the time and effort into THE PROJECT HATE at this point. And — as you all probably already understand — it takes a lot of that, if you want to do it right and to make THE PROJECT HATE justice. And I am all about that: do it right, or don't do it at all! So this time I reluctantly have decided not to do it. I simply don't have the time. Thanks to K for showing great understanding and actually supporting my decision. Next time, brother!"

The drum tracks on the new THE PROJECT HATE MCMXCIX album will be laid down by Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK, SCARVE, DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT). Dirk said in a statement, "I'm extremely proud and honored to play drums on THE PROJECT HATE MCMXCIX's upcoming new album. After no less than eight kick-ass studio records and an equally kick-ass live album, to say they're a criminally underrated band is a hell of an understatement. Any self-respecting metal fan should rightfully embrace this new batch of crushing anthems TPH have concocted… As well as all the previous ones for that matter!

Added Philipson: "Together with Tobben, Dirk's been another one of my absolute fave drummers for many, many years, and it feels absolutely amazing to get him to lay down the thunder for the coming monster when Tobben chose to step down. To take on this task (and being underpaid in the process) in-between his busy schedule is mindblowing, and I can never thank him enough. He sure will have his work cut out for him and I know he will bring some amazing drumming into our music, just like Tobben did on the last album. It is a privilege to be able to work with all these fantastic musicians, lemme tell you that."

According to JonLord.org, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Hagen, Germany will celebrate former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord's music at several of their concerts this year.

Working from plans put in motion early last year, this spring will see the orchestra perform five of Jon's pieces; "The Cathedral At Dawn", a segment of his "Durham Concerto"; "Diguises", released on the "Boom Of The Tingling Strings" album; "From Darkness To Light" in a brand new arrangement for full orchestra; "To Notice Such Things" and "Sarabande".

The dates are as folows:

February 28
Jon Lord: The Cathedral At Dawn
Peter Tschaikowski: Violinkonzert
Dmitri Schostakowitsch: Sinfonie Nr. 9

April 24
Jon Lord: Disguises
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Violinkonzert
Franz Schubert: Sinfonie Nr. 6

May 15
Jon Lord: From Darkness To Light (World premiere of version for large orchestra)
Jean Sibelius: Sinfonie Nr. 5

June 12
Johannes Brahms: Haydn-Variationen
Jon Lord: To Notice Such Things
Johannes Brahms: Violinkonzert

July 6
Jon Lord: Sarabande

All concerts take place at Hagen's Stadthalle, and Jon Lord is not scheduled to appear.

Lord revealed last summer that he was fighting cancer.

Jon Lord is recognized for his Hammond organ blues-rock playing and unique sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms. He has most famously been a member of DEEP PURPLE, the band he co-founded in 1968.

Lord last year received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Leicester.

"Feel Again", the new video from EXES FOR EYES — the new project featuring vocalist "Big" James Arsenian from ENDAST and Dave Sheldon, former bassist of ANNIHILATOR and MAN WITH TARGET — can be seen below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "The Amsler Grid", which came out last year via Year Of The Sun Records.

EXES FOR EYES is a project born out of an overwhelming amount of mutual respect and admiration between two men. A respect for one another's work ethic, musical proficiency, stylistic taste and, of course, for each other as people. With the musical vision of Dave Sheldon and the lyrical conception of vocalist and frontman "Big" James, the project is very quickly taking shape into something more than either anticipated.

"We've been eager to have the album released for some time now, so to finally have it see the light of day is exciting," commented Arsenian. "Having worked with many of the current and former bands on the Year Of The Sun roster, I can say that they all speak highly of the team at the label. After having had several conversations with label founder/president Chris Benner, it quickly became clear that we are all on the same page and wanted the same thing for this album."

Benner echoed the sentiment. "When we originally started talking to Big James and Dave about EXES FOR EYES, we were already fans of the other projects that they've been involved with," he says. "However, it took some conversations to really understand what this project was about and it was really cool to hear the passion that these guys had regarding it. It's a different band with this really groove-driven sound and the guys had a solid enthusiasm about the songs and working with Year Of The Sun to get this record out there. I really admired that and it's what made EXES a perfect fit for our new roster."

Added Sheldon: "This is an album that really encompasses all of our influences. It's got fast, thrashy elements, and it's got some really epic emotive elements as well. I can honestly say we have poured a lot of passion into this and with the culmination of our combined experience, conditioning, and know-how, it has translated into a solid record. We aren't re-inventing the wheel with 'The Amsler Grid', but we're going to run you over with it."

Quality fan-filmed video footage of DREAM THEATER's February 10 headlining concert at the Wembley Arena in London, England can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Bridges In The Sky
02. 6:00
03. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
04. Surrounded
05. The Root Of All Evil
06. Drum Solo
07. A Fortune In Lies
08. Outcry
09. The Silent Man (acoustic)
10. Beneath The Surface (acoustic)
11. On The Backs Of Angels
12. War Inside My Head
13. The Test That Stumped Them All
14. The Spirit Carries On
15. Breaking All Illusions

Encore:

16. Pull Me Under

DREAM THEATER's new album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", sold 36,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 8. The band's previous CD, 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", opened with 40,000 units to land at No. 6. This was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by its predecessor, "Systematic Chaos", which shifted 36,000 copies in 2007 to enter the chart at No. 19. 2005's "Octavarium" premiered with 27,000 copies to debut at No. 36.

DREAM THEATER was among the nominees in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category at the 54th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on Sunday, February 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Acclaimed Finnish heavy metal drummer Tonmi Lillman, who has previously played with TO/DIE/FOR, SINERGY and AJATTARA, has died at the age of 38. A cause of death has not yet been revealed. Lillman was also part of the parody punk band KYLÄHULLUT (featuring CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho and KLAMYDIA vocalist Vesku Jokinen), and he was the drummer for Finnish heavy metal monsters LORDI (under the stage name Otus), a band he joined in October 2010.

