Swedish Viking death metallers KING OF ASGARD will enter Sonic Train studios in Varberg, Sweden with engineer Andy La Rocque (KING DIAMOND) in early March to begin recording their sophomore album. The follow-up to 2010's "Fi'mbulvintr" is due before the end of the year via Metal Blade Records.

Comments the band: "The material for this coming release is a natural step forward for KING OF ASGARD. It differs quite a lot though the foundation of our musical roots still are very present. A natural progression of the sounds on 'Fi'mbulvintr'! Songtitles include 'Gap Of Ginnungs' and 'Plague-Ridden Rebirth'."

KING OF ASGARD last year announced the addition of guitarist Lars Tängmark (DAWN) to the group's ranks.

KING OF ASGARD was formed in 2008 by Karl Beckman (ex-MITHOTYN) after he dissolved his latest musical projects. He teamed up with Karsten Larsson (FALCONER), a one-time accomplice in the defunct viking horde MITHOTYN, and the decision was made to go back to their roots both musically as well as heading for their Norse heritage in lyrical approach. With creativity flowing, numerous songs were written and KING OF ASGARD recorded a seven-track demo, "Prince Of Märing", at Lotang Studio. In late 2009 Jonas Albrektsson joined the ranks on bass to strengthen the lineup further.

KING OF ASGARD features members of such acts as MITHOTYN, FALCONER, THY PRIMORDIAL, INDUNGEON and DAWN.

KING OF ASGARD is:

Karl Beckman - Guitar, Vocals
Jonas Albrektsson - Bass
Karsten Larsson - Drums
Lars Tängmark - Guitar

For more information, visit www.kingofasgard.com.

Buffalo's magnificently brutal metallic punk ensemble EVERY TIME I DIE is set to unleash its brand new album, titled "Ex Lives", on March 6 via Epitaph Records. The CD was helmed by renowned heavy rock producer Joe Baressi (THE MELVINS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, PARKWAY DRIVE) and offers an unrelenting onslaught of ingeniously composed and furiously executed cathartic hardcore.

"Ex Lives" track listing:

01. Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space (02:43)
02. Holy Book Of Dilemma (01:49)
03. A Wild, Shameless Plain (01:49)
04. Typical Miracle (02:25)
05. I Suck (Blood) (02:55)
06. Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow (03:12)
07. The Low Road Has No Exits (02:51)
08. Revival Mode (03:46)
09. Drag King (04:11)
10. Touch Yourself (02:17)
11. Indian Giver (04:09)
12. Grudge Music (bonus) (02:24)
13. Business Casualty (bonus) (02:45)
14. Starve An Artist, Cover Your Trash (bonus) (02:53)

A video for the song "Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space" can be seen below. The clip was directed by the band's vocalist and lyricist, Keith Buckley, and features a barrage of startling visceral images which perfectly match the raging brutality of the track. As Buckley explains, "In order to write lyrics I had to pay attention to the defeatism that the music suggested. To compile this video I had to acknowledge the masochism I wrote of to myself. You don't get rewarded for your faith and you don't get celebrated for your heroism. Just when you find yourself attached, you have lost it. Everything is borrowed. C'est la vie."

Catch EVERY TIME YOU DIE's patented brand of rock and roll mayhem live when they take their beloved brand of punk infused metal mayhem on the road, joined by Los Angeles based hardcore stage-diving aficionados TERROR. EVERY TIME YOU DIE will follow the tour by spending their summer adding some of their patented punk infused metal to the annual Vans Warped Tour.

Drum-cam footage of SOULFLY's David Kinkade performing with the rest of the band at the 15th annual "D-Low Memorial" on Friday, December 30 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona can be seen below. Also available is fan-filmed video footage of Kinkade's first-ever concert with SOULFLY, which took place one day earlier, on December 29, at the Viper Room in West Hollywood, California.

As previously reported. Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SEPULTURA) 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.

SOULFLY has set "Enslaved" as the title of its eighth album, due on March 13, 2012 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."

