Las Vegas, Nevada-based metallers MOLOTOV SOLUTION have parted ways with founding member/guitarist Robbie Pina. Cody Jarvis, who appeared with the band during the recent national UNEARTH/CHIMAIRA tour, will now assume the guitarist role until a full-time replacement is announced.

MOLOTOV SOLUTION has released the following statement: "After recently taking some time off for personal reasons, Robbie has decided to step down. For now, we are calling on our friend Cody Jarvis to fill his place until we find a full-time replacement. Anyone worried about musical material differences will not be disappointed, especially if you are a fan of 'Insurrection'. Anyone worried about the future of the band, don't be; it has never held brighter things for us. Stay tuned for spring plans..."

MOLOTOV SOLUTION is continuing to promote its latest release, "Insurrection", which dropped last fall via Blkheart Group.

"Dein R3.ich", a brand new song from German modern metallers CALIBAN, is available for free download at CenturyMedia.com (feee e-mail sign-up required). The track comes off the band's eighth studio album, "I Am Nemesis", which will be released via Century Media Records on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway: Friday, February 3
Spain, Italy: Tuesday, February 7
Sweden, Finland, Hungary: Wednesday, February 8
Rest Of Europe: Monday, February 6
Australia, New Zealand: Friday, February 10
U.S., Canada: Tuesday, February 28

The CD will feature guest appearances by Marcus Bischoff (HEAVEN SHALL BURN) and Mitch Lucker (SUICIDE SILENCE).

After spending 10 months writing new material, the band is very excited to get the record out to fans. "It was important to us to have an elaborate album without any fillers," says lead guitarist Marc Görtz. "Additionally, the sound of the album is the best we've ever had by far: it is heavy and brutal without being chaotic."

Lyrically, "I Am Nemesis" is a continuation of the band's last record, "Say Hello To Tragedy", and focuses on controversial and often overlooked world issues. Musically, Görtz says, "The album breaks new soil without forgetting our roots. There are new influences such as shimmering guitar melodies and technical grooves with MESHUGGAH-like heaviness."

"I Am Nemesis" track listing:

01. We Are The Many
02. The Bogeyman
03. Memorial
04. No Tomorrow
05. Edge Of Black
06. Davy Jones
07. Deadly Dream
08. Open Letter
09. Dein R3.ich
10. Broadcast To Damnation
11. This Oath
12. Modern Warfare

The "Memorial" video can be seen below.

A European tour with WINDS OF PLAGUE, WE BUTTER THE BREAD WITH BUTTER, EYES SET TO KILL and ATTILA will kick off on February 2 in Karlsruhe, Germany.

RISE TO REMAIN — the up-and-coming London, England metalcore outfit featuring singer Austin Dickinson, the son of IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson — has parted ways with bassist Joe Copcutt and drummer Pat Lundy. As a result, the band has been forced to cancel its previously announced U.S. shows as the support act for MACHINE HEAD.

RISE TO REMAIN's critically acclaimed debut album, "City Of Vultures", will now be released in the U.S. on June 5 to coincide with RISE TO REMAIN's extensive soon-to-be-announced North American tour. The American version of the CD will also feature exclusive new material recorded in the coming months.

RISE TO REMAIN will head back out on the road in Europe in March as part of a headlining tour, with support from German metallers HEAVEN SHALL BURN.

Helmed by renowned metal producer Colin Richardson (SLIPKNOT, AS I LAY DYING), "City Of Vultures" delivers twelve electrifying tracks that will leave all hard music fans pleased. The CD is described in a press release as "an explosive, assured and extraordinarily diverse first offering that marks RISE TO REMAIN as an extremely talented standard bearer for a new generation of metal bands."

RISE TO REMAIN is no stranger to the road, having toured throughout Europe with IRON MAIDEN, BRING ME THE HORIZON, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and other notable acts, along with having played career-defining, blistering sets at this year's Download and Sonisphere festivals.

"Leper Colony", a brand new song from British/American extreme metal pioneers NAPALM DEATH, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below (courtesy of BrooklynVegan). The track comes off the band's 14th studio album (excluding the cover album "Leaders Not Followers"), "Utilitarian", which is scheduled for release 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.

VAN HALEN played its first live show since 2008 earlier tonight (Thursday, January 5) at the tiny Cafe Wha? nightclub in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. The show at the 250-person venue was the band's first since it ended its hugely successful 2007/2008 reunion trek with original singer David Lee Roth. The gig also served to officially kick off the promotional campaign for the new VAN HALEN album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", which will be released on February 7 via Interscope. The CD's first single and video, "Tatoo", will arrive on January 10.

VAN HALEN's setlist for the Cafe Wha? concert was as follows:

01. You Really Got Me
02. Runnin' With The Devil
03. Somebody Get Me A Doctor
04. Everybody Wants Some
05. She's The Woman
06. Dance The Night Away
07. Panama
08. Hot For Teacher
09. Ice Cream Man
10. Ain't Talkin Bout Love
11. Jump
12. Beautiful Girls
13. Unchained

VAN HALEN will launch its tour at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky on February 18. Additional stops are scheduled in Detroit at the Palace Of Auburn Hills (February 20); Chicago's United Center (February 24); New York City's Madison Square Garden on February 28 and March 1; Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center on March 5, Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on April 27; Denver's Pepsi Center on May 24; Los Angeles at the Staples Center on June 1; Oakland at the Oracle Arena on June 3; San Jose at HP Pavilion on June 5; and in New Orleans at the New Orleans Arena on June 26.

