Swedish melodic metallers ASTRAL DOORS have issued the following update:

"The work with the upcoming album continues. Even though we're not even
halfway through the process, we can already feel that this release will be
something special. This time around we deal with religion, and all the shit it
has brought to the world, once and for all and the working title of the album
is 'Jerusalem'. Our intention is that the album will be released in October in connection with a European tour. The first DVD from the band is also in the making. Some additional material will be filmed this summer and we're talking about a winter release."

ASTRAL DOORS' "Testament Of Rock - The Best Of Astral Doors" collection was released on November 19, 2010 via Metalville, the band and label pool launched by the Cologne, Germany-based company Flying Dolphin Entertainment Group UG. The compilation contains 14 classics picked by ASTRAL DOORS. The booklet features "a two-page history-lesson about ASTRAL DOORS; a summary of the first decade with ASTRAL DOORS" written by Erik Thompson of Sweden Rock Magazine.

Guitarist Martin Haglund left ASTRAL DOORS in April 2010 in order to focus on his family life. The band has opted to remain a five-piece, with founding member Joachim Nordlund handling all guitars himself.

ASTRAL DOORS released its fifth album, "Requiem Of Time" in Europe on January 29, 2010 and in North America on February 16, 2010 through Metalville.

U.K. modern cutting-edge orchestral metal band XERATH has released its cover version of MICHAEL JACKSON's "Speed Demon" as a digital download via iTunes and Amazon. The track was released simultaneously with XERATH's new single, "Unite To Defy".

When asked why they decided to cover a MICHAEL JACKSON song, the band responded by saying, "The choice of doing 'Speed Demon' was a simple one. Everyone in the band loves Michael Jackson.

"'Speed Demon' is an amazing song, it's got great riffs and lends itself nicely to the XERATH orchestral treatment".

XERATH will release its sophomore album, simply titled "II", on April 25 via Candlelight Records. The follow-up to 2009's "I" is described in a press release as "a huge and fully refined slab of XERATH's unique sound from the production genius of Jacob Hansen (ABORTED, PESTILENCE, TYR, HATESPHERE) at Hansen studios [in Ribe, Denmark]. XERATH have combined the most brutal and technical elements of modern extreme metal to offer you something massive, cinematic, heavy, groovy and ultimately epic beyond compare."

"Unite To Defy" is available for streaming below.

Australian extreme music collective THE AMENTA has announced a new addition to the group's ranks for the upcoming tour in support of the enormous multimedia release, "V01D". Tim Aldridge will be joining the band on the trek as a second guitarist. Devout metalheads will remember Tim as the driving force behind one of Australia's greatest death metal acts, ABREMALIN, as well as for his recent work with industrial heavyweights THE BERZERKER.

Commented THE AMENTA in a statement: "THE AMENTA is very excited to have Tim on board. He is a great player, a dominant live force and a good friend.

"This will be the first time THE AMENTA have played with a second guitarist since 2007 so long-term fans can look forward to a return to the wall of sound chaos of earlier shows."

"V01D" features 16 tracks (a new song, electronic experiments, re-recordings, remixes and a cover of the ARMOURED ANGEL classic "Enigmatize") as well as five professionally filmed and recorded videos.

"V01D" track listing:

Audio

01. Empty
02. V01d (exclusive new song)
03. Erebus (re-recorded)
04. Ache
05. Junky (re-recorded)
06. Spine (re-recorded)
07. Null
08. Vermin (re-recorded)
09. Nihil (re-recorded)
10. Nil
11. Enigmatize (originally performed by ARMOURED ANGEL)
12. None
13. Junky (remix)
14. Nihil (remix)
15. Vermin (remix)
16. Erebus (remix)

Video

The Amenta Live In Sydney - Multi-Camera, Pro-Audio Video:

01. Junky
02. Vermin
03. Mictlan
04. Erebus
05. Vermin (film clip, never before released)

"V01D" is available free of charge via TheAmenta.com exclusively.