Drum-cam footage - December 30, 2011 at Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona

GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA, the supergroup featuring guitarist Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds (MASTODON, WEST END MOTEL, FIEND WITHOUT A FACE) and bassist Eric Avery (ex-JANE'S ADDICTION), has recruited Jon Theodore (ONE DAY AS A LION, ex-THE MARS VOLTA) as its drummer.

Along with his refined repertoire of jazz, fusion and rock styles, Theodore brings a heightened sense of enthusiasm to the project. He says in a statement, "When I first heard some of the ideas these guys were working on, I immediately knew this project was right up my alley. Both beautiful and technical but not spastic, thematic but not cheesy, hard but delicate."

The addition of Theodore was confirmed by Weinman back on December 22 during an interview he gave on WFMU-FM's Diane's "Kamikaze Fun Machine" radio show.

The full stream of the interview is available here.

"[GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA] has been a long time coming," says Weinman. "Now that we have actually started creating together, it's great to see it all materialize into what I feel is some really interesting material."

He adds, "G.T.O. is a true collaborative effort, which in my experience rarely works, so I think we have something pretty special here. It just so happens to be with some of my favorite people and musicians.

"Almost every day this experiment seems to take on some new characteristic, and I think some of the people we've been talking to about contributing vocals would be a big surprise to many. It's even surprised me!"

This February/March, Weinman and Hinds once again find themselves on tour together with THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and MASTODON performing a string of U.K. shows, followed by a quick romp down under for Australia's annual Soundwave Festival.

A photo of Weinman and Avery working on material for the G.T.O. project can be seen below.

"Old Blood", a brand new song from Canadian metallers CANCER BATS, was premiered on tonight's (Monday, January 2) edition of BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show With Daniel P Carter". You can now streamed the track in the YouTube clip below.

"Old Blood" comes off CANCER BATS' fourth album, "Dead Set On Living", which is due in April via Distort Inc.

In a recent interview with Blare magazine, CANCER BATS vocalist Liam Cormier stated about "Dead Set On Living", "I think sound-wise there's definitely more of the natural evolution of how gnarly we keep getting and how more refined everyone sounds. I'd say the majority of our fans now have seen our band live and know how gnarly and ferocious it is, so trying to compress that into a recording still is kind of difficult. Like we'd say, I thought we did it pretty well on 'Bears',' and then we'd re-examine that and we'd see there's still some elements that are missing." Schwarzer added, "But there's always stuff that comes up with every record, like what haven't we really captured yet. With doing the [BLACK] SABBATH covers at Sonisphere [festival] and then going into writing this one and thinking about how they had written their songs, we tried to apply some of that into what we're doing. Different elements are always going to come up when recording a new record. We'd always ask ourselves, 'What haven't we done?' and 'How can I make this better?' and doing that made it way more interesting." Cormier continued, "I think the big thing too is the realization that we're always going to be CANCER BATS. And from looking at BLACK SABBATH, we realized that even though BLACK SABBATH are these four guys, none of them are doing the same thing at the exact same time. Like none of it lines up at any point but it all works so well, to the point where you don't even notice it. That was a big thing. We used to feel that all the parts playing along together would sound tighter, but now we've found that everyone confidently playing their own part makes the whole thing sound tighter and more cohesive. On this album, nothing sits on top of anything because it's all got its own distinct voice."

CANCER BATS was nominated in the "Rock Album of the Year" category at the 2011 Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards). The band faced off against fellow Canadians DIE MANNEQUIN, FINGER ELEVEN, HAIL THE VILLIAN and MATTHEW GOOD.

Dutch death/thrash metal pioneers THANATOS have issued the following update:

"Although 2011 was another tough and bumpy year in the now 28-years-long history of THANATOS, we're still here! And no shitty record companies or unreliable (business) partners are ever going to break us!

"We're happy to announce that 2012 will see the return of drummer Yuri Rinkel to our ranks!

"Although Yuri won't be joining the band on a full-time basis, he will be there to help us out at upcoming live shows and possibly new recordings."

THANATOS' current lineup is rounded out by Stephan Gebédi (guitar/vocals; also guitarist in HAIL OF BULLETS), Paul Baayens (guitar; HAIL OF BULLETS, ASPHYX), Marco de Bruin (bass) and Marco de Groot.