VAN HALEN tour dates:

Feb. 18 - Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
Feb. 20 - Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace Of Auburn Hills
Feb. 22 - Indianapolis, IN - Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Feb. 24 - Chicago, IL - United Center
Feb. 28 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Mar. 01 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Mar. 03 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Arena
Mar. 05 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
Mar. 09 - Buffalo, NY - First Niagara Center
Mar. 11 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar. 15 - Montreal, QCBell Centre
Mar. 17 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
Mar. 21 - Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
Mar. 24 - Atlantic City, NJ - Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
Mar. 28 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar. 30 - Pittsburgh, PA - Consol Energy Center
Apr. 01 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
Apr. 10 - Sunrise, FL - BankAtlantic Center
Apr. 12 - Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Times Forum
Apr. 14 - Orlando, FL - Amway Center
Apr. 16 - Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Veterans Mem. Arena
Apr. 19 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Apr. 21 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Apr. 25 - Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
Apr. 27 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
May 01 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
May 05 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
May 07 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
May 09 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome
May 11 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
May 17 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
May 19 - Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
May 22 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
May 24 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
May 27 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
Jun. 01 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
Jun. 03 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
Jun. 05 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion At San Jose
Jun. 12 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
Jun. 14 - San Diego, CA - Viejas Arena
Jun. 16 - Phoenix, AZ - US Airways Center
Jun. 20 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Jun. 22 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
Jun. 24 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Jun. 26 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena

Support on select dates will come from KOOL & THE GANG.

VIP packages will be handled by VIPNation.com.

An image featuring a train and the VAN HALEN logo, along with the February 7 date, was posted online and then flashed on the Times Square electronic billboard on New Year's Eve (December 31). There is speculation that the image could be the album's cover art.

The set will be the group's first all-new collection since "Van Halen 3" was issued 13 years ago, and its first with Roth since 1984.

Chicago deathcore heavyweights OCEANO have confirmed that they will play one of their last shows ever at the 14th annual New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, which will take place the weekend of April 20-22, 2012.

According to OCEANO's record label, Earache Records, "OCEANO is on hiatus for a while while frontman Adam Warren takes care of his newborn son."

OCEANO's latest album, "Contagion", sold around 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position 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. Released in the U.S. on November 9, 2010 via Earache Records, the album was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with MUNICIPAL WASTE, THE ACACIA STRAIN, HATEBREED and SHADOWS FALL, among others.

Drummer Antony "Antton" Lant has quit M-PIRE OF EVIL (formerly PRIMEVIL) — the band he formed in 2010 with fellow ex-VENOM members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Tony "The Demolition Man" Dolan (bass, vocals). Antton, who is the brother of VENOM frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant, tells BLABBERMOUTH.NET, "[It is] a new year and a time to get my priorities right and everything in order. Too much stuff. As from today, I will NO LONGER be playing drums in M-PIRE OF EVIL. My family life and DEF-CON-ONE are more important to me. And something's got to give."

M-PIRE OF EVIL released its debut mini-album, "Creatures Of The Black", on October 21 via Scarlet Records. The CD features cover versions of four songs that influenced the members of M-PIRE OF EVIL ("Exciter" by JUDAS PRIEST, "God Of Thunder" by KISS, "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be" by AC/DC and "Motörhead" by MOTÖRHEAD), plus two new songs, "Hellspawn" and "Reptile", which are available for streaming on the group's Facebook page.

In a 2010 interview with Metality, Dolan stated about the formation of M-PIRE OF EVIL,"Well, I think it came about as Mantas and Antton who were both doing separate music projects (DRYLL and DEF-CON-ONE) came together in DRYLL. Mantas needed a drummer and Antton offered his services. People kept wondering what it would be like if Mantas and Antton played with me and it was kind of, 'Oh, yeah that would be fun perhaps,' but then DRYLL played a show and performed the VENOM track 'Black Metal' [with Antton] and that was kind of it. People started saying I had to come in and play, too. So I got a phone call and had a few chats with Mantas and that was that; we decided we'd see if it worked. It does, very well, but then again myself and Mantas have always been friends and played well together. The addition of a drummer as good as Antton was something too cool to pass up! [M-PIRE OF EVIL] is old school, I guess, melodic, heavy, powerful. [As to how MPIRE OF EVIL is] different from VENOM, [I'm] not sure. We will inevitably be compared, as we are all ex-VENOM [members] and, of course, Mantas was the main songwriter for VENOM, so... But I feel we are more like classic metal. MOTÖRHEAD, BLACK SABBATH.... PRIEST and VENOM."

Yoshiki, the classically-trained, multi-instrumentalist and leader of one of Japan's most successful rock groups, X JAPAN, will compose the theme for this year's Golden Globe Awards show. The announcement was made today by Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) president Dr. Aida Takia-O'Reilly and Dick Clark Productions (DCP) Executive Vice President, Television, Barry Adelman. The 69th snnual Golden Globe Awards airs internationally in more than 190 countries (please check local listings) and on Sunday, January 15 in the U.S. coast-to-coast on NBC with the pre-show from 4:00 p.m. PST to 5:00 p.m. PST, and main telecast from 5:00 p.m. PST to 8:00 p.m. PST, hosted by Ricky Gervais from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

"Yoshiki is a world-renowned musician and composer of enormous talent and versatility, who in addition to being a rock superstar, has composed for film and television," said Takia-O'Reilly. "As an international organization dedicated to creative achievements, the HFPA is delighted to have a global musical artist of Yoshiki's stature create the theme for the show."

