Swedish metal supergroup DEATHDESTRUCTION, which features members of EVERGREY, HAMMERFALL and DEAD BY APRIL, have signed with Sweden's Sony Music Entertainment.

The band's debut album will be released on August 25th, and was recorded during winter in Gothenburg with producer Roberto Laghi in IF Studios. A first taste of the album comes in the form of 'Fuck Yeah' - an EP recorded entirely live in IF Studios to be released April 18th.

"It is with extreme pride that we in the Deathdestruction can announce that we are signing with Sony. We look forward to a long partnership and it will be damn fun to go out live with that company in the back! Here we go!", says guitarist Henry "The Bucket" Danhage.

"Deathdestruction makes me be a teenager again", said David Mortimer-Hawkins, A & R at Sony Music. "We are very excited and proud to be working with the band and their incredibly heavy debut album."

"Stone Of The Seven Suns", the new "official" live video from German melodic folk/death metallers SUIDAKRA, can be viewed below. The song comes off the group's 's tenth album, "Book Of Dowth", which will be released on March 25 via AFM Records. The CD was recorded at Gernhart Studio in Siegburg, Germany with producer Martin Buchwalter. Famous Belgian graphic artist Kris Verwimp once again created the cover artwork and lyrical concept.

Inspired by the darker side of Celtic lore, the concept of "Boo

STRYCH.NINE are the brand new band, made up of a Dutch/Belgian metal alliance with musicians from LEAVES' EYES, SPOIL ENGINE, CRIMSON FALLS, MORDA and POLLUTED INHERITANCE.

Strych.Nine is all about honest, straightforward and in-your-face music, with clear song structures and transparent lyrics. It is an organic whole that can prove it's worth as well live as on CD due to years of combined experience.

Volcom Entertainment has joined forces with legendary doom guitarist/vocalist Victor Griffin (PENTAGRAM, DEATH ROW, CATHEDRAL) and PLACE OF SKULLS.

Titled As A Dog Returns, the nine-track follow-up to 2006's The Black Is Never Far was released in North America last fall via Giddy Up Records. Recorded at Lakeside Studios in Knoxville by Travis Wyrick and Griffin with drums recorded and engineered by Mike Dearing, As A Dog Returns will finally see a proper European release on April 4th via Volcom with distribution by ADA Warner.




Said Griffin of the cooperation: "We're extremely happy with this arrangement. I've had my eye on Volcom for some time now. They're a wide-reaching company and have their hand in other markets besides music... a clothing line, skateboard/surfing apparel, and more. It's cool that a company like this loves heavy music and only puts out the stuff they really dig. It's just a whole different angle than the way labels typically work."

Coinciding with the European release of As A Dog Returns, Place Of Skulls will embark on a European tour with THE GATES OF SLUMBER.

Dates are as follows:

March
31 - Helsinki, Finland - Kuudes Linja

April
1 - Oulu, Finland - Nuclear Nightclub
2 - Turku, Finland - Klubi
5 - Nürnberg, Germany - KV
6 - Lenzburg, Switzerland - Met Bar
7 - Wien, Austria - Arena
8 - Vicenza, Italy - Sabotage
9 - Parma, Italy - Onirica Club
10 - Martigny, Switzerland - Les Caves du Manoir
12 - Paris, France - Le Labo - Théatre de Ménilmontant
13 - Barcelona, Spain - Rocksound
15 - Tilburg, Netherlands - O13, Roadburn, Midi Theater for POS

Metal Mad Music recently announced the signing of Greek melodic, progressive power metal band FORTRESS UNDER SIEGE to their roster.

The band's new album, The Mortal Flesh Of Love, will be released through Metal Mad Music during summer 2011 and official release date announcement will follow soon.

The track 'Deeds Of All Disgrace' is now available for streaming through band's official ReverbNation page here.

FAITH NO MORE is auctioning of a set of five signed show posters (which can be seen below) via eBay, with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross for Japan.




To view and/or bid on the auction, which ends March 30th, click here. The winner also receives a $75 gift certificate to Faith No More's webstore

Northern California experimental metallers ARSONISTS GET ALL THE GIRLS recently completed work on their fourth album, entitled Motherland, and set to be released on May 17th.

The first single from the album, entitled 'Avdotya', is now streaming online at the band's official Facebook. page. Simply head to the page and click 'Like' for your chance to hear the track.




The tracklisting for the new album can be found below:

‘Tempest’
‘Rise To Fall’
‘Neck Of The Contrast’
‘Gooseknuckle’
‘It Was A Memoir’
‘Dr. Teeth’
‘Avdotya’
‘Waiting For The War To Die’
‘West Cliffs’
‘Hemlock Like This’
‘Woebegone’
‘Our Super Symmetry’
‘Will Someone Please Turn Down The Ocean?’