Bassist Jonathan Miller of Santa Barbara, California metallers DEVILDRIVER has released the following statement:

"I just wanted to thank all of the DEVILDRIVER fans around the world for their die-hard love and support for the past nine years.

"Yesterday, I decided to leave DEVILDRIVER. It was the most difficult decision of my life but it is something that I needed to do for myself.

"I had the best times of my life hanging out with all of you guys, but it is time for me to move on.

"Much love to everyone."

Pennsylvania's ARGUS, which features the powerful voice of former PENANCE vocalist Butch Balich, will release its sophomore album, "Boldly Stride The Doomed", on May 3 via the Italian heavy metal label Cruz Del Sur Music.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Abandoning The Gates Of Byzantium
02. A Curse On The World
03. Wolves Of Dusk
04. The Ladder
05. Durendal
06. 42-7-29
07. Boldly Stride The Doomed
08. Fading Silver Light
09. Pieces Of Your Smile
10. The Ruins Of Ouroboros

ARGUS stormed onto the underground metal scene with its twin-guitar-driven, doom-tinged, working-class-metal sound with a self-recorded demo in early 2007 on John Brenner's (REVELATION, AGAINST THE NATURE) DIY label, Bland Hand Records. The band was roundly welcomed by the metal community at home as well as abroad and established its foundation amongst friends/fans within the scene. With this initial momentum, the band created a buzz that was only solidified by their punishing live performances. Their self-titled debut album was released on Shadow Kingdom Records in 2009, receiving praise from media outlets worldwide. The band continued to gain notoriety, attracting like-minded fans world-wide who celebrate the genre and its core values of: hard work, discipline and integrity.

New York hardcore-metallists VISION OF DISORDER (a.k.a. V.O.D.) are planning to enter the studio in May to begin recording their first album in a decade. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Hard Times", "Annihilator" and "Be Up On It". "The songs are what you would expect from V.O.D. — very aggressive and melodic," bassist Mike Fleischmann told Greg Prato of UGO in a recent interview. "We really feel that on these new songs we have kind of mixed up all of our past efforts into a blender with a dash of new flavor, and we are excited to see what V.O.D. fans will think of it."

Regarding the songwriting process for the as-yet-untitled album, Fleischmann said, "We started doing some pre-production this past fall and things went well — but we felt we needed more time to fine-tune the songs, so we went back to writing. We were also looking for a producer that we really clicked with."

Dayton, Ohio Christian metalcore band THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA has entered Zing Studios in Massachusetts with producer Adam Dutkiewicz (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, TIMES OF GRACE) to begin recording its new album. Additional synth/key production will be handled by Joey Sturgis (who has worked on all of the THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA records so far) with further assistance on the vocal production by Jeremy McKinnon (A DAY TO REMEMBER).

A four-minute video clip featuring footage from the songwriting sessions for the new THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA CD can be viewed below.

"Zombie", the latest EP from THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, sold around 25,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's previous album, "With Roots Above and Branches Below", opened with 31,000 units back in May 2009 to land at No. 11.

The "Zombie" EP was previously described as an extremely heavy record that includes songs such as "Survivor" that follows the plight of a man who loses his beloved to the undead and ultimately, in surviving the zombie plague, spends his days warding off the brain-starved and loneliness. The story continues to unfold with the tracks "Outnumbered", "Escape", "Revive" and "Anatomy". Serious THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA fans will note that the "Zombie" EP songtitles are straight-ahead and serious, unlike the "joke" titles that the band's full-length CDs have been known to feature — "Reptar, King of the Ozone" from 2007's "Plagues", as an example.

Victor Entertainment last month released a live DIO album entitled "Dio Live - We Rock". It features the band's performances at Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California in October 1983 and at Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in August 1984.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Stand Up And Shout
02. Straight Through The Heart
03. Shame On The Night
04. Children Of The Sea
05. Holy Diver
06. Stargazer
07. Heaven And Hell
08. Rainbow In The Dark
09. Man On The Silver Mountain
10. Dont Talk To Strangers
11. One Night In The City
12. We Rock

Check out audio samples at this location.