Added Adelman, "We look forward to incorporating Yoshiki's music into the production of the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards."

"The Golden Globe Awards are extremely prestigious, but the show is also edgy," said Yoshiki, who attended the awards presentation for the first time last year. "I'm a classical pianist and a rock drummer, so it was natural to create something beautiful that also has an edge."

Prosthetic Records has announced the signing of the New York City-based spacey, doom-infused band PRIMITIVE WEAPONS. The group's debut album was recorded at Wild Arctic Studios with Dean Baltolunis, whose previous credits include AMERICAN NIGHTMARE, GOES CUBE and THE HOLD STEADY. A spring release is expected.

PRIMITIVE WEAPONS previously released a seven-inch single on Shinebox Recordings, produced by Alex Newport.

Look for PRIMITIVE WEAPONS to tour around, and appear at, South By Southwest in Austin, Texas in March.

German melodic death metallers ZERO DEGREE have inked a deal with Massacre Records. The band's debut album, which originally came out in September 2010, will receve a wider release on March 23.

Formed in 2006 by Pascal Thiele (guitar), Thomas Bertuch (vocals) and Tobias Dohle (drums), ZERO DEGREE's goal was to make music in the style of IN FLAMES, DARK TRANQUILLITY and IRON MAIDEN.

To recreate their music and harmonized guitar sounds live, they needed three guitarists. Over the course of a year, Andre Möhwald (bass), Sebastian Weißgerber (guitar) and Maik Badowsky (guitar) joined the band.

The now-complete lineup played its first shows in 2007.

In 2007, ZERO DEGREE recorded its first demo, "The Storm And The Silence", which was mainly used for promotional purposes on MySpace and for concert promoters.

ZERO DEGREE is:

Andre Möhwald: Bass
Sebastian Weißgerber: Guitar
Pascal Thiele: Guitar
Maik Badowsky: Guitar
Thomas Bertuch: Vocals
Tobias Dohle: Drums

For more information, visit www.zerodegreemetal.com.

SOULFLY has tapped Thomas Mignone (MEGADETH, SEPULTURA, DANZIG) of Doom Incorporated to direct the video for the band's new song "World Scum". The track comes off the band's eighth album, "Enslaved", which is due on March 13 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at Tallcat Studios in Phoenix, Arizona and was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, the seasoned knob twiddler behind some of the most notable bands in metal today, such as SHADOWS FALL, HATEBREED, THE RED CHORD and more. SOULFLY vocalist/guitarist Max Cavalera also shared production duties.

SOULFLY's current lineup features Max and guitar dynamo Marc Rizzo, with STATIC-X's Tony Campos taking up the bass. The lineup is rounded out by drummer David Kinkade (BORKNAGAR, ARSIS, MALEVOLENT CREATION), a new-school, extreme skinsman whose brutality behind the kit brings a new flavor to the band.

While many groups barely make it to a third album, SOULFLY is still going strong two decades deep. 2012 also marks the band's 15th anniversary of making a tribally-influenced metallic racket and what better way to celebrate than with a new record? The album will be released via longtime label Roadrunner, which has been SOULFLY's home for the course of its career. The label has also been Cavalera's home for the duration of his career, which began in the '80s as a member of SEPULTURA, who essentially rewrote the rules of heavy music when they arrived on the scene; Max continues to do the same today.

As is customary with SOULFLY, the band will introduce some new and unexpected elements into the mix, including a guest violinist. SOULFLY also collaborates with two metal veterans: Dez Fafara of DEVILDRIVER and Travis Ryan of CATTLE DECAPITATION. With Dez and Max sharing a longtime connection through the Roadrunner family, it was only a matter of time before Fafara guested on a SOULFLY album.

Cavalera wrote a song, "Revengeance", about his slain stepson Dana Wells, whose death was the catalyst for the creation of SOULFLY. He partners with his sons Igor and Richie on vocals, while his other son Zyon plays drums. It is the first time Max has performed with three of his sons.

The band tracked 14 songs, 11 of which will be on the record, with the other three being made available for the special edition.

Track titles are as follows:

* Resistance
* World Scum
* Intervention
* Gladiator
* Legions
* American Steel
* Redemption Of Man By God
* Treachery
* Plata O Plomo
* Revengeance
* Chains
* Slave
* Bastards
* Soulfly VIII

Travis Ryan — who was a replacement for SOULFLY's original choice, OCEANO's Adam Warren — recorded his portion of the vocals at Frick'in Studios in San Marcos, California with engineer Dan Frick.

Commented Ryan: "It's an honor to receive a call from someone you had pictures of on your wall as a kid asking you to be on a new album of theirs. I literally had a picture of Max [Cavalera, SOULFLY mainman] and Gloria [Max's wife and manager] holding [Gloria's son] Richie in her arms that I ripped out of a copy of Metal Maniacs on my wall when I was 15 or 16. Now they're asking for my artistic hand in one of their creations; [it] just doesn't get much more surreal than that. Very honored and the song is very 'death metal-ish' and completely crushes. Happy to be a part of it!"