THANATOS in 2010 recorded a cover version of the song "Reanimation" by Canadian thrash metal legends SACRIFICE. The THANATOS track was released in May 2011 on a seven-inch vinyl split EP with Dutch doom/deathsters ASPHYX (who were featured with a cover version of the MAJESTY classic "Bestial Vomit") via Cyclone Empire Records.

THANATOS' fifth full-length album, "Justified Genocide", was released in March 2009 through Deity Down Records. The CD was recorded at Excess studios in Rotterdam, Netherlands and was mixed by Dan Swanö (NIGHTINGALE, EDGE OF SANITY and BLOODBATH fame) at Unisound in Sweden.

In 2009 THANATOS celebrated its 25th anniversary since the band first emerged from the Netherworlds.

Texas metal veterans HELSTAR will celebrate their 30th anniversary by performing a very special show on Saturday, March 24 at Warehouse Live in Houston, Texas. According to the band, "The entire show will be audio- and video-recorded and later released as the first official live HELSTAR album and DVD." Also scheduled to appear are METALLOYD, LEGION, KNOTURNAL MADNESS, EPIC and METAVENGE.

HELSTAR bassist Jerry Abarca last year underwent more testing to diagnose and treat his stomach-related illness. Abarca announced he would a hiatus from performing live until his health has fully returned and doctors have pronounced him fit for stage.

Abarca first fell ill during HELSTAR's December 2010 "European Chaos" tour and was flown home to Texas, while Slovenian bassist Matej Susnik was then recruited to complete the trek.

HELSTAR once again enlisted the services of Susnik on the recently completed European tour.

The band released its latest album, "Glory Of Chaos", in November 2010 via Germany's AFM Records.

Formed in Houston in the early '80s, HELSTAR cut its teeth playing backyard parties and small club gigs. It soon became apparent that HELSTAR had much more to offer then its contemporaries. Combat Records snapped up the band and released HELSTAR's debut, "Burning Star", in 1984. Next came "Remnants of War", followed by HELSTAR's breakthrough album, "A Distant Thunder", in 1988. The success of "A Distant Thunder" ultimately set up HELSTAR's most critically acclaimed album, 1989's "Nosferatu".

Italian power metallers KALEDON have announced the addition of drummer Luca Marini to the group's ranks.

KALEDON's best-of album, "Mightiest Hits", will be released later this month via Scarlet Records.

"Mightiest Hits" track listing:

Disc 1

01. Steel Maker (previously unreleased)
02. In Search Of Kaledon
03. Desert Land Of Warriors
04. The New Kingdom
05. A Frozen Dawn
06. Mighty Son Of The Great Lord
07. Great Night In The Land
08. Clash Of The Titans
09. New King Of Kaledon
10. The End Of The Green Power
11. The God Beyond The Man
12. Surprise Impact
13. Demons Away

Disc 2

01. In Search Of Kaledon (demo)
02. Spirit Of The Dragon (demo)
03. Thunder In The Sky (demo)
04. God Says Yes (demo)
05. Army Of The Undead King (demo)
06. Desert Land Of Warriors (demo)
07. God Says Yes (demo)
08. Thunder In The Sky (demo)
09. Desert Land Of Warriors (demo)
10. Home (demo)
11. New Soldiers For A New Army (demo)

The "Steel Maker" video can be seen below.

KALEDON's latest album, "Legend Of The Fogotten Reign: Chapter VI - The Last Night On The Battlefield", was released in July 2010 via Scarlet Records. The sixth installment of the saga started in 2002 was previously described as a return to the band's power metal roots: powerful, melodic and extremely captivating. The artwork was created by renowned artist J.P. Fournier (EDGUY, AVANTASIA, IMMORTAL) and it perfectly depicts the band's epic music as never before. Giuseppe Orlando (NOVEMBRE) produced the album.

California metallers THE HUMAN ABSTRACT appear to have gone on indefinite hiatus following the band's recent split with both vocalist Travis Richter and eOne Music, the label that released the group's third full-length album, "Digital Veil".