REV 16:8 — the Swedish metal band formerly known as BLOODSHED — will release its second album, "Ashlands", on April 8 via Germany's AFM Records. The CD was recorded at Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, NOMINON, AVERSE SEFIRA, FUNERAL MIST, MORK GRYNING, ADORIOR) in Alvik, Sweden between May and July 2010 and was mixed and mastered by Sverker Widgren. The cover artwork and layout was handled by Rafael Tavares. Guest vocals on the track "The Chase" were provided by Acerbus of ONDSKAPT.

"Ashlands" track listing:

01. Agenda
02. Ashlands
03. Blackline Sundown
04. A Study In Patterns and Habits
05. The Chase
06. Serenade
07. Rust Retinal Vein
08. Coal Mirror
09. When Your Words Are Obsolete
10. Leave Me

Two songs from the CD — "Coal Mirror" and "Ashlands" — are available for streaming below.

DEVILS WHOREHOUSE — the "horror-death rock" side-project of MARDUK guitarist Morgan Håkansson — changed its name to DEATH WOLF because "the music and philosophy behind the orchestra has outgrown its name," according to a press release.

DEATH WOLF (symbolizing the strength, dedication and will shown in its creations) recently finished recording its new album for a May 27 release via Regain Records/Blooddawn.

"Death Wolf" track listing:

01. Circle Of Abomination
02. Weaving Death
03. The Other Hell
04. Morning Czar Shineth
05. Ironwood
06. Sword And Flame
07. Wolfs Pallid Sister
08. Ramsvart
09. Unto Dying Eyes
10. Black Mark
11. Coming Forth By Night
12. Dawn Of Flesh

RUSH's "Moving Pictures" celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with a spectacular "Moving Pictures - Deluxe Edition" via Mercury/UMe. The reissue of this seminal album on April 5, will be available in two formats: (1) a digitally remastered CD plus DVD and (2) a digitally remastered CD plus Blu-ray. For this Deluxe Edition, the DVD and Blu-ray discs will feature the album and three bonus music videos, "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight" and the previously unreleased clip "Vital Signs", in both a stunning 5.1 Surround Sound mix supervised by the band's Alex Lifeson using the original multi-tracks and in newly remastered stereo from the original analog master tapes.

Both DVD and Blu-ray formats will boast the 5.1 Surround Sound and stereo audio in 96kHz/24-bit high-resolution audiophile playback which offers 256 times more resolution than CD audio, providing the listener with the closest experience you can have to what the artists hear in the studio. The DVD is playable on both DVD-Audio and DVD-Video players, the latter players will include Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and PCM stereo playback. Blu-ray discs will also feature DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround Sound in addition to 96kHz/24-bit PCM 5.1 Surround Sound and stereo.

The "Moving Pictures" experience has never sounded better or been more moving. Also included in the package is an extensive gallery with previously unreleased photos from the original recording sessions, new liner notes by renowned music journalist David Fricke and 30th-anniversary artwork by original album designer Hugh Syme.

At quadruple platinum in the U.S., "Moving Pictures" was the band's eighth studio album and remains its biggest-selling release to date, highlighted by the group's best-known track "Tom Sawyer", as well as the hit "Limelight", radio favorite "Red Barchetta" and Grammy-nominated instrumental "YYZ".

RUSH continues to garner new fans through new recordings and touring, and is a mainstay at Mainstream Rock radio. Last year, RUSH had 100 different tracks get radio airplay, one of only six rock artists — including AC/DC, METALLICA, AEROSMITH, PINK FLOYD, and THE ROLLING STONES — to have that deep a catalog. They also are one of only 16 artists to have remained in the Top 40 in radio airplay for the last 10 years at Mainstream Rock. As singer-bassist-keyboardist Geddy Lee, lead guitarist Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart record their 20th studio album, "Clockwork Angels", and continue their "Time Machine" tour in America and Europe this year — during which they will perform the entire album — RUSH continues to stay true to the spirit that made "Moving Pictures" a classic.