Zeuss stated about Travis' contribution, "The vocals fucking rule!!!! Fits the song perfect… Very refreshing for me to hear these days."

As previously reported, Max Cavalera will take part in a video chat on January 15.

For more information, send an email to mramireztribe@gmail.com and you'll be contacted one hour before the chat is scheduled to take place.

**UPDATE**: VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth has confirmed that the band's new album is, in fact, titled "A Different Kind Of Truth".

According to the web site of the Swiss multimedia shop CeDe, VAN HALEN has set "A Different Kind Of Truth" as the title of its new album, which is widely believed to be arriving on February 7.

VAN HALEN will play its first live show since 2008 this Thursday night (January 5) at the tiny Cafe Wha? nightclub in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, according to Rolling Stone. The show at the 250-person venue will be the band's first since it ended its hugely successful 2007/2008 reunion trek with original singer David Lee Roth. The gig will also likely serve to officially kick off the promotional campaign for the new VAN HALEN CD.

Sources said that the group will perform a 45-minute set on Thursday night, although it is not known whether they will debut any new material.

The band has been rehearsing at the Roxy nightclub in Los Angeles for the past two months to prepare for an upcoming world tour, releasing video footage shot at the club over the holidays.

The tour is now scheduled to begin in February in Louisville, Kentucky, with complete dates and venues expected to be announced tomorrow (Friday, January 6). Tickets for the jaunt will go on sale January 10, when the album's first single, reported by the Van Halen News Desk to be called "Tattoo", is also expected to drop.

An image featuring a train and the VAN HALEN logo, along with the February 7 date, was posted online and then flashed on the Times Square electronic billboard on New Year's Eve (December 31). There is speculation that the image could be the album's cover art.

The set will be the group's first all-new collection since "Van Halen 3" was issued 13 years ago, and its first with Roth since 1984.

A two-minute trailer for ALTER BRIDGE's forthcoming DVD, "Live At Wembley", can be seen below. The disc contains footage of one of the biggest headline shows of ALTER BRIDGE's career, which took place on November 29, 2011 at Wembley Arena in London, England. The 2D version (complete with a live CD) will be released everywhere in late March while the 3D version will come out in the summer of 2012. The 2D version will also air on TV all over the world in February. Longtime ALTER BRIDGE director Daniel E Catullo III ("Live From Amsterdam", "One By One", "Isolation", webisodes, etc.) was brought in to direct "Live At Wembley" by The Dude Films, a new production and distribution company with offices in Laguna Beach, California and Maui, Hawaii headed up by "One By One" executive producer Stuart Margolis and executive producer Chris LaBabera. Lionel Pasamonte, who produced the band's last DVD, "Live From Amsterdam", is producing with Catullo.

ALTER BRIDGE's setlist for the Wembley show was as follows:

01. Slip To The Void
02. Find The Real
03. Ghost Of Days Gone By
04. Before Tomorrow Comes
05. Come To Life
06. All Hope Is Gone
07. White Knuckles
08. Brand New Start
09. Metalingus
10. Broken Wings
11. I Know It Hurts
12. One Day Remains
13. Coeur D'Alene
14. Buried Alive
15. Blackbird
16. Wonderful Life (Acoustic Version)
17. Watch Over You (Acoustic Version)
18. Ties That Bind
19. Isolation

Encore:

20. Open Your Eyes
21. Dueling Guitar Solos - Mark and Myles
22. Rise Today

ALTER BRIDGE drummer Scott Phillips told Stereoboard that it's unlikely fans will hear from the band again until 2013, but that they shouldn't take that as a bad sign. Phillips explained, "We'll certainly be visible next year, but it'll be on various projects and then probably 2013 will be the reunion there of ALTER BRIDGE and we'll diligently get to work on a new record and tour as soon as we can."

ALTER BRIDGE spent much of 2011 on the road behind its last album, "AB III", but 2012 will see singer Myles Kennedy return to work as the lead singer in Slash's band, while the other three members of the group will reunite with vocalist Scott Stapp for a new CREED tour and album.

Phillips said, "Each of us have our own thing. I think we've got a lot of different paths we're heading on in 2012," adding that in addition to working with CREED, guitarist Mark Tremonti is prepping his first solo album for release.

Last fall, ALTER BRIDGE released a special edition of "AB III" featuring three previously unheard songs and an hour-long documentary on the group's career.

ADRENALINE MOB — the new band featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP), bassist Paul DiLeo and STUCK MOJO/FOZZY axeman Rich Ward — will release its full-length debut, "Omertá", on March 13 via the newly formed Elm City Music in conjunction with EMI Label Services. The 11-song CD — which was produced by ADRENALINE MOB and mixed by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked on ANTHRAX's "Worship Music" and STEEL PANTHER's "Balls Out" — includes a blistering reinterpretation of DURAN DURAN's classic "Come Undone" featuring guest vocals by Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM.

"Omertá" track listing:

01. Undaunted
02. Psychosane
03. Indifferent
04. All on the Line
05. Hit the Wall
06. Feelin' Me
07. Come Undone (feat. Lzzy Hale)
08. Believe Me
09. Down to the Floor
10. Angel Sky
11. Freight Train

The self-titled debut EP from ADRENALINE MOB, which was released last summer, is available via iTunes and is being sold in physical form at the group's shows and online store. Self-produced by the band, the effort features four original tracks as well as a cover of the Ronnie James Dio-era BLACK SABBATH classic "The Mob Rules".