The son of a musician, Tonmi grew up surrounded by a large assortment of instruments. Lillman received his first drum kit at age nine and started performing live at age 14.

In addition to drums and bass, which were his primary instruments, Tonmi played the keyboards and guitar.

Over the course of his career, Lillman taught digital recording and drums at Kouvola Musiikkiopisto (Kouvola Conservatoire) and played in numerous folk, dance and pop orchestras. He also sat behind the kit during the "Dimebag Beyond Forever" 2009 tour alongside Rainer "Raikku" Tuomikanto.

Lillman was featured on several albums as a studio musician, including REFLEXION and TWILIGHT OPHERA, and made a name for himself as a studio engineer, having mixed and recorded such bands as BEHERIT, LIE IN RUINS, MYGRAIN, RYTMIHÄIRIÖ and SAATTUE.

X-UFO — the band featuring card-carrying UFO members Laurence Archer, Danny Peyronel and Clive Edwards, along with Rocky Newton from UFO spin-off MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP — has just released a live album. Recorded in Hannover, Germany with producer Steve Mann, "Vol.1: The LIVE Files!" includes "blistering" new recordings of UFO classics "Lights Out", "Only You Can Rock Me", "Rock Bottom", "Doctor Doctor" and more. The effort captures in stunning, raw realism, the high-octane X-UFO set, as well as the equally fervent reaction of their ever-growing, tenaciously loyal audience.

X-UFO plans to enter the studio soon to record its debut album featuring new material, always in the UFO mould they helped develop, and more re-works of some less-performed classics which so many fans believe deserve another sporting chance.

X-UFO's debut appearance saw them headline the Hard Rock Hell Road Trip festival in Ibiza in April 2011, followed by a string of shows and festivals throughout Europe.

"Vol.1: The LIVE Files!" track listing:

01. Intro: Let It Roll
02. Natural Thing
03. Highway Lady
04. Backdoor Man
05. Can You Roll Her
06. Love Deadly Love
07. Armed And Ready
08. She's The One
09. Love To Love
10. Only You Can Rock Me
11. Rock Bottom
12. Encore 1: Lights Out
13. Encore 2: Doctor Doctor

Former Metal Blade recording artists HERETIC will enter the studio in early March to start recording their new album. A late 2012 release is expected.

HERETIC last month announced the addition of ex-HIRAX/REVEREND bassist Angelo Espino and drummer Ignazio Copolla to the group's ranks. The band's current lineup is rounded out by original members Julian Mendez on vocals and Brian Korban on guitar, along with new addition Glenn Rogers (ex-HIRAX) on guitar.

According to The BNR Metal Pages, "HERETIC was a rather typical power/thrash metal band of the Eighties, managing one EP and one album before calling it a day. At least part of the reason for the band breakup was vocalist Mike Howe's departure to METAL CHURCH — ironically, the man he replaced there, David Wayne, recruited two HERETIC members for his then-new band, REVEREND."

HERETIC 2012 is:

Julian Mendez - Vocals
Brian Korban - Guitar
Angelo Espino - Bass
Glenn Rogers - Guitar
Ignazio "Iggy" Coppola - Drums

Japan's SIGH will release its ninth album, "In Somniphobia", on March 13 via Candlelight Records. According to a press release, the CD is "by far more musically varied" compared to the [band's] last two albums. Put heavy metal, classical music, jazz, Indian traditional music, Stockhausen, and Xenakis into a cauldron of hell and stir it, you'll get 'In Somniphobia'. It is a pure sonic nightmare that lasts more than an hour. . . It is not easy to describe its direction, but probably one can say that it is something between 'Imaginary Sonicscape', 'Hail Horror Hail' and 'Gallows Gallery', or rather, simply a nightmarish version of 'Imaginary Sonicscape'."

Founded in 1990 in Tokyo, Japan, SIGH is known for its nontraditional approach to metal and music in general and such is the case with their latest endeavor. Their most musically varied and plainly enthralling recording to date "In Somniphobia" incorporates everything from heavy metal, classical, jazz, traditional Indian music, Stockhausen, and Xenakis. It's a pure, sonic nightmare that lasts more than an hour and an album long time fans are sure to embrace.

Commented SIGH vocalist/keyboardist Mirai Kawashima: "This is your sonic nightmare. This is the music that lies somewhere between your reality and imagination. This is the heaviest, scariest, craziest and by far the best album by SIGH in every aspect. Be sure to smoke first then listen to this with headphones. Bad trip guaranteed."

"In Somniphobia" track listing:

01. Purgatorium
02. The Transfiguration Fear Lucid Nightmares
03. Lucid Nightmare
04. Somniphobia
05. L'Excommunication A Minuit
06. Amnesia
07. Far Beneath The In-Between
08. Amongst The Phantoms Of Abandoned Tumbrils
09. Ending Theme: Continuum
10. Fall To The Thrall
11. Equale (a. Prelude, b. Fugato, c. Coda)

The song "Far Beneath The In-Between" is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.

SIGH is:

Mirai Kawashima - Vocals, Keyboards
Shinichi Ishikawa - Guitar
Satoshi Fujinami - Bass
Junichi Harashima - Drums
Dr. Mikannibal - Saxophone, Vocals

The cover artwork for "In Somniphobia" (see below) was created by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, ANACRUSIS and GWAR, among others.

SIGH's eighth studio album, "Scenes From Hell", was released in January 2010 via The End Records.

GODSMACK is putting the finishing touches on an EP of cover songs. On Saturday, singer Sully Erna informed fans via Twitter that the band has been in the studio working on it for the last three weeks. "Today is last day of mixing the covers EP we're working on for you. I think you're gonna love this!" Erna wrote. "I want to suggest to management when they're all ready to hear, we throw them up online and let all of you decide which one is best [for] radio."

GODSMACK, STAIND and HALESTORM will hit the road together this spring. The trek, dubbed the "Mass Chaos Tour", kicks off April 13 in Augusta, Georgia and wraps on May 18 in Bangor, Maine.