In a recent post on his Facebook page, THE HUMAN ABSTRACT bassist Henry Selva stated about the band's current status, "We are not looking for a new vocalist. We are not touring anytime soon. I think it's only fair you guys know that we're on 'break' or 'hiatus,' if you will."

He added, "I don't know why we haven't [made an official announcement about this. I guess it's because there is always that 'maybe if something happens, etc… etc…' Or maybe it's hard for us to realize the reality of our situation, the band's situation, to finally let go.

"I'll be honest when I say the folllowing: PERIPHERY and NEVER SAY DIE were our last tours together as a band.

"It was amazing experience while it lasted.

"Dean [Herrera, guitar] is going back to USC to further his education.

"A.J. [Minette, guitar], as you know, will always continue writing and teaching.

"Brett [Powell, drums], I am sure, has something up his sleeve.

"Thank you to everyone who came out to show their love for the band and the music.

"I'm proud to say that I got to perform and record alongside such amazing musicians."

"Digital Veil" sold around 3,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 177 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at position No. 5 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Professionally filmed video footage of GUNS N' ROSES' entire December 30, 2011 concert at The Joint in Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen below. The show was streamed online via iClips as a pay-per-view event.

GUNS N' ROSES kicked off its first U.S. tour since 2006 on October 28 in Orlando, Florida.

In addition to sole original member Axl Rose (vocals), the current lineup of GUNS N' ROSES includes guitarists Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Richard Fortus and DJ Ashba, bassist Tommy Stinson, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman and drummer Frank Ferrer.

"Chinese Democracy", the 2008 album released by the current edition of GUNS N' ROSES after a 15-year wait, was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of one million copies. The long-in-the-making, 14-song CD finally arrived 17 years after the last full-length collections of original GUNS material, "Use Your Illusion I" and "II", were released, and nine years after the non-album track "Oh My God" surfaced on the soundtrack of the movie "End Of Days".

"Chinese Democracy" was made available exclusively through Best Buy.

Singer James LaBrie of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER has issued the following update:

"[LaBrie's longtime songwriting partner and keyboardist] Matt Guillory and I are very happy to announce that writing for my next solo album has started.

"We're very pleased with how well [LaBrie's last solo CD] 'Static Impulse' was received and are excited to be making a follow-up.

"You can expect all the usual suspects: (Marco Sfogli, Peter Wildoer, Ray Riendeau) In addition to this, we'd also like to announce that Peter Wichers (SOILWORK) is onboard as a co-songwriter. Peter loved 'Static Impulse' and looks forward to making a kick-ass record with us. He is extremely talented and we're stoked to have him!"

James LaBrie's solo tour — which was scheduled to kick off on November 26, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina and end on December 20, 2010 in Houston, Texas — was canceled "due to some unfortunate, unforeseen difficulties with securing work visas" for a couple of the members of LaBrie's band.

"Static Impulse" sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 14 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.

"Static Impulse" was released on September 28, 2010 (one day earlier internationally) via InsideOut Music. The CD marked LaBrie's first solo effort in over five years.

Mixed and mastered by Jens Borgen (OPETH, KATATONIA), "Static Impulse" featured Guillory; Peter Wildoer from Swedish thrashers DARKANE on drums and screaming vocals; Marco Sfogli on guitar; and Ray Riendeau (HALFORD) on bass.

"I Need You" audio stream (taken from "Static Impulse"):

Mick Moss of ANTIMATTER, the U.K. project whose recording/touring lineup has included current and former members of ANATHEMA, has posted a new five-minute video blog which includes footage of the recording sessions for the band's forthcoming fifth album, "Wide Awake In The Concrete Asylum". A concept album about the (sometimes sadistic) roles people force themselves to play whilst born and trapped in an urban environment, the CD will feature the following track listing:

* Firewalking
* Paranova
* Fear Of A Unique Identity
* Here Come The Men
* Respite
* Uniformed & Black
* Monochrome
* Wide Awake
* The Parade
* A Place In The Sun

Back in August 2011, Moss stated about the upcoming ANTIMATTER effort, "My original plan was to release this album on my own label, Music In Stone, in November 2011, but upon hearing the promise of these completed demos this album has far surpassed my expectations. I have now decided that 'Wide Awake In The Concrete Asylum' needs the full attention of a seasoned record label, someone with the ability to work this album to its full potential, and I will be searching for that label over the coming months. Therefore the projected release date of November 2011 has now been wiped clean giving way to the more realistic aim of early-mid 2012."