The EP is now available for streaming in its entirety using the player below.

ADRENALINE MOB's first-ever headline tour made stops in various markets, including Chicago, Denver and San Francisco. ADRENALINE MOB also opened for GODSMACK on select dates of the Massachusetts act's headlining tour.

ADRENALINE MOB formed in early 2011 when Orlando approached Allen with some material the guitarist had written. Allen and Orlando refined those ideas, at which time Allen reached out to longtime friend Portnoy to see if he had any interest in playing with them. Portnoy jumped on board and soon thereafter DiLeo and Ward were recruited to join the family. From the very first note, the chemistry was apparent and the beast that is known as ADRENALINE MOB was born.

Seattle-based Christian metallers DEMON HUNTER have finished tracking a brand new album in their hometown. The CD sees the band reuniting with producer Aaron Sprinkle (ANBERLIN, EMERY) and mixer Jason Suecof (ALL THAT REMAINS, TRIVIUM) with a collection of songs emphasizing the band's strongest components: true metal, dark rock and balladry.

Ryan Clark, Tim "Yogi" Watts (drums), Jonathan Dunn (bass) and Patrick Judge (lead guitar) are now joined by their longtime friend Jeremiah Scott (guitar), whose credits as a metal musician (THE SHOWDOWN) and producer (LIVING SACRIFICE) are well established.

"This record is without a doubt our most aggressive," said vocalist and band co-founder Ryan Clark.

"Every DEMON HUNTER record must be a step up from the last. I know that's a goal for every band, but it seldom works that way — especially today, especially in metal. It seems like most bands' prime years are long behind them. I refuse to let that be the case for us,"

"We've been extremely underwhelmed with metal for the last five years or so, and that's been the fuel to create this record. With an extreme over-saturation of false, fleeting, trend-hopping noise in today's metal scene, we had to make something we've been longing to hear. Something truly meaningful and artistic. Something our fans would love and something that will turn the heads of those who have ignored us for the past decade."

The new DEMON HUNTER album is tentatively scheduled for an April release through longtime label home Solid State.

DEMON HUNTER tour dates:

April 27 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
April 30 - Kouvola, Finland @ Vappugospel

DEMON HUNTER recently released "The World Is A Thorn" Digital Deluxe Edition, which contains the band's music video for "Collapsing" and four acoustic tracks, including the never-before-heard cover of the ALICE IN CHAINS classic "Down In A Hole".

LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe will perform with CANNABIS CORPSE at the upcoming Cory Smoot (GWAR) memorial concert, set to take place on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at The Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia.

Blythe's appearance with CANNABIS CORPSE will be a one-off event following the recent departures of the band's vocalist Andy "Weedgrinder" Horn and guitarist Nick "Nikropolis" Poulos.

Commented Blythe: "Cory was the guitarist in GWAR who passed away recently and was a friend of mine who recorded my guest vocals on the JASTA CD. He leaves a pregnant wife behind (their first child) and a mortgage.

"Cory didn't have life insurance and his wife is going to need every penny she can get with a kid on the way and bills to pay.

"Although GWAR is a relatively large band and are doing all they can for Mrs. Smoot, the fact of the matter nobody is rich and times will be hard.

"My friends in CANNABIS CORPSE were scheduled to play the benefit show, but suddenly are having lineup difficulties (lost the singer). So what the fuck and why not?

"On January 7, CANNABIS CORPSE WILL play — but I will be singing!

"Come check out some brutal death metal for a good cause! I'll be working on my death metal voice 'till then, pretending to smoke weed and getting deeper than fuck.

"I'm quite confident I can properly do the CANNABIS CORPSE tunes justice AND add something new. Now I need a 'weed metal' name!"

A four-and-a-half-minute video clip of Blythe rehearsing with CANNABIS CORPSE for this weekend's concert can be seen below.

Smoot, a.k.a. Flattus Maximus, was found dead as GWAR was about to enter Canada on November 3. He was 34 years old.

CANNABIS CORPSE is currently seeking replacements for Horn and Poulos. Interested parties can contact the group at Landphilbass@hotmail.com.

Scheduled performers at Cory Smoot memorial concert:

MENSREA
CANNABIS CORPSE
ANTIETAM 1862
DAVE BROCKIE EXPERIENCE
THRONE FROM ROYALTY
MAKE LIKE MURDER

Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and the music will start immediately.

For more information, go to this location.

METALLICA is one of the top-selling artists since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking album sales in May 1991, with cumulative U.S. sales of more than 53 million copies. The band's 1991 self-titled fifth album, commonly known as "the black album," in 2009 surpassed SHANIA TWAIN's 1997 record, "Come On Over", as the best-selling CD of the SoundScan era. To date, the black album has sold 15,735,000 copies, eclipsing "Come On Over"'s total of 15,513,000.

The Nielsen SoundScan system began compiling sales electronically more than 19 years ago on a weekly basis, providing more accurate sales figures that form the basis for the Billboard music charts.

Although METALLICA had scored their first radio and video airplay with their previous effort, 1988's "...And Justice For All", the black album was the band's biggest commercial breakthrough, producing five singles and making them into one of the most popular rock bands in the world.