Veteran Australian hard rock/metal act TYRANT has released its fifth CD, "Save The Devil". The effort was recorded at Izaneer studios in Tasmania during 2010 and was produced by Brett Collidge.

According to a press release, recording for "Save The Devil" started back in 2008 but singer Neil Steel was involved in a 'head-on' car accident, which halted proceedings for over 12 months.

"Save The Devil" features 10 songs, with TYRANT's no-nonsense balls-out attitude and a far more metal flavor compared to the band's previous releases.

"Save The Devil" track listing:

01. Intro
02. Courage Of The Heart
03. Lay Down The Law
04. Defenders Of The Faith
05. Devil Woman
06. Tumblin' Down
07. Fire In The Sky
08. Youngblood
09. Killing Machine
10. Running From The Law

KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque has contributed a guest guitar solo to a cover version of the METALLICA classic "Seek And Destroy" which will appear on the forthcoming EP from the Norwegian heavy metal band CRITICAL SOLUTION. Entitled "Evidence Of Things Unseen", the CD was recorded at La Rocque's Sonic Train studios in Varberg, Sweden and features the following five songs:

01. Dead Man Walkin'
02. Sad Hill
03. Crime Of Passion
04. Seek And Destroy (METALLICA cover; feat. Andy La Rocque)
05. War Machine

An early April release is expected.

CRITICAL SOLUTION is:

Christer Slettebø - Lead Guitar/Vocals
Egil Mydland - Drums
Tov Glesnes - Rhythm Guitar
Eimund Grøsfjell - Bass

British pagan metal band THE WOLVES OF AVALON will release its new album, "Carrion Crows Over Camlan", in April via Godreah Records.

Featuring Metatron (THE MEADS OF ASPHODEL), THE WOLVES OF AVALON is an embodiment of ancient British spirit and pride and not to be confused with any modern interpretation of things long since buried by time and dust. By drafting in JM to create the music and traditional instrumentalist from other bands, Metatron's vision has finally come to life.

THE WOLVES OF AVALON is:

* Rob Darken (GRAVELAND)
* Verst (INSTINCT)
* Roibéard Ó Bogail (MAEL-MORDHA)
* Magnus O. Wohlfart (YGGDRASIL)
* Petra Jadrná (CRUADALACH)
* Arvid Vermote (KRIGAVAR)
* Rob Wakefield (AURORA-PROJECT)

According to a press release, THE WOLVES OF AVALON's "music can be termed Celtic pagan metal that simmers in a doleful, almost tragic atmosphere with sporadic up tempo sections to shed light on the Dark Age tale that writhes within. The concept is of the British Celtic Arthurian age much maligned by exaggerated myths and erroneous histories of Britain. The album reflects a period around 500 A.D., that existed after the Romans were recalled to defend their homeland from the Barbarian migrations, the same land hungry hordes that were to engulf the warriors and tribes of Britain. This was the era of the Germanic and British wars, and the Arthurian defence of our sacred soil that was to end in defeat at Camlan. The main essence of the lyrical concept is the great victory over the Germanic invaders, at The Battle of Baddon Hill around 500 A.D., [also known as Mons Badonicus] Baddon Hill was the great Victory that this album surmounts. This was when the British Celts defeated the Germanic Saxons in the last great Celtic age of heroes. It is ironic to think the Saxons and their fellow invaders, the Angles and Jutes would soon after amalgamate into what would be termed as the England. [Angle land]. This album celebrates the old British pride, the old Gods and the great tribes prior to the alien Germanic incursions. This is an album dedicated to our Pagan ancestors."


"Carrion Crows Over Camlan" track listing:

01. Intro - This Mighty Isle
02. The Wolves Of Avalon
03. Enchanted Spirits Of Warriors Slain [instrumental]
04. Lost Gods We Call On You
05. British Tribes Unite
06. The War Song Of Beli Mawr
07. The Siege Of Badon Hill
08. The Last Druid
09. Carrion Crows Over Camlan
10. Britain Is Fallen
11. Ravens Over Dumonia [instrumental]
12. Song Of The Graves

"No Limitations", the first video from Swedish extreme metallers IMPLODE, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "The Hour Has Come", which will be released in May via Supernova Records.