Moss has also announced plans to release another ANTIMATTE R album in 2013, entitled "The Judas Table".

MAIDEN UNITED, the all-acoustic IRON MAIDEN tribute project featuring Damian Wilson (THRESHOLD, AYREON) and Ruud Jolie (WITHIN TEMPTATION), will embark on a short tour through Greece, Cyrpus and the Netherlands at the end of January.

The dates are as follows:

Jan. 20 - An Club - Athens, Greece
Jan. 21 - Eightball Club - Thessaloniki, Greece
Jan. 22 - Oneirou Odisseia - Serres, Greece
Jan. 23 - Kentriki Plateia - Trikala, Greece
Jan. 24 - Dewars Club - Agrinio, Greece
Jan. 25 - Barrel House - Larnaca, Cyprus

Two exclusive theatre shows where MAIDEN UNITED will perform songs from its debut album, "Mind The Acoustic Pieces", and, for the first time, tracks from the band's upcoming follow-up effort will be held at the end of January in Holland:

Jan. 27 - Theater De Lockhorst - Sliedrecht, Netherlands
Jan. 28 - Parkstad Theater - Heerlen, Netherlands

MAIDEN UNITED's sophomore CD will be recorded later this winter.

MAIDEN UNITED is an IRON MAIDEN tribute project which performs classic MAIDEN songs in new acoustic arrangements.

Released in December 2010, "Mind The Acoustic Pieces" was described sa "an acoustic reimagining of the entire classic IRON MAIDEN album 'Piece Of Mind' with new arrangements."

Contributing artists:

* Damian Wilson (THRESHOLD, AYREON): Vocals
* Ruud Jolie (WITHIN TEMPTATION): Guitar
* Joey Bruers (UP THE IRONS): Bass
* Marco Kuypers (SILKSTONE): Piano
* Mike Coolen (WITHIN TEMPTATION): Drums
* Anneke van Giersbergen (THE GATHERING, DEVIN TOWNSEND): Vocals

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper and his band performed on New Year's Eve at Mala Wailea, the famous oceanfront restaurant that is lobby level at Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, in Hawaii, on a bill that included "Weird Al" Yankovic, Pat Simmons and Michael McDonald of DOOBIE BROTHERS and Bob Rock. Comedian Tom Arnold will act as emcee at the event, which benefits the Maui Food Bank and the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

Joining Alice on stage for a performance of THE BEATLES classic "Come Together" was AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler. Tyler also sang AEROSMITH's "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This Way".

Video footage of the "Walk This Way" performance, along with the previously released "Come Together" clip, can be seen below.

ATHEAN, the German technical death metal project featuring BEHIND THE SCENERY guitarist Simon Abele, has just released its debut EP, "Main-Mast Of The Voyaging Earth", via Serial Six Records.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Journey Above The Calm Aeons (instrumental) (3:04)
02. Passage (4:10)
03. Fragmented Convictions (4:21)
04. Main-Mast Of The Voyaging Earth (5:12)


In 2008, Abele had the idea of starting a musical project to pay tribute to one of his all-time heroes, the late Chuck Schuldiner (DEATH). So Abele started writing and recording the first ATHEAN material in the vein of the technical period of DEATH. The material was not intended for a professional release at first, but when Simon presented the first demos to his former bandmate Chris Mrosek, they decided to give the project a more professional appeal. Christoph added his influences, and the music of the then-unnamed project gradually evolved from being a pure DEATH tribute. With the addition of BEHIND THE SCENERY vocalist Holger Speidel, the songs certainly took a more brutal and aggressive turn. You will still find classical Chuck leads and licks all over the EP, but there are also a lot of hints towards bands like CARCASS and the progressive melodic death metal of the U.S. and Europe in general.