GODSMACK's fifth album, "The Oracle", sold 117,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Los Angeles thrashers HEXEN have completed work on their second album, "Being And Nothingness", to be released later in the year via Pulverised Records. Recorded, mixed, and mastered at Vivid Tone Recording Studio (LIVIDITY, GUTHRIE GOVAN) by producer Rich Bruce, the CD "sees the band going toward a far more mature, comprehensive, and thorough voyage of metal musicality, thus distancing themselves from being just another run-of-the-mill revival band," according to a press release.

To perfectly complement the visual aspects of "Being And Nothingness", HEXEN has engaged the hand-painted mastery of celebrated extreme metal illustrator Kristian Wåhlin/Necrolord (KING DIAMOND, DISSECTION, EMPEROR) for the album artwork.

"Being And Nothingness" will contain nine tracks of progressive thrash proficiency, closing with an epic 8-part suite:

01. Macrocosm
02. Grave New World
03. Defcon Rising
04. Private Hell
05. Walk As Many, Stand As One
06. Stream Of Unconsciousness
07. Indefinite Archetype
08. The Nescient
09. Nocturne:
i. Opus 55 ? 1 in Fmin
ii. Out of Reach
iii. Existential Crisis
iv. Entrance of the Absurd
v. The Unbearable Lightness of Being
vi. With Salvation I Persist
vii. Elegy of the Night
viii. End in Purplexity

Commented the band: "We are completely stoked for this long-worked-on, long-awaited second release and we can't wait to showcase this opus live to all our fans. Unlearn what you have learned about metal!"

HEXEN is:

Andre Hartoonian – Vocals, Bass
Ronny Dorian - Guitar
Tak Arayan - Guitar

VAURA, the new band featuring members of DYSRHYTHMIA, KAYO DOT and RELIGIOUS TO DAMN, will release its debut album, "Selenelion", on February 28 via Wierd Records (sic).

Less a collection of songs and more like an expedition into an elegantly foreboding universe, the eleven tracks that comprise the latest release from Wierd Records sound as if they were each crafted to evoke unearthly scenery and monolithic events.

From harsh distortion and aggressive screams to cold and shimmering clean guitars and vocals, the spectrum of sound on "Selenelion" is both varied and atmospherically cohesive. Thunderous drums, droning synthesizers, percussive metals, acoustic guitars, and vocal arrangements that sometimes approach ritualistic plainchant recall artists like ULVER and SWANS. VAURA's particular blend of brutality and romantic melodicism can be attributed in part to the stylistic mesh of musicians: Kevin Hufnagel, Toby Driver, Josh Strawn, and Charlie Schmid also play in GORGUTS, DYSRHYTHMIA, KAYO DOT, SECRET CHIEFS 3 and RELIGIOUS TO DAMN.

"Selenelion" was recorded and mixed by Colin Marston of progressive black metallists KRALLICE, and signals a nod for Wierd Records to the roots of founder Pieter Schoolwerth who is also member of the seminal noise outfit BLOODYMINDED and a continuing supporter of acts like LOCRIAN. The album title refers to a horizontal lunar eclipse: the moment at which the sun and the eclipsed moon can be seen at the same time. With songtitles referencing everything from an Etruscan demoness to a Luciferian take on the conversion of St. Paul, and with artwork by the German photographer Alexander Binder, the unifying thread is an unmistakable sense of shadow-drenched enigma. "Drachma" refers to the coins that bought passage for the dead into the underworld, suggesting that everything following that track is part of an Orpheus-like journey. But repeated nods to the occult literature of Jorge Luis Borges, in particular to "The Aleph" and "The Zahir", two stories that deal with infinity and vision, suggest that beyond the the dark hallucinations there is also a serious meditation taking place on the limits and paradoxes of seeing. Approaching such subject matter by way of something as invisible and intangible as music, VAURA invites the listener to share in a visceral, yet intimate ceremony of sensuality and destruction."

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

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

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

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

"Crypts Of The Unrotten" track listing:

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

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

DAWN OF DISEASE is:

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

SONS OF AEON, the new Jyväskylä, Finland-based metal band featuring members of GHOST BRIGADE, SWALLOW THE SUN, CODE FOR SILENCE and ENDSTAND, is putting the finishing touches on the songwriting process for its debut album, to be released later this year via Lifeforce Records.

Commented guitarist Tapio Vartiainen: "It's an odd case, this SONS OF AEON. Here I sit and try to write news about our debut album and to start with, I don't really even know how to describe our sound to strangers. There's so much different things going on...it's tricky to find the right words that'd make the songs justice. It's very intense and it's very musical, that's for sure. I think that our love for '90s death metal shines through in most songs, but there's also a lot of these more moody, melancholic passages and even some hardcore/punk touches. And, to me, those elements really make all the difference. It's an interesting blend of styles and strangely, it all makes sense.

"Anyway, the songwriting process is now done and we're starting the drum recordings at the end of May. So if all goes well, we should have the finished album in our hands sometime during the summer. To say we're excited and proud about all this would be an understatement. We can't fucking wait to get this album done."

SONS OF AEON last year made three songs available for free download via the group's official web site. The drums were recorded at Studio Watercastle in Jyväskylä, Finland by Arttu Sarvanne, while guitars and bass were recorded at SONS OF AEON's home studio and the vocals were handled by Teemu Liekkala. The mixing and mastering was taken care of by Antti Malinen.

The following tracks are available for download:

01. Weakness
02. Seeds Of Destruction
03. Burden

SONS OF AEON is:

Tony Kaikkonen (CODE FOR SILENCE) - Vocals
Tapio Vartiainen - Guitar
Wille Naukkarinen (GHOST BRIGADE) - Guitar
Tommi Kiviniemi (GHOST BRIGADE) - Bass
Pasi Pasanen (PLUTONIUM ORANGE, ex-SWALLOW THE SUN) - Drums

Photo credit: Marko Kauko

After a brief, 23-year vacation from the thrash scene, acclaimed '80s Northwest thrashers MACE have decided to lace up the combat boots for battle one more time. These guys shared the stage with the biggest thrash bands of the mid-'80s, including SLAYER, ANTHRAX, DEATH ANGEL, METAL CHURCH, CIRCLE JERKS, THE ACCUSED and many more.