IMPLODE's "Memento Mori" demo earned the band the tag "Best Unsigned Act in Sweden" courtesy of Close-Up Magazine.

The group has previously shared the stage with such acts as THE HAUNTED, ENTOMBED and WITHIN TEMPTATION.

In early 2009, IMPLODE parted ways with vocalist Viktor Brunö and replaced him with Johan Ejerblom. The group's sound began to take the shape, with the band pursuing "a more rough and evil" direction, according to IMPLODE's official bio.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, the Anglo-American rock supergroup featuring the talents of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, TRAPEZE, BLACK SABBATH), blues rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN), and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER), will release its second album, simply entitled "2", in Europe on June 13 via Mascot Records and in the U.S. on June 14, 2011 through the J&R Adventures label.

"2" track listing:

01. The Outsider
02. Man In The Middle
03. I Can See Your Spirit
04. The Battle For Hadrian's Wall
05. Save Me
06. Cold
07. Smokestack Woman
08. Faithless
09. An Ordinary Son
10. Little Secret
11. Crossfire
12. Crawl

British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) has released the following statement:

"Dear fans, due to financial and medical reasons, I've been forced to part ways with the [BLAZE BAYLEY] band. I will give a full statement in the next few days about my future plans.

"I hope that all my fans will keep on supporting me in my further projects.

"The English dates will be postponed to December but the festivals in Germany, Sweden, Lithuania and the show in Istanbul will definitely proceed!"

Fan-filmed video footage of Blaze Bayley's September 26, 2010 concert at Snooty Fox in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England can be viewed below.

Blaze's latest album, "Promise and Terror", was released on February 1, 2010.

The singer's double live album and live DVD, "The Night That Will Not Die" — recorded on December 13, 2008 at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland — were released on Blaze Bayley Recordings; the concert was filmed by director Kris McManus and all audio mixed and mastered by producer Jase Edwards.

A number of high-quality photos of THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT's March 28, 2011 concert at the Boerderij, Zoetermeer in the Netherlands can be found at Metal-Experience.com. The show marked the first time on the band's current European tour that it was joined on stage by former THE GATHERING singer Anneke van Giersbergen.

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT's setlist was as follows:

01. Addicted (with Anneke van Giersbergen)
02. Supercrush (with Anneke van Giersbergen)
03. Numbered (with Anneke van Giersbergen)
04. Kingdom (with Anneke van Giersbergen)
05. Deadhead
06. Truth
07. OM
08. By Your Command (with Anneke van Giersbergen)
09. Hyperdrive (with Anneke van Giersbergen)
10. Life (with Anneke van Giersbergen)
11. Earth Day
12. Bad Devil (with Anneke van Giersbergen)

Encore:

13. Color Your World
14. The Greys
15. Deep Peace

Encore 2:

16. Bend It Like Bender (with Anneke van Giersbergen)

Former members of IN FLAMES, THE HAUNTED and GRAVE joined forces in a brand new Sweden-based metal band called THE RESISTANCE.

The group's lineup is as follows:

* Marco Aro (FACE DOWN, ex-THE HAUNTED) - Vocals
* Jesper Strömblad (ex-IN FLAMES, DIMENSION ZERO) - Guitar
* Glenn Ljungström (ex-IN FLAMES, DIMENSION ZERO) - Guitar
* Alex Losbäck Holstad (ex-DESPITE, DECAMERON, CARDINAL SIN) - Bass
* Chris Barkensjö (CARNAL FORGE, GODSIC, ex-GRAVE) - Drums

More information on THE RESISTANCE will be made available soon.

"Everyone Must Die", the new video from the Italian death/doom band TETHRA, can be viewed below. The clip was filmed with director Stefano Visintin, who is best known for his short horror films "Agonia", "The Heiress" and "Agony II".