"Good songwriting always has been a primary objective during the whole process," says Abele. "If you just expect the next over-the-edge dose of 260 bpm blastbeat radicalism, then ATHEAN might be the wrong band for you.

"Writing and playing metal is no longer a contest of speed or loudness.

"Virtually everything has been said and done here.

"When Eno, Chris and me created this EP, we wanted everything to be about groove, and the in-depth-shaping of songs in a way that they grow upon repeated listening, regardless of the genre they move in."

After an instrumental piece called "Journey Above The Calm Aeons", "Passage" is the opening track of ATHEAN's debut EP, featuring a crisp-but-natural production by Immanuel Rein of Panache Production Studios.

Mrosek's lead on "Fragmented Convictions" was heavily inspired by the early PSYCHOTIC WALTZ records, and guest Alex Guth (STORMWARRIOR, AEONS CONFER, BÖRN AGAIN) shreds a really nice solo towards the end of the song.

ATHEAN's logo design was handled by Christophe Szpajdel (EMPEROR).

ATHEAN is:

Holger Speidel - Vocals
Chris Mrosek - Guitar
Simon Abele - Guitar
Sirajul "Eno" Haque - Bass

Two years after releasing their debut album, "…And Kindling Deadly Slumber", Tilburg, Holland-based death metallers THE NEW DOMINION have commenced the recording sessions for the follow-up effort at Split Second Sound Studios in Amsterdam. According to the band's drummer, Yuma van Eekelen, who is also a member of the resurrected Dutch death metallers PESTILENCE, the new CD will be "a truly unique piece of death metal art. It's got all the ingredients to be a killer record that will definitely stand out; fast and aggressive riffing alternated with brutal grooves, technical high skilled drumming and a voice easily capable of doing deep grunts, high pitched screams and everything in between."

"...And Kindling Deadly Slumber" was produced by Tymon Kruidenier (CYNIC, EXIVIOUS) and was released in March 2009 via Neurotic Records.

According to the band's official bio, THE NEW DOMINION's musical style can "no longer can be defined as 'just' Gothenburg thrash. However, its roots can still be found in this particular style. It has more and more developed towards a unique blend of thrash and death metal with influences varying from HYPOCRISY to TOOL, from THE HAUNTED to CANNIBAL CORPSE and from GOJIRA to SLAYER. Song structures have become increasingly more interesting and challenging for the listener, whereas the vocal parts have become more brutal and aggressive on one side and more intense and tantalizing on the other."

Swedish tech-death assassins SPAWN OF POSSESSION will release their third full-length album, "Incurso", in North America on March 13 via Relapse Records. The CD, which will contain nine tracks plus an instrumental intro, was recorded at Pama Studios in Kristianopel, Sweden with engineer Magnus "Mankan" Sedenberg.

According to a press release, "devastating riffs, jaw-dropping time-signatures and improbably complex songwriting coalesce to create an opus of next-level death metal on 'Incurso', which the band promises to be their most supreme work to date, and more devastating than ever."

The "Incurso" cover art was created by graphic artist Pär Olofsson (IMMORTAL, IMMOLATION, DYING FETUS) and can be seen below.

"Incurso" track listing:

01. Abodement
02. Where Angels Go Demons Follow
03. Bodiless Sleeper
04. The Evangelist
05. Servitude of Souls
06. Deus Avertat
07. Spiritual Deception
08. No Light Spared
09. Apparition

Finnish female-fronted symphonic metallers AMBERIAN DAWN will release their fourth studio album, "Circus Black", in Finland on February 29 via Spinefarm Records. The band's mainman, keyboardist and guitarist Tuomas Seppälä composed all ten songs for the CD and vocalist Heidi Parviainen penned the lyrics.