Last week the band quietly leaked the info that they were getting back together and from the Northwest, they fired a shot that could heard around the world. Bands, promoters and even record labels, some as far away as Germany started talking about MACE.

There is a huge amount of excitement in the MACE camp and these guys are locked in with laser focus and ready to melt some faces, just like they did over two decades ago. For added excitement, Tommy Niemeyer from THE ACCUSED made the new MACE logo.

Everyone knows MACE guitarist Dave Hillis went on to work on some of the biggest albums in rock history as a producer (PEARL JAM's "Ten", ALICE IN CHAINS' "Dirt"), but MACE was always in the back of his mind. Hillis says, "I always wanted to remix the old songs, and when I opened my own studio I had to do it, and it was so much fun that we thought we would try a new song and that was so much fun that we said, 'Why not teach these young kids how it was done back in the day?'"

Hillis knew that when the time was right, he was going to revisit the thrash scene that he and his band helped form and solidify back in the '80s. In fact, DEATH ANGEL was recently on VH1's "Metal Evolution" and lead singer Mark Osegueda was wearing a MACE T-shirt. MACE is also said to be the first metal band to ever make punk fanzine Maximum Rock And Roll's playlist.

MACE has just confirmed a few shows and will announce those soon.

Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers DELAIN have issued the following update:

"Recently there have been some developments at the guitar department of DELAIN. Our band demands a huge amount of time and energy from our band members. Since our guitar player Timo [Somers] has a lot of musical activities besides DELAIN, we want to give him the time and space to pursue this as well. Until now, that was not possible, but recently we received a huge reinforcement in the band. Guitarist Bas Maas is joining in our group to relieve Timo for some shows this year. Some of you may know Bas from DORO or his previous band AFTER FOREVER. We want to give Bas a warm welcome in DELAIN. He will join us at our European tour, and a couple shows this spring. See you all on the road!"

DELAIN's third album, "We Are The Others", will be released later in the year via Roadrunner Records. Described as "the band's most powerful, most atmospheric and intoxicating album to date," the CD was helmed by producer Jacob Hellner — renowned for his work with RAMMSTEIN, CLAWFINGER and APOCALYPTICA — while the vocals were tracked with the Epicentre team of Fredrik Thomander and Anders Wikström (SCORPIONS, BACKYARD BABIES).

A new video interview with DELAIN frontwoman Charlotte Wessels about "We Are The Others" can be seen below (courtesy of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine).

DELAIN previously stated about "We Are The Others": "As you might expect from us, this album again offers some interesting collaborations, both in musical and visual terms.

"This record features none less than FEAR FACTORY shouter Burton C. Bell as a guest singer, and visual artist Glenn Arthur provided the cover artwork [see below].

"We met Burton at the Wacken Open Air festival a year ago and stayed in touch afterwards. When we were working on [the song] 'Where Is The Blood', we didn't hesitate to contact him for cooperation. He's done such an amazing job on the song turning the song into a most violent duet; his exceptional, raw voice fits perfectly to this song!

"The cover artwork was created by Glenn Arthur, a California-based visual artist whose work is inspired by art nouveau design and steampunk imagery. Charlotte [Wessels, vocals] is a big admirer of Glenn's work and she dedicated multiple blogs to his art.

"For the artwork of 'We Are The Others', we gave Glenn the lyrics to the song as inspiration.

"We're incredibly happy with how the cover turned out."

Added Charlotte: "From the first time I saw [Glenn's] work, I've been imagining it as cover artwork; something in the way his work is both esthetically very delicate, but always with a dark undertone, fits our music very well."

"We Are The Others" track listing:

01. Mother Machine
02. Electricity
03. We Are The Others
04. Milk And Honey
05. Hit Me With Your Best Shot
06. I Want You
07. Where Is The Blood (feat. Burton C. Bell)
08. Generation Me
09. Babylon
10. Are You Done With Me
11. Get The Devil Out Of Me
12. Not Enough

At first glance, some songtitles on "We Are The Others" may sound mysterious and conspiratorial, but there is a very serious background: The lyrics to the title track were inspired by the hate crime against a British girl named Sophie Lancaster in 2007. She and her boyfriend were beaten comatose by a gang of youths, because of their goth looks, and Sophie later died from her injuries. This tragedy sent shockwaves throughout the world.

Commented Charlotte: "Sophie's story hit close to home for us, being part of a subculture ourselves but it's in no way an individual case; people are discriminated against — all the time, to the point of violence — based on their cultural or ethnic background everywhere.

"'We Are The Others' is our own 'outsiders anthem' for everybody who, deliberately or not, diverts from the norm. Whether it's by looking different, acting different, or choosing a different path in life then is expected from you."

DELAIN will embark on a European headlining tour in April with support from TRILLIUM, the metal project masterminded by American singer/songwriter Amanda Somerville.

Interview:

"Love Bites (So Do I)", the new video from the Atlantic recording group HALESTORM, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's new album. "The Strange Case Of…", which arrives in stores and at all DSPs on April 10.

"Love Bites (So Do I)" — as well as three other highlights from "The Strange Case Of…" — is featured on HALESTORM's new EP, "Hello, It's Mz. Hyde", which is available at all leading digital retailers.

Produced by Howard Benson (who previously collaborated with the Pennsylvania-based hard rock band on their self-titled 2009 debut), "The Strange Case Of…" was recently named among Revolver's "Most Anticipated Albums of the Year." "Led by one of our favorite rocker babes, singer-guitarist Lzzy Hale, (HALESTORM) promise a more personal album for their follow-up," the magazine noted. "But don't expect them to get all sappy on us. There should still be more than enough of the band's now signature raucous attitude and righteous riffs for any headbanger to get off."