"Everyone Must Die" comes off TETHRA's first mini-CD, "At The Gates Of Doom", which was released on November 2, 2010 via Occultum Production. It is being distributed in Italy by Masterpiece. The CD was recorded at Occultum Studios under the supervision of Ossian, mastermind of the Italian cult band OPERA IX.

"At The Gates of Doom" is a conceptual effort based on the journey that each soul must take through the gates separating the dimension of the living from the land of the dead.

"At The Gates of Doom" track listing:

01. The Gates Of Eternal Damnation
02. Everyone Must Die
03. At The Gates Of Doom
04. Arise From My Fate
05. My Agony

Florida-based death metal veterans MORBID ANGEL will release their long-awaited eighth studio album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", on June 7 (one day earlier internationally) via Season of Mist. The cover artwork was designed by Gustavo Sazes and can be viewed below.

Commented Sazes: "To create this cover we worked from several references, ideas, elements, and I would say a 'world' of options and paths.

"After a long brainstorming period and some [good and bad] ideas left behind, we came up with the concept of this organic surreal insane being; a fallen God or a weird mirror image of our own madness. It is a different MORBID ANGEL cover for sure, but I think that's how MORBID ANGEL is...Deviant and different on each new release. They never repeat themselves. They are always pushing the boundaries and setting new standards.

"I'm really proud of the final results and hope the fans appreciate my work, while listening to the new album!"

Prior to the release of the album, a single for the song "Nevermore" will be made available on May 16 as a digital download and seven-inch vinyl single. The B-side is an exclusive version of new song "Destructos Vs. The Earth", remixed by COMBICHRIST.

"Of all the remixes I've been asked to do I never expected one of the world's most notorious death metal bands to have an interest in hearing their music on the dance floor," said COMBICHRIST mainman Andy LaPlegua. "However, 'Destructos' is one of those tracks that are so versatile that it could have been recorded as a folk song and it would still sound amazing.

"I'm honored to be a part of this project and am excited to see how the MORBID ANGEL fans react to this unusual new direction."

The cover artwork for the single was designed by French artists Valnoir and Fursy Teyssier for Metastazis.

A four-minute medley of tracks that appear on "Circle Regenerated", the new album from the Finnish melodic death/black metal act NORTHER, is available at this location. The follow-up to 2008's "N" marks the recording debut of the band's new vocalist Aleksi Sihvonen "and will leave no long-time fan of the band dissatisfied and will grab you by the balls with its stunning blend of viciously infective hooks, epic elements and powerful riffs and leads," according to a press release.

"Circle Regenerated" will be released via Century Media Records on the following dates:

Finland: Wednesday, April 13
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway: Friday, April 15
Spain, Italy: Tuesday, April 19, 2011.
Sweden, Hungary: Wednesday, April 20
Rest Of Europe: Monday, April 18
Australia, New Zealand: Friday, April 22

"Circle Regenerated" track listing:

01. Through It All
02. The Hate I Bear
03. Truth
04. Some Day
05. Break Myself Away
06. Believe
07. Falling
08. We Do Not Care
09. The Last Time
10. Closing In

Italian death metallers NATRON have issued the following update:

"On the 14th of March NATRON [entered] the Golem Dungeon studio to record a new album. Actually, this won't include brand new material but it is going to be a very interesting release with re-recorded and re-arranged songs of the 1994-97 era and the 'Dead Shall Rise' cover from grindcore legends TERRORIZER. This will be definitely a sort of 'appetizer' before the new NATRON album is released in 2012. The album is named 'Grindermeister' and it will be tentatively released by the Italian label Southern Brigade Records towards the end of spring/beginning of summer 2011! Recording sessions will last till the end of March/beginning of April then the band will be back on the road for a couple of weeks touring the Balkans and Eastern Europe with DISGORGE and SACRAMENTAL BLOOD. Tour kicks off on the 12th of May in Italy and includes Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey. Tour will end in 25th and complete routing will be announced soon. Before this tour Max Marzocca (drums) will tour Europe with GRIMNESS 69 —Italian deathsters from Venice — from the 22th of April to 7th of May. This trek will be headlined by DISGORGE and INHUME."