"Circus Black" features guest appearances by Tuomas Nieminen (ex- ADAMANTRA, THRONE OF CHAOS), Nils Nordling (ex-DREAMTALE, ANIMAL HOUSE), Timo Kotipelto (STRATOVARIUS) and Jens Johansson (STRATOVARIUS, DIO, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE). Nieminen and Nordling share vocal parts in the song "I Share With You This Dream", Kotipelto sings lead on "Cold Kiss" and Johansson plays a keyboard solo on "Crimson Flower".

Commented Tuomas: "'Circus Black' is the most impressive AMBERIAN DAWN album so far. Musically it represents the most sophisticated and most symphonic edge of AMBERIAN DAWN music. There's more diversity on this album than never before. This is the first time we used a real choir and we gathered some really excellent professional opera singers together to be able to achieve the best-sounding choir possible. This choir was conducted by Mikko P. Mustonen from Pathos Music. He also arranged the choir and orchestral parts.

"We managed once again to get some world-class guests on this album. So, the production is our biggest so far and the final polish on this album was given by Teropekka Virtanen (mixing engineer) and Mika Jussila (mastering engineer) at legendary Finnvox Studios in Finland.

"The whole band did excellent job with recordings. It was really awesome, that Kasperi [Heikkinen] recovered from his hand injury just in time (only a couple of weeks before the mixing sessions started) and he was able to play guitar solos on this album. Even in the fall it seemed that I and Kimmo [Korhonen] would have to play all guitar parts by ourselves."

"Circus Black" track listing:

01. Circus Black (3:49)
02. Cold Kiss (feat. Timo Kotipelto) (3:31)
03. Crimson Flower (feat. Jens Johansson) (4:25)
04. Charnel's Ball (4:27)
05. Fight (3:21)
06. Letter (4:31)
07. I Share With You This Dream (3:37)
08. Rivalry Between Good and Evil (instrumental) (4:00)
09. Guardian (5:09)
10. Lily of the Moon (4:12)

AMBERIAN DAWN last year parted ways with Tommi Kuri (bass), Emil Tobias Pohjalainen (guitar) and Joonas Pykälä-aho (drums) and replaced them with Jukka Koskinen (NORTHER, WINTERSUN), Kimmo Korhonen (WALTARI, HELION, SOLACIDE) and Heikki Saari (NORTHER, NAILDOWN), respectively.

AMBERIAN DAWN's current lineup:

* Heidi Parviainen - Vocals
* Tuomas Seppälä - Keyboards, Guitar
* Kasperi Heikkinen - Guitar
* Kimmo Korhonen (WALTARI, HELION, SOLACIDE) - Guitar
* Jukka Koskinen (NORTHER, WINTERSUN) - Bass
* Heikki Saari (NORTHER, NAILDOWN) - Drums

For more information, visit www.amberiandawn.com.

Italian "post-hardcore" band HOPES DIE LAST will release its sophomore full-length album, "Trust No One", on February 14 via Standby Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Never Trust The Hazel Eyed
02. Sidney Shown
03. Unleash Hell
04. Life After Me Life After You
05. The Blue
06. Bill's Got Only A Pair Of Queens
07. This Song Plays Suicide
08. Air Raid Siren
09. Firework (KATY PERRY cover)
10. The Same Old Fears
11. Icarus (Halfway Across The Sky)
12. Keep Your Hands Off (feat. Nekso)

HOPES DIE LAST is:

Daniele Tofani: Vocals
Marco "Becko" Calanca: Vocals, Bass
Marco Mantovani: Guitar, Vocals
Luigi Magliocca: Guitar
Ivan Panella: Drums

AUTOMAN.CA, the Toronto, Ontario, Canada-based outfit featuring Darrell "Dwarf" Millar of KILLER DWARFS fame and the Nikki Sixx-produced LAIDLAW, will release its new album, "Backseat Surprise", on February 14 via UD Records. The CD was produced, engineered and mixed by Greg Looper (TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS) and was co-produced by Millar.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Livin' Bitter Better
02. Rock It Together
03. Loose Lips
04. Forty Five
05. Bona Fide
06. Sweaty Hand Of Fate
07. Hurts To Be Alive
08. Down To the Bone
09. Porno Queen

AUTOMAN.CA has been described as "a genuinely pure '70s/'80s-influenced kick-ass band in the essence of AEROSMITH, THE ROLLING STONES, AC/DC and others. Their distinctive, upbeat brand of modern classic rock can best be described as coming straight out of a music time capsule, yet it's altogether fresh, current and timeless."