Currently poised to embark on a European tour alongside Atlantic's own SHINEDOWN, HALESTORM will hit the road hard to support "The Strange Case Of…", beginning with a major U.S. trek alongside GODSMACK and fellow Atlantic recording group STAIND. The dates get underway April 13 at Augusta, Georgia's John Paul Jones Arena and then continue through mid-May.

Formed by frontwoman Lzzy Hale and her brother, drummer Arejay Hale, HALESTORM has been hailed far and wide as an incendiary new force in modern hard rock. "Halestorm" made a top 5 debut on SoundScan's "Hard Music" chart upon its 2009 release, simultaneously bursting into the top 40 on the comprehensive The Billboard 200. The album subsequently sold more than 300,000 copies, and half a million cumulative tracks. Produced by Howard Benson (DAUGHTRY, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, FLYLEAF), the album earned extensive acclaim for its infectious hard rock anthems, sexy hooks, and rough-and-tumble grooves.

"The Strange Case Of…" marks HALESTORM's first release since last year's "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP", which saw the band putting their unique stamp on a diverse collection of classic songs, including tracks by GUNS N' ROSES, THE BEATLES, HEART, TEMPLE OF THE DOG, SKID ROW, and LADY GAGA. HALESTORM also unleashed their first-ever live CD/DVD, "Live In Philly 2010", featuring such favorites from the band's self-titled debut as "It's Not You", "Familiar Taste of Poison" and the rock radio smash "I Get Off".

True road warriors, HALESTORM made its bones as a major league hard rock outfit via countless North American gigs alongside such artists as SHINEDOWN, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and DISTURBED. Last year saw the band traveling the country on the blockbuster "Avalanche Tour 2011", joining such hard rock luminaries as STONE SOUR, THEORY OF A DEADMAN, ART OF DYING, and fellow Atlantic recording group SKILLET.

"Hello, It's Mz. Hyde" EP track listing:

01. Love Bites (So Do I)
02. Rock Show
03. Daughters Of Darkness
04. Here's To Us

"The Strange Case Of…" track listing:

01. Love Bites (So Do I)
02. Mz. Hyde
03. I Miss The Misery
04. Freak Like Me
05. Beautiful With You
06. In Your Room
07. Break In
08. Rock Show
09. Daughters Of Darkness
10. You Call Me A Bitch Like It's A Bad Thing
11. American Boys
12. Here's To Us

"Love Bites (So Do I)" video:

Within days of announcing the departure of Matt DeVries, SIX FEET UNDER has locked in the latest addition to the band's already heavy and extremely talented lineup. Seven-string bassist Jeff Hughell, formerly of the Santa Cruz, California technical death metal band BRAIN DRILL and Concord, California death metal group VILE, as well as a current member of RECIPROCAL, will be joining the ranks as the new SIX FEET UNDER bassist. Check out a video of Jeff shredding on his bass below.

Commented SIX FEET UNDER vocalist Chris Barnes: "SIX FEET UNDER is proud to announce our new member, bass player Jeff Hughell. He's an amazing musician and I have been a fan of his work since first hearing BRAIN DRILL a few years back. We feel with the addition of Jeff, all the puzzle pieces are in place and the killing machine known as SIX FEET UNDER is now a true death metal force to be reckoned with! Prepare to be toe tagged and body bagged."

Added Jeff Hughell, "I am honored to be the newest edition to the mighty SIX FEET UNDER. This band is now a well oiled killing machine with Kevin Talley and myself as the rhythm section, Steve Swanson and Rob Arnold crushing guitars, and, of course, the man himself Chris Barnes killing it on vocals. The new material is the heaviest SIX FEET UNDER songs I have ever heard and I can't wait for the world to get their faces melted clean off by it. I would like to thank Mike Faley, Kelli Malella and the whole SIX FEET UNDER family for thinking of me. It's going to be one hell of a ride!"

Bassist Terry Butler and drummer Greg Gall announced their departures from SIX FEET UNDER in January 2011. Butler has since joined OBITUARY as a permanent member.

Multi-camera footage of SIX FEET UNDER performing the song "Hammer Smashed Faced" at the July 28, 2011 Sacramento, California stop of the "Summer Slaughter Tour" can be seen below.

SIX FEET UNDER is:

* Rob Arnold (CHIMAIRA) - Guitar
* Kevin Talley (DAATH, MISERY INDEX, CHIMAIRA) - Drums
* Chris Barnes (CANNIBAL CORPSE) - Vocals
* Steve Swanson - Guitar
* Jeff Hughell (RECIPROCAL, BRAIN DRILL, VILE) - Bass

Los Angeles cyber metallers FEAR FACTORY have enlisted Matt DeVries as their new bass player. DeVries, previously of CHIMAIRA (where he played guitar) and most recently SIX FEET UNDER, joins the band replacing Byron Stroud. The announcement comes as the group continues work on its new album, "The Industrialist", to be released this summer in Europe via AFM Records and in the U.S. through Candlelight. The CD was once again co-produced by the band with Rhys Fulber (FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, PARADISE LOST), with additional tracking by Logan Mader (DEVILDRIVER, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SOULFLY). The mixing duties are being handled by Greg Reely (PARADISE LOST, FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, SKINNY PUPPY) and FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares at a studio in Canada.

Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell comment: "We are very excited to have Matt playing bass for FEAR FACTORY. We feel he is a great addition to our touring lineup. He has been a friend for a very long time and he is a great musician who will be a perfect instrument in the FF machine."

DeVries adds: "I have been asked by Dino and Burton to join one of my favorite bands. I have been a fan of FEAR FACTORY since 1992 and I could not be more excited to be part of this incredible band. We have shared the stage many times together and now I'm beyond stoked to be on the same stage playing together. Thank you to all my fans worldwide for sticking by me and I will be seeing you all on the road very soon."