Top Ten Selling Albums Of SoundScan Era (1991 - January 1, 2012):

01. METALLICA - "Metallica (15,735,000)
02. SHANIA TWAIN - "Come On Over (15,513,000)
03. ALANIS MORISSETTE - "Jagged Little Pill (14,714,000)
04. BACKSTREET BOYS - "Millennium (12,168,000)
05. BEATLES - "1"(11,985,000)
06. Soundtrack - "Bodyguard (11,829,000)
07. SANTANA - "Supernatural (11,772,000)
08. CREED - "Human Clay (11,574,000)
09. N' SYNC - "No Strings Attached (11,122,000)
10. CELINE DION - "Falling Into You (10,790,000)

Top Ten Selling Artists Of SoundScan Era (based on album sales from 1991 to January 1, 2012)

01. GARTH BROOKS (68,561,000)
02. THE BEATLES (63,299,000)
03. MARIAH CAREY (53,612,000)
04. METALLICA (53,170,000)
05. CELINE DION (51,492,000)
06. GEORGE STRAIT (43,310,000)
07. EMINEM (41,166,000)
08. TIM MCGRAW (40,169,000)
09. ALAN JACKSON (38,860,000)
10. PINK FLOYD (37,228,000)

METALLICA's self-titled fifth album came out 20 years ago this past August and Gibson.com celebrated by compiling a number of quotes from the band members and others into a brief oral history of the project. According to The Pulse Of Radio, the record made METALLICA into superstars after being cult metal heroes for the first eight years of their career, even as it found the band slowing down and abandoning its thrash metal beginnings for a more mainstream, yet still heavy, style.

Drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone in 1991 about the record's musical shift, "We felt inadequate as musicians and as songwriters (early in our career). That made us go too far, around 'Master Of Puppets' and on '...And Justice For All', in the direction of trying to prove ourselves. We'll do all this weird-ass shit sideways to prove that we are capable musicians and songwriters."

Ulrich added about the eight months it took to make the album, "[Recording] should have gone quicker, in theory, than trying to get everything note-perfect like we have before. But as usual with METALLICA, all those theories and normalities go straight out the window. It took us twice as long to make a record that is twice as loose."

Frontman James Hetfield said, "It was [once] a challenge for us to jam every riff in the universe into one song and make it work. Now we're pretty much doing the opposite. Which is even more of a challenge."

The album was the first of four collaborations with producer Bob Rock, with whom the band clashed throughout the recording of the disc. Rock recalled to Music Radar, "The first three months were difficult. They were all very suspicious of me. It wasn't a fun, easy record to make. I told the guys when we were done that I'd never work with them again. They felt the same way about me."

Ulrich said about Rock in NME, "We'd never really had anybody push us before . . . We've always thought of ourselves as 'Big Bad Metallica,' but Bob taught us a new word none of us had ever heard before: soulful."

METALLICA will perform "the black album" in its entirety at a number of European festivals this summer.

BLOOD REDSKIES, the Texas-based power metallers featuring former VICIOUS RUMORS singer Ronnie Stixx, have inked a deal with Pure Steel Records. The band's debut album, "Conquistador", is tentatively due in late March. A European tour will follow the CD release.

BLOOD REDSKIES recently announced the addition of guitarist Dave Watson (ex-DEATHRIDERS, MOTHER MERCY, RESISTANCE) and bassist Sandy K. Vasquez (ex-DEATHRIDERS, BLOOD LUST, LAST RITES) to the group's ranks.

Commented Stixx: "As the BLOOD REDSKIES demo, 'Breaking The Spell', continues to be well received and the debut album being tracked, I felt that having both Dave and Sandy in BLOOD REDSKIES would be a perfect fit for the band, with Sandy's playing intensity and showmanship on bass, as well as Dave's killer playing. I feel that BLOOD REDSKIES can finally press forward with a killer record and great live performances."

BLOOD REDSKIES' music is described in the band's official bio as "a great blend of European and U.S. power metal, with catchy riffs [and] strong vocal melodies . . . in the vein of DIO, TNT, HALFORD, SAXON and PRIMAL FEAR."

Danish thrash/death metallers MORDAX have inked a deal with the Belgian label Ultimhate Records. The band's debut album, "Violence Fraud Treachery", will be released on CD in Europe (as well as in Israel and Japan) and digitally in the rest of the world on February 24. The CD was recorded at CB Studios and Redhead Recordings in Denmark and mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö (BLOODBATH, OPETH, EDGE OF SANITY) at Unisound in Örebro, Sweden.

Commented MORDAX guitarist Ole Grarup: "We are extremely happy and proud to announce our cooperation with Ultimhate Records. We have chosen to work with Ultimhate Records, because they are able to offer us the dedication and professionalism about metal that we were looking for.

"We're very happy with the final result of 'Violence Fraud Treachery', and working with Dan Swanö turned out to be great.

"Now we're looking forward to the album hitting the streets and the Internet, so we can focus on live shows in Denmark and Europe, and on writing the next album."

MORDAX is currently working on spring dates in Denmark as well as a European tour.

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

The Year Of THE DOORS officially kicks off on Monday, January 9th at noon (EST), when the iconic rock band will officially debut the first new, completely unreleased song in 40 years, 'She Smells So Nice'. The bluesy track captures the band--organist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, drummer John Densmore and late singer JIM MORRISON - joyfully barreling through the full-throttle original. Bruce Botnick, the album’s co-producer with the band, recently made the discovery while reviewing the L.A. Woman session tapes. The song will premiere on the band’s Facebook page on Monday and will then be serviced to radio the following day.