AUTOMAN.CA is:

Darrell "Dwarf" Millar (vocals)
Carleton Lockhart (guitar)
John Fenton (bass)
Adrian Cavan (drums)

Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and former SikTh front-man Mikee Goodman have joined forces for a brand new studio project called Primal Rock Rebellion.

The forthcoming album fuses together two very different approaches to music - Mikee's unique vocal tones and dark, yet colourful lyrics, and Adrian's instantly recognisable guitar melodies and song writing prowess. Adrian also plays bass throughout the album! All songs were co-written by Adrian and Mikee as individual pieces of work and recorded in creative windows of opportunity.

Adrian comments "It was interesting doing this album with Mikee not least because we have quite different influences. I was really pleased with the way it turned out. It has a really fresh feel to it."

Mikee explains "This album takes you on a really deep and colourful journey, lyrically and musically. Adrian and I were both very open to experimenting with each others' musical styles and influences, which we feel created something new and exciting."

Session musicians who also contributed to this forthcoming album include Abi Fry of Bat For Lashes, plus original SikTh member Dan 'Lord' Foord on drums, amongst others. The resulting album, is due for simultaneous worldwide release on Spinefarm Records on 27th February 2012.

MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel revealed via his Facebook page that he is engaged to BLEEDING THROUGH keyboardist Marta Peterson.

Demmel and Peterson started dating when their bands toured together in Australia and Japan in early 2010.

In an October 2011 interview with Hardrock Haven, Demmel stated about MACHINE HEAD's Australian tour with BLEEDING THROUGH, "I met the girl of my dreams in Australia the last time we were down there. One of the greatest things that has ever happened to me was on that run. I have very special memories of Australia and knowing that I was in love for the first time when I was in Brisbane."

Phil has a five-year-old son, Jadon Philip Demmel, with "rock model" Jamie Jagger.

Demmel began touring with MACHINE HEAD in 2002 but didn't officially join the band until 2004, shortly before the recording of the group's "Through The Ashes Of Empires" album.

Phil was a founding member of the late 1980s San Francisco Bay Area thrash band VIO-LENCE, which also included MACHINE HEAD guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn.

Peterson was twice named "Hottest Chick" in metal by Revolver magazine.

Australian four piece thrash band 4ARM have signed with Rising Records. The band’s label debut which will be their third studio album overall is scheduled for a February 6th release. The title of the album will be Submission For Liberty.

Vocalist, guitarist and co-writer Danny Tomb commented: “We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with Rising Records. I feel this will give the band the exposure it needs to be a real force in the metal scene not only nationally but internationally. After working hard for over seven years now, we now have a real sense of achievement and a hunger to push things even further.”

LOOD STAIN CHILD's female vocalist Sophia recently revealed she took part in a project called SAVE THE QUEEN in early 2011, using the name Somnium, featuring music from the video game Touhou Project that had been rearranged and beefed up by guitarist/bandmate Ryu. A full length clip of the song 'Ex-Termination' is available below. It was featured on the album Perfect Eastern Dream, which was issued in Japan in the spring of 2011.

Italian progressive metallers NEVERDREAM will release their fourth album, "The Circle", in the fall via Twilight Zone Records. According to a press release, the CD's lyrical themes will revolve "around a captivating flavor 'noir,' covering topics like the human psyche and the horrors of religious fanaticism."

NEVERDREAM's third CD, 2010's "Said", was produced by Achim Köhler (PRIMAL FEAR, EDGUY, MASTERPLAN) and was described in a press release as "a journey throughout the historical, social and cultural life of the cradle of human race."

NEVERDREAM is:

Voice: Giorgio Massimi
Guitar: Giuseppe Marinelli
Bass: Andrea Terzulli
Key: Mauro Neri
Keyboards, Sax, Programming: Fabrizio Dottori
Drums: Gabriele Palmieri