FEAR FACTORY's most recent touring lineup featured original FF members Dino Cazares (guitar) and Burton C. Bell (vocals) alongside Stroud (who was credited on the last three FEAR FACTORY albums in addition to touring and recording with STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and ZIMMERS HOLE) and legendary drummer Gene Hoglan (DETHKLOK, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DARK ANGEL, DEATH, TESTAMENT).

German alcoholic thrashers TANKARD have inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band's new album is tentatively due this summer.

Commented TANKARD vocalist Andreas "Gerre" Geremia: "As the want-away footballers always say, I'm looking for a new athletic challenge… baloney! We've only inked a deal with Nuclear Blast because they've offered most prest-money for a transfer…. Hahaha, okay, seriousness aside: We're totally happy to have found accommodation at the metal label No. 1 and are chuffed about the collaboration, hoping that this will give TANKARD a big boost in their 30th year of existence! It took quite a while 'till we came ashore here, but then again, Rome wasn't built in a day, as we all know!"

Added Andy Siry, Head of A&R at Nuclear Blast: "From the 'Hardcore Party 1987' in Oberursel (live TANKARD, ANGEL DUST and DESTRUCTION) on, I've taken TANKARD into my heart. With the signing of TANKARD's contract, the 'best-case scenario' has finally come to pass.

"I'm absolutely delighted that we've come to an agreement with our Hessian buddies — even though I'll unfortunately suffer from the signing party's aftermath for some more days, haha.

"Joke apart. I'm very happy that TANKARD will be members of the Nuclear Blast family from now on and will enrich our roster of dyed-in-the-wool thrash metal bands. And announcing this new signing on Valentine's Day proves that this is more than just a business matter to us. After 25 years of 'concubinage,' we've finally tied the knot in the big anniversary year (25 years of Nuclear Blast, 30 years of TANKARD). By the way: We're expecting our first offspring to be born this summer."

TANKARD's fourteenth studio album, "Vol(l)ume 14", was released on December 17, 2010 via AFM Records. The limited-edition digipak version of the album includes a bonus DVD containing footage of TANKARD's performance at the 2009 edition of the Headbangers Open Air festival, which took place July 23-25, 2009 in in Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany.

New Brunswick, New Jersey's melodic, thrash-metal warriors GOD FORBID will release their new album, "Equilibrium", on March 27 via Victory Records. The bulk of the CD was recorded by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM), with Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER) stepping in during the the vocal-tracking stage. The effort was mixed by acclaimed Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with such acts as KATATONIA, OPETH, PARADISE LOST and AMON AMARTH.

"With the new album, we focused on writing tight, hooky metal songs," commented guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle on the creative process for "Equilibrium", "There are some really fast, super heavy, groovy songs – some of the catchiest, most melodic songs we've ever written. We wanted a modern, but organic-sounding album that was tight but still captured the intensity of the band. The album sounds huge!"

Coyle went on to speak about the overall theme of the album, "The title of the album says it all — it's about finding your way when you're lost. The lyrics come from a very personal, very real place. The recurring lyrical theme is about the everyday struggles of life and what it takes to persevere and follow your dreams."

GOD FORBID's solidified line-up, newly managed under World Entertainment's Alexander Ford and Gunter Ford, includes lead vocalist Byron Davis, guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle, bassist John "Beeker" Outcalt, Corey Pierce on drums and newest member Matt Wicklund on guitar.

The band will support "Equilibrium" with heavy touring.

A demo version of a new GOD FORBID song, "Where We Come From", is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below. The track was originaly given away as a free download as part of a Victory Records Labor Day digital sampler.

GOD FORBID will debut some of its brand new material at the following East Coast shows in February:

Feb. 18 - Brooklyn, NY - St. Vitus
Feb. 24 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz

Commented Doc Coyle: "With only one show in 2011 and two months spent in the recording studio, we have been itching to get out and play. We thought it would be a great idea to get into an intimate setting in our area for the real GOD FORBID fans. Expect to hear some new songs and some old cuts that haven't played in a while."

Melbourne, Australia-based melodic death metallers ELYSIAN will release their debut album, "Wires Of Creation", worldwide on March 26. The CD features "eleven tracks of hook-laden, flowing dark melodies, technical solo interludes and snarlingly evil vocal work," according to a press release.

Commented ELYSIAN guitarist Gabe Hutchinson: "Our main goal was to create a dynamic experience from start to finish whilst maintaining heavy songs. Overall, it's a really heavy melodic death album but at times soars into things like an instrumental PINK FLOYD-esque song with an electronic feel or a intricate percussive section.

"As a band, we grew up listening to music that incorporated acoustic ballads with blazing shred songs all in the one album, and it wasn't called progressive; it was called a good album.

"Some bands aim to have their songs sound disjointed by dramatically switching between genres; that's not what we have done, the whole album flows, it attacks and it releases, its aggressive but gives you time to breathe and take it in."

"Wires Of Creation" track listing:

01. Mans Design
02. Sigma
03. Climb from Fear
04. Eternal Breath
05. Sense Offender
06. The Gate
07. Play the Hand
08. Calming the Storm (instrumental)
09. Conquest
10. Machine
11. A Cry From Helplessness
I. Remorse
II. The choice
III. The Fall

A teaser song, "Mans Design", can be heard in the YouTube clip below.

ELYSIAN is currently working on a video and will then hit the road in April with an Australian tour in support of the new album. The band will also open for ARCH ENEMY in Melbourne on April 31.

"Watch It Burn", the new video from Massachusetts metallers UNEARTH, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Scott Hansen (A DAY TO REMEMBER, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE, MAYLENE & THE SONS OF DISASTER) and is described in a press release as "a dark and disturbing video to match the equally bleak lyrics of the song."

Commented UNEARTH vocalist Trevor Phipps: "This video captures both the energy we put into every performance as well as imagery of the dark lyrical content of 'Watch It Burn'. We want to thank Scott Hansen and his crew for their hard work delivering such a sick video for our fans to see."