Arsonists Get All The Girls have also announced they will headline the Return ToThe Motherland Tour with A PLEA FOR PURGING, LIONHEART, THE CONTORTIONIST and VOLUMES.

Italy's ILLOGICIST are looking for a new drummer in anticipation of their upcoming live commitments in Europe, overseas and in summer festivals, expected as part of the promotion of the new album - to be released this spring.

For strictly personal reasons, Alessandro Tinti has left the band; Illogicist is grateful for the musical contribution he brought to the band and for the friendship shown throughout the years.

For info and auditions:

illogicist@illogicist.com

NadirPromotion.com

Coroner Records artists RISE TO FALL present the video for the song 'Inner Scream', taken from their debut album, Restore The Balance, released on February 22nd. The live video can be seen below:



Rise To Fall's debut album, which includes 11 tracks recorded at The Rockstudios in Bilbao by renowned producer Carlos Creator and co-produced with Ettore Rigotti at The Metal House, was mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios in Denmark.

Tracklist:

'Redrum
'Unknown Presence'
'Inner Scream'
'Rise From Drama'
'Prophet Of Doom'
'Infected Wounds'
'Forbidden Lullaby'
'When The Instinct...'
'...Kills The Reason'
'My Sombre Prospect'
'Chasing Infinity'

The video for the song 'Redrum' can be seen below:

Quality fan-filmed video footage of EPICA's March 19, 2011 performance at club Hedon in Zwolle, The Netherlands can be viewed below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Samadhi
02. Resign To Surrender
03. Sensorium
04. The Obsessive Devotion
05. Unleashed
06. Martyr Of The Free Word
07. Kingdom Of Heaven
08. The Last Crusade
09. Cry For The Moon
10. Imperial March (JOHN WILLIAMS cover)
11. Tides Of Time
12. Consign To Oblivion

Encore:

13. Sancta Terra
14. Quietus
15. The Phantom Agony

Fan-filmed video footage of EVERGREY's March 8, 2011 unannounced/surprise concert at Pub Anchor in Stockholm, Sweden can be viewed below.

EVERGREY will embark on a North American headlining tour this fall. Support on the trek will come from SABATON, POWERGLOVE, BLACKGUARD and THE ABSENCE. The tour kicks off with EVERGREY's acoustic set at this year's ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta, Georgia on September 14 and runs through October 12 in Dallas, Texas.

"Murderball", a brand new song from veteran California power metallers VICIOUS RUMORS, can be streamed below (courtesy of AOL's Noisecreep). The track comes off the band's new album, "Razorback Killers", which will be released in Europe on March 28 (except in Germany, where it will arrive three days earlier) and in the U.S. on April 5 via SPV/Steamhammer.

Commented guitarist/mainman Geoff Thorpe: "The older we get, the more wicked VICIOUS RUMORS sound. We've definitely not slowed down — quite the opposite — we have even more drive. Our fans won't see a single VICIOUS RUMORS show where we don't go to our limits and beyond."

The reasons for VICIOUS RUMORS' high-powered performance? Thorpe has a plausible explanation: "The metal is in our blood!!!! Plus we always have an awesome line-up. Larry Howe on drums and vocals, our bassist Stephen Goodwin and guitarist Kiyoshi Morgan, and in Brian Allen we've found the best vocalist you could possibly get for these kind of songs." Brian Allen joined the VICIOUS RUMORS fold one and a half years ago at the recommendation of Matt McCourt (WILD DOGS), a longtime friend whom Thorpe met up with at the Headbangers Open Air. "Matt had praised Brian, and I thought that he'd be perfect for VICIOUS RUMORS," Thorpe said. His assessment soon proved true: from the beginning, Allen showed his great potential during intense rehearsals. "We immediately noticed this raw, pure quality in him," Thorpe said. "Like a snowball, something very big developed very quickly out of small beginnings. During our five-week European tour, Brian got nothing but positive reactions from our fans."

METALLICA today announced that all announcements made on their behalf via Writers Group Film Corp. and their subsidiary Front Row Networks, Inc. are false. Writers Group issued a press release on March 22, 2011 announcing "the acquisition of several hours of unique METALLICA 3D & 2D concert video footage for distribution."

"METALLICA owns and controls its recorded performances and Creeping Death Music owns the vast majority of any music embodied in METALLICA recordings," said the band's attorney Peter Paterno. "Pretty much any legitimate business would have contacted us to see how METALLICA felt about it. Maybe these guys just forgot."

"We are very happy to have bolstered the Writers Group Film Corp. stock price by using the METALLICA name," quipped Marc Reiter from METALLICA's management, Q Prime. "We only wish they would have told us sooner so we could have bought some."

METALLICA is scheduled to enter the studio in May to begin recording a yet-to-be-revealed new project, which guitarist Kirk Hammett described to RollingStone.com as "more a recording project than a bona fide METALLICA album."

Cleveland, Ohio metallers BREAKER will be joined by guitarist Shaun Vanek (