Next up in news from The Doors: On Friday, January 20th at 7:30 PM there will be a one-time special screening of Mr. Mojo Risin’: The Story of L.A. Woman (Eagle Rock Entertainment DVD/Blu-ray) at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA with special surprise guests. Jac Holzman - who signed the group to Elektra Records - and Los Angeles rock radio veteran Jim Ladd will present the film and take questions about the group’s final album and legacy afterwards at a public Q&A session.

Finnish melodic death metallers ETERNAL TEARS OF SORROW have issued the following update:

"The year 2011 was intriguing for us. We recorded the first half of the forthcoming album. If everything had gone as planned, we would have had our seventh album almost finished by now. However, due to some unfortunate incidents, the second recording session has been rescheduled to next spring. But anyway, 2012 is going to be an exciting year for us — and we're probably going to have some exciting news [this] year!"

"Summon The Wild", the latest video from ETERNAL TEARS OF SORROW, can be viewed below. The performance footage for the clip — which was directed, filmed and edited by Anssi Lautjärvi — was filmed at S-Osis in Turku, Finland on October 16, 2009.

"Summon The Wild" comes off ETERNAL TEARS OF SORROW's sixth album, "Children Of The Dark Waters", which entered the official chart in the group's home country at position No. 19.

"Children Of The Dark Waters" was released in Finland on May 27, 2009 via Suomen Musiikki. As was the case with the band's previous five LPs, the effort was recorded at Tico-Tico Studio in Kemi, Finland. The CD was released in the rest of Europe via Massacre Records and in Asia through Marquee/Avalon.

Italian black/death metal band DISGUISE will release its new album, "Second Coming", on January 16 via My Kingdom Music.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Fragile Certain Death
02. I Am Alone
03. The Origin Of The Unknown
04. Eclipse
05. Repressed Rage
06. To Dominate
07. Claustrophobic Fate
08. Second Coming

According to a press release, DISGUISE "come back after four years of apparent silence, giving life, after 13 years of career, to their most mature, complete and personal creature. 'Second Coming' reaches the highest levels of aggressivity revealing the most hateful and insane feelings of the human sickness. Perverse vocals and sorrowful atmospheres in the old MAYHEM style are the frame for a violent black metal with shades of modern metal, enriched by the assault of the death as only SATYRICON, DARK FUNERAL and MARDUK have been able to performing during the last years."

Austrian symphonic metallers VISIONS OF ATLANTIS will enter the studio at the end of January to begin recording their fifth album. The group states, "The band is excited and full of energy about all the things coming up the next months!! Expect a major update with information about the studio, producers, official studio diary and more on January 20th just in time before the band starts working on the new album!"

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS' "Maria Magdelena" EP was released last October.

The band's October 23, 2011 performance at the Metal Female Voices Fest at Oktoberhallen in Wieze, Belgium professionally filmed for an upcoming DVD.

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS' fourth album, "Delta", was released in North America on March 15, 2011 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded Dreamscape Studios in Munich, Germany and marks the debut of the group's new singer, Maxi Nil, who joined the group in 2009.

The official "lyric video" for "Reborn", a brand new song from New York hardcore metal legends BIOHAZARD, can be seen below. The track comes off the band's much-anticipated new album, "Reborn In Defiance", which will be released in Europe on January 20 via Nuclear Blast.

"Reborn In Defiance" track listing:

01. 9:IIIX6.941
02. Vengeance Is Mine
03. Decay
04. Reborn
05. Killing Me
06. Countdown Doom
07. Come Alive
08. Vows Of Redemption
09. Waste Away
10. You Were Wrong
11. Skullcrusher
12. Never Give In
13. Season The Sky

Audio samples of the entire "Reborn In Defiance" album can be found on the NuclearBlast.de web site.

Not only is "Reborn In Defiance" BIOHAZARD's first original lineup album in 18 years, but it also marks the last album recorded by the band before the departure of bassist and co-vocalist Evan Seinfeld. The effort remains a testament to the four founding members (Billy Graziadei, Bobby Hambel, Evan Seinfeld and Danny Schuler) and their unique chemistry.

Having last recorded and toured as the fundamental lineup with the release of "State Of The World Address" back in 1994, BIOHAZARD reformed with all four original members back in 2008 to commemorate the band's 20th anniversary. They went back out on the road together over the next two years, during which time inspiration struck.

The legendary Toby Wright (ALICE IN CHAINS, METALLICA, SEVENDUST, KORN) was brought in to produce the 13-track "Reborn In Defiance", which was recorded in Los Angeles.

BIOHAZARD has sold over five million albums worldwide since its formation in the late Eighties in Brooklyn, New York. They achieved international success with their albums "Urban Discipline" on Roadrunner Records in 1992 and 1994's "State of the World Address" on Warner Brothers. Over the years, BIOHAZARD has collaborated with ONYX, CYPRESS HILL, AGNOSTIC FRONT, HATEBREED, PANTERA, and TYPE O NEGATIVE, among others. The band has continued to tour nationally and internationally, sharing stages with HOUSE OF PAIN, OZZY OSBOURNE, SLAYER, DANZIG, FEAR FACTORY, SEPULTURA and AGNOSTIC FRONT.