Fans that have seen UNEARTH perform live on their recent trips to Alaska, Japan and on the band's U.S. and Canadian tour with CHIMAIRA may have noticed a new face on stage. The guy behind the kit has been none other than up-and-coming musician Nick Pierce.

Pierce is a self-taught drummer who's been playing since age 10. He grew up playing for local bands in the Seattle/Tacoma area (CULLING THE WEAK, ETERNA NOCTURNA, EMBALMED) as well as Los Angeles-based band THE FACELESS. Nick first sat in behind the kit for UNEARTH in May of 2011 during their two show trip to Alaska. UNEARTH discovered Pierce on YouTube where he had been covering UNEARTH songs, among many other bands, on a series of videos on his YouTube channel.

Comments UNEARTH vocalist Trevor Phipps: "Nick is a beast of a drummer and a great guy to hang with. I look forward to jamming with him around the world for years to come." Guitarist Buz McGrath adds that Pierce has a "great attitude, energy and the knowledge that we can throw the most insane riffs at him and he can create and adequately perform next level beats for said riffs makes it a little easier to sleep at night."

Stated Nick Pierce: "I've been a fan of UNEARTH for many years and I'm excited to shred with a great group of guys and support our fans."

UNEARTH's new album, "Darkness In The Light", sold 6,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 72 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "The March", opened with around 11,000 units back in October 2008 to land at No. 45.

"Darkness In The Light" was recorded at Zing Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts with producer (and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist) Adam Dutkiewicz. The effort was mixed by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM) from Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida.

Zero To Hero Films has uploaded a three-part video report on "Bonded By Baloff: A Decade Of Remembrance", a special concert which marked the 10-year anniversary of former EXODUS singer Paul Baloff's passing. The event took place February 4 at the Oakland Metro Operahouse in Oakland, California and featured performances by EXODUS, POSSESSED, FORBIDDEN and HEATHEN, among others. Included are interviews with such musicians as Chris Kontos and Kevin Reed (ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT), Tony Campos (POSSESSED, ASESINO, STATIC-X, MINISTRY, PRONG), Harald O. (D.R.I.), Rob Dukes (EXODUS) and Craig Locicero (FORBIDDEN), as well as footage of the actual performances.

As previously reported, METALLICA/ex-EXODUS guitarist Kirk Hammett, former EXODUS axeman Rick Hunolt and original EXODUS bassist Jeff Andrews all joined the current lineup of EXODUS on stage at "Bonded By Baloff: A Decade Of Remembrance".

It was a decade ago — on January 31, 2002 — that Paul Baloff suffered a major stroke and was brought to Highland General Hospital in Northern California, where he remained in a coma until he was declared brain dead. On February 2, 2002, his doctors shut off his life support, leaving him to die in his sleep. He had no previous known health problems, and the stroke was a complete surprise to everyone around him.

Regarding EXODUS' decision to stage this concert, the band's guitarist Gary Holt said, "With February 2nd being the 10-year anniversary of Paul's passing, the band knew it was high time we do something special to remember the legend of Paul Baloff, so we decided to put together a show the Bay Area will not soon forget. We've pulled some of the Bay's finest for this, bands who knew and shared many a stage and drink with Pavel. There are some nice surprises in store as well! It will be ten years and two days since the thrash world lost one of its greatest frontmen ever, and we will always make sure his memory lives on and is never forgotten. Long live The Destroyer!"

Added FORBIDDEN guitarist and founding member Craig Locicero: "Everyone in FORBIDDEN is honored to have been asked by Gary and EXODUS to play this show marking the 10th anniversary of Paul Baloff's crazy fucking life! I witnessed his insanity first-hand at the Mabouhay Gardens and Ruthie's Inn. As EXODUS got bigger, Paul got crazier — in a good way. It was genius at work. He was the mold that all thrash frontmen cut themselves from, but he was also a pretty damn sweet guy. Always kind to those he liked, he'd be in the front row at FORBIDDEN gigs screaming things like 'Why does it have to be so heavy?' and my favorite, 'Heavier than time!' I'm laughing just typing this!

"At his memorial, I saw people I hadn't seen in years. So much love, so many laughs. It made me happy in some strange way just to see that kind of respect displayed for Paul. We all really loved him. Luckily his legend has returned with a vengeance… and hey, Paul, you did it: You've become heavier than time!"

"Let There Be Blood", the controversial re-recording of EXODUS' classic 1985 debut album, "Bonded by Blood", was issued in October 2008 through Zaentz Records.

Regarding the band's decision to re-record "Bonded By Blood", Holt previously said: "It is our way of paying homage to Paul Baloff by showing how relevant these songs we had written together still are. We aren't trying to replace the original; that's impossible anyway. We are just giving these songs the benefit of modern production. It's something we talked about before Paul's death and it's always been important to us to do. We were super-excited about entering the studio once again to record these classics." Current EXODUS vocalist Rob Dukes added, "Paul was rad, totally original. He was not like [METALLICA's James] Hetfield or [SLAYER's Tom] Araya. I think at times he wanted to be, but he was simply himself. He had a really cool way of going up with his voice in the weirdest spots. I, myself, find it cool and original."

"El Rostro De La Muerte", the new video from Californian thrashers HIRAX, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's "El Rostro De La Muerte" album, which was released in October 2010. It was the veteran band's first full-length since 2004's "The New Age Of Terror".

"El Rostro De La Muerte" is a dual-studio effort, combining the skills of two HIRAX producers which the band has worked with on their past three releases. The ten new tracks were recorded and engineered by John Haddad at Trench Studio in Corona, California, and mixed by Andy Haller. The new CD also contains one bonus track from the "Chaos And Brutality" EP, which was previously unavailable in the U.S.

"El Rostro De La Muerte" was made available on Black Devil Records and Deep Six Records and is distributed through CMDistro.com. It was pressed in CD and vinyl formats as well as a limited-edition picture disc.