NATRON's sixth studio album, "Rot Among Us", was released in 2009 via Slovakia's Metal Age Productions. The CD was recorded between March and April 2008 at the Golem Dungeon Studios in Bari-Capurso with Ottavio Marzo (GOLEM guitarist) as engineer and co-producer and was mixed in August 2008.

NATRON's current lineup:

Nicola Bavaro (CRUENTUS, SCHIZO, GLACIAL FEAR) - Vocals
Domenico Mele - Guitar
Stefano Pomponio - Bass
Max Marzocca - Drums

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

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

ARCHITECTS recently parted ways with bassist Ali Dean.

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

An audio sample of PEGAZUS' cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Metal Gods" can be streamed below. The track comes off the group's first studio album in nine years, "In Metal We Trust", which will be released on April 15 through Black Leather Records (with distribution from Twilight Vertrieb). According to a press release, the CD contains "11 brand new classic heavy metal songs with original singer Justin Fleming back on vocals! As a tribute to the great guitarists of the '80s, PEGAZUS has invited Ross The Boss (MANOWAR, ROSS THE BOSS, THE DICTATORS), Jeff Watson (NIGHT RANGER, MOTHER'S ARMY) and David Shankle (MANOWAR, DSG) to contribute a solo to the song "Old Skool Metal Dayz".

"In Metal We Trust" track listing :

01. Metal Messiah
02. Road Warrior
03. Old Skool Metal Dayz
04. We Live To Rock
05. Haunting Me
06. Eye For An Eye
07. Ghost Rider
08. Metal Gods (JUDAS PRIEST cover)
09. End Of The World
10. Death Or Glory
11. Old Skool Metal Dayz (extended version feat. David Shankle, Ross the Boss, Jeff Watson

Swedish occult heavy metallers IN SOLITUDE will release their new album, "The World. The Flesh. The Devil", in Europe on May 23 via Metal Blade Records. The eight-song, 58-minute CD was recorded in Nicke Andersson's (HELLACOPTERS, ENTOMBED, IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC) brand new studio Gutterview Recorders in Stockholm, Sweden with producer Fred Estby (DISMEMBER, DEATH BREATH).

Comments the band: "One and a half year has passed since we started writing the album. It's not much, I guess, but it feels like a lifetime. And we are still quite amazed of how life-threatening and beautiful this piece of work turned out. We don't want anyone to expect anything besides growth — which is essential, musically and lyrically. And it will speak for itself.

"I guess we were doing things more 'point blank' when it came to the songs on the last record. It's still the same procedure when we record, of course, but in a larger spectrum, yet with far more focus. And this way we've been able to really make the experience go far deeper, and we've made it larger, to an extent where it really communicates with the emotion and the energies that drives us. The material did communicate on the last record as well — of course it did — but this time it's almost more of a communion rather than a communication. This time around we've had far more knowledge about (and at one with) the emotion and energies that drives us. It's a beautiful thing.

"It is very hard to explain the nature of making a record. But it was a really great experience. It really felt like we were packing our bags and gathering ourselves before leaving this place forever.

"On burning paths into the night we can't wait to share that trip with everyone."

"The World. The Flesh. The Devil" track listing:

01. The World The Flesh The Devil
02. We Were Never Here
03. Serpents Are Rising
04. Poisoned, Blessed And Burned
05. Demons
06. To Her Darkness
07. Dance Of The Adversary
08. On Burning Paths

IN SOLITUDE is:

Niklas Lindström - Guitar
Henrik Palm - Guitar
Gottfrid Åhman - Bass
Uno Bruniusson - Drums
Pelle Åhman – Vocals

CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist Pat O'Brien (pictured below) will fill in for EXODUS' Gary Holt when Holt leaves the SLAYER European tour to play with his own band EXODUS at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile on April 4. Holt has been filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman since the tour kicked off February 26 in Australia.