Former JOURNEY singer Steve Perry tells Billboard.com that he's planning to get to work in earnest in a studio he's just finishing in his southern California home just north of San Diego, which he says will have a control room and "a tracking room about the size of Motown."

"I'm finishing that room up and I've written a whole bunch of ideas and directions, all over the map, in the last two, three years," says Perry, who was with JOURNEY from 1977 to 1998. "So I plan on getting in the studio at some point and start trying to track these things and see where they go."

When asked if he would consider a one-off reunion with his former JOURNEY bandmates for something like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Perry said, "I don't know. I'm not a big fan of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It's just a personal thing, not an ego thing. I think that, honestly, JOURNEY doesn't need to be in the Hall Of Fame. With everything we accomplished... we've had our Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, you know? It's in the hearts of the people out there and their experiences and their memories of what we did together and how we all had the time of our lives with the music that we loved to perform and they loved to hear. I really don't want someone to qualify it any more than that."

Read more from Billboard.com.

Photo below courtesy of Steve Perry Online

RATT vocalist Stephen Pearcy and lead guitarist Warren DeMartini recently recorded a song for a project headed up by former NIRVANA drummer and current FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl. Pearcy states, "We'll let [Dave] tell you about when he's ready, kidz. Not for a RATT record."

Pearcy's new solo album, "Sucker Punch", is due later this year. The singer previously stated about the CD, "It's going to be a brutally honest record and I think my fans want that from me at this point."

RATT's latest album, "Infestation", has sold under 50,000 copies in the United States since its April 2010 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Chicago's DIRGE WITHIN has finished recording its sophomore full-length album at Mercenary Studios in Zion, Illinois with engineer Scott Creekmore and producer Ari Mihalopoulos for an April 10 release via Rocket Science Ventures/THC: Music. The 11-song CD is currently being mixed at Inner Light Studios with Ari and DIRGE WITHIN guitarist Shaun Glass.

Guitarist Matt Szlachta recently left DIRGE WITHIN to continue to focus on his passion for teaching guitar to his students and for other personal reasons. He has since been replaced by Chuck Wepfer.

"There's no bad blood at all, man," said vocalist Jeremy "Jerms" Genske. "We're all still good buds and very close. His head and heart just weren't in it anymore, and he wanted to go back to teaching. He really loves it, and that's where he felt he had to be."

DIRGE WITHIN's forthcoming album will be the band's first to feature drummer Frankie Harchut and bassist Jeff Paulick (bassist/vocalist of LAZARUS A.D.), who has been filling on bass duties on tour with DIRGE WITHIN.

"I am very excited about the new songs we've written for this new album, and that people will be able to check out my style of playing a little more," stated Harchut. "We worked our asses off writing these new songs, a lot of long nights, and I'm personally stoked to have our fans hear 'em. I really think they're gonna be into it." Jeremy added, "The songs are heavier, smarter, and more melodic in parts. Some are even a little slower! There were no rules when we were writing at all. No holds barred. Whatever came out, came out. And I think it's gonna make a really good, well-rounded metal album."

DIRGE WITHIN's "Absolution" EP was made available on August 16, 2011. The three-song effort gives fans a taste of what's to come from the band's forthcoming sophomore album.

DIRGE WITHIN's debut album, "Force Fed Lies", came out on September 1, 2009 via E1 Music.

Michigan thrash squadron NOCTURNAL FEAR has set "Sadistic Inquisition" as the title of its new sixth studio album, slated for release later this year through Moribund Records. Songtitles set to appear on the CD, which will feature the same band lineup as on last year's critically acclaimed "Excessive Cruelty", include "Invincible Warlord", "Seal Team 666", "Bite The Curb", "Code Name - Trinity", "Blood On The Battle Field", "Cold As Death (Life Of Crime)" and "Invade To Conquer Pt. 2".

NOCTURNAL FEAR guitarist/songwriter Rev. Chris Slavehunter PhD promises that the "Sadistic Inquisition" will be "our heaviest, fastest, and most militant release yet! It will be a surge in which we will burn all bridges behind us, further distancing ourselves in a bid for isolation as America's War Metal Assassins — indeed, WAR METAL SKINHEADS! This ain't Blasphemy, this ain't Revenge, and this ain't Canada. This is NOCTURNAL FEAR, this is Detroit, and THIS IS THE REAL SHIT! Reviewers won't be happy, but true fucking bangers who want their faces ripped off and fed to our PACK OF ROTTWEILERS won't be let down."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, SALIVA quietly parted ways with singer Josey Scott late last year, with guitarist Wayne Swinny telling Lubbock, Texas radio stations KFMX that Scott left the group after a decade and a half to pursue a career as a solo Christian artist. Although SALIVA's continued existence seemed to be in doubt as 2011 drew to a close, Swinny has revealed that he and the remaining members of SALIVA have recruited Jacksonville, Florida singer/songwriter Bobby Amaru to take over on the mic.

The group has already recorded three new songs which it will begin shopping around for a new record deal.

Amaru fronted his own solo band and played drums for BURN SEASON.

A tour is also in the works for February to introduce fans to the new lineup. It does not seem likely that the band will change its name.

Scott was a founding member of SALIVA, which formed in Memphis in 1996. He sang lead vocals on all seven of the band's albums to date, with the most recent being 2010's "Under Your Skin". The group has compiled 18 rock radio hits.