On June 29, 2010 (one day earlier internationally), Season of Mist released a new compilation album from HIRAX, "Noise Chaos War". Consisting of three thrashing EPs — remastered, remixed and available on CD for the first time — this release also includes a video for "Bombs of Death", filmed live in Japan in 2009.

Originally signed to Metal Blade in 1985, HIRAX has been at the forefront of the thrash movement for over 25 years. Their music has stood the test of time and their legions of fans continue to grow.

Portugal's most brutal, depraved and infamous band known as HOLOCAUSTO CANIBAL has inked a deal with Xtreem Music for the worldwide release of its third full-length album, "Gorefilia" (in Portugal, the CD will be made available through Raging Planet Records and Raising Legends Productions). Due in April, the 18-song effort was recorded at 213 Studios in Portugal and was mixed and mastered at Hertz Studio (BEHEMOTH, VADER, KRONOS, DECAPITATED, ABORTED) in Bialystok, Poland.

According to a press release, "Gorefilia" will showcase HOLOCAUSTO CANIBAL's more brutal and intense, songwriting, with songs varying from one to three minutes without fillers, [with] influences from bands like ABORTED, CANNIBAL CORPSE, early DERANGED, NAPALM DEATH, SUFFOCATION, CARCASS."

HOLOCAUSTO CANIBAL previously described "Gorefilia" as a "concept album [which] involves sexual arousal and gratification towards sexual behavior that is atypical and extreme. As always, you can expect self-torture, bizarre love and loads of sperm tainted with blood. Musically, some big changes are expected; however, the band is still committed to death metal and grind."

Commented bassist Z. Pedro: "Back in 1997 when HOLOCAUSTO CANIBAL was born, bands such as INCANTATION, VADER, DERANGED, IMMOLATION, DEEDS OF FLESH… were not only an influence to the sound which we were creating, they also had released material though the legendary death metal label Repulse Records. This label became Xtreem Music a few years ago and is still releasing brutal music, gathering over 100 releases so far, [with] 'Gorefilia' [being] their 108th release."

Added guitarist/vocalist Eduardo F. : "We've known Dave Rotten [Xtreem Music A&R] for over a decade, having in on stage in some gigs as special guest and we also shared stage with AVULSED in several European festivals. Adding to this, a release history of more than 100 titles, make us strongly believe that Xtreem Music is the reliable and hardworking label that we were looking for."

The song "Objectofilia Platonica", taken from "Gorefilia", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

DEF LEPPARD guitarist and MANRAZE frontman Phil Collen has recorded a guest appearance for the upcoming OEDIPUS album, "Vicious Little Smile", in stores in North America on March 13 via THC: Music/Rocket Science. Phil contributed lead and rhythm guitars to the track "Final Machine".

"We had built up a mutual admiration through our label, who also releases Phil's MANRAZE project, and the idea came up for him to play on a track, and miraculously, it ended up happening," says OEDIPUS bassist/vocalist Jeremy Haffner. "It turned out amazing. We couldn't be happier or more honored. Phil is such a legendary and spectacular talent, and we were all just blown away with how cool and naturally it came together."

Added Collen: "I loved the track as soon as I heard it. These guys have got phenomenal energy. Playing on it was a blast, and I look forward to hearing the rest of the album."

Produced by Darian Cowgill (SLEEPING GIANT, MIDDLE CLASS RUT), "Vicious Little Smile" formally releases several of the L.A. trio's international hits, including "Tres Las", "Burn It Down" and "Gimme a Chance", which have already received airplay in over 30 countries.

"Vicious Little Smile" track listing:

01. L.I.Z.Z.Y
02. Kiss On The Fist
03. Tres Las
04. Burn It Down
05. Liar
06. Cheat
07. Final Machine (featuring Phil Collen)
08. Gimme A Chance
09. Every Piece Of You
10. Tied Together
11. Perfect Strangers
12. Moonlight

The song "Kiss On The Fist" can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

For over a decade, OEDIPUS has been one of L.A.'s best-kept secrets, from their roots as an underground progressive rock favorite to achieving status as an international rock powerhouse with massive success in Europe.

In 2010, Polish radio giant Eska Rock added OEDIPUS' single "Tres Las", which went on to top the Polish rock charts and became the genesis of 3 #1 Polish rock singles, followed by repeated visits to Europe, including a performance at Ursynalia, where the band performed at Poland's biggest open-air festival, alongside KORN, GUANO APES, ALTER BRIDGE, SIMPLE PLAN and more.

OEDIPUS will return to Europe twice more in 2012, and follow it up with a U.S. run in April with ZERO 1, The hard rock project featuring actor/comedian Hal Sparks.

Vocalist Mat Maurer has quit Australian thrash metal veterans MORTAL SIN. He says in a statement, "I have decided to leave the band for personal reasons and irreconcilable differences." He adds, "Last year was an incredibly difficult year for me personally and I have decided to put my family first. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years."

Quality video footage of MORTAL SIN's December 4, 2011 performance in Antwerp, Belgium can be seen below.

MORTAL SIN's new album, "Psychology Of Death", was released in Europe on November 18, 2011 via NoiseArt Records. The effort includes the group's classic debut LP, "Mayhemic Destruction", as a bonus disc in the limited digipak version. The follow-up to 2007's "An Absence of Faith" was mixed with producer/engineer Darren "jENK" Jenkins and marks the recording debut of guitarist Ryan Huthnance, who replaced Mick Sultana.

MORTAL SIN in 2009 released a live album, "Into the Inferno (Live in Oslo)", via Riot! Entertainment. The CD, which contains the group's March 2008 performance in Oslo, Norway, was described by the band as "possibly the best live show MORTAL SIN have ever had recorded."

Once hailed as the next METALLICA, MORTAL SIN have become legends in their home country Australia, having been inducted into the Kerrang! Heavy Metal Hall of Fame in 2005 and being the only Australian band to have played with the big five of thrash — METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX, MEGADETH and TESTAMENT — on tours in Australia and overseas.