Holt's last show with SLAYER will be April 4 in Padova, Italy; O'Brien will join the band for the April 6 show in Croatia, and will finish the European dates with SLAYER that wrap up on April 14 in Holland.

Hanneman has amazed his doctors with his speedy recovery from an infection thought to have been caused by a spider bite. Following surgery on his right arm, he continues his physical therapy and has already been practicing with his guitar.

Remaining dates for SLAYER's European tour are as follows:

With Gary Holt:

Mar. 28 - La Rivera, Madrid, Spain
Mar. 29 - Coliseum, La Coruna, Spain
Mar. 30 - Pavilhao Atlantico, Lisbon, Spain
Apr. 01 St. Jordi Club, Barcelona, Spain (Gary Holt, guest guitarist)
Apr. 03 Rome Atlantico, Rome, Italy (Gary Holt, guest guitarist)
Apr. 04 Gran Teatro, Padova, Italy (Gary Holt, guest guitarist)

With Pat O'Brien:

Apr. 06 - Zagreb Arena, Zagreb, Crotia
Apr. 07 - Gasometer, Vienna, Austria
Apr. 08 - Arena Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
Apr. 10 - Prague O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
Apr. 11 - Lodz Sportshall, Lodz, Poland
Apr. 13 - Volkshaus, Zurich, Switzgerland
Apr. 14 - Klokgebouw, Eindhoven, Holland

The first in a series of trailers for "You Only Live Twice", the seventh album from PAIN, the Swedish industrial metal outfit led by musician and producer Peter Tägtgren, can be viewed below. The CD will be released on June 3 via Nuclear Blast Records.

"You Only Live Twice" final track listing:

01. Let Me Out
02. Feed The Demons
03. The Great Pretender
04. You Only Live Twice
05. Dirty Woman
06. We Want More
07. Leave Me Alone
08. Monster
09. Season Of The Reaper

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach recently entered a Los Angeles studio with his new, young, virtuosic guitarist Nick Sterling, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and producer Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, SHINEDOWN, ATREYU, FILTER) to record Bach's next CD, tentatively due this summer via the Italian label Frontiers Records.

In a Facebook posting dated March 28, Bach writes, "YAY! I am beyond thrilled to parlay the information to you that today I tracked the last two songs for the CD. 13 out of 13 songs now have vocals on them. Not all are finished but a majority of them are! Now it's time for backing vocals and lead guitars and making sure everything is perfect. Wrote the last of the lyrics today, for a brand new song that's heavy as hell and lyrically about a girl. Hey, all the best songs are!"

According to Billboard.com, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello will release his third folk-oriented album under the THE NIGHTWATCHMAN name, "World Wide Rebel Songs", late summer via New West Records.

THE NIGHTWATCHMAN is a band name Morello used for two previous solo albums — 2007's "One Man Revolution" and 2008's "The Fabled City".

Morello explained a while back the origin of THE NIGHTWATCHMAN moniker, which started when he first began performing his protest songs in coffeehouses. "I would sign up anonymously, you know," he said. "I didn't want to sign up as Tom Morello and have people, you know, between their mochaccinos clamoring for 'Bulls On Parade'. So I signed up as THE NIGHTWATCHMAN, and it was a moniker that seemed to fit the music that I was writing and playing, and it stuck."

Tom Morello is a founding member and guitarist of the rock bands RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE. The two bands are responsible for multiple Grammy Awards and a combined 30 million albums sold worldwide. Morello has also received critical acclaim as a solo artist known as THE NIGHTWATCHMAN. Widely celebrated for his unique voice as a master electric guitarist, he is recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the "100 Greatest Guitar Players of All-Time" (#26). He is also one of only two guitarists featured as a playable animated character in the overwhelmingly popular Activision video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

Tom Morello graduated from Harvard University with honors as a political science major and has been a widely recognized political activist throughout his career. With SYSTEM OF A DOWN's Serj Tankian, Morello formed Axis of Justice, an organization whose purpose is to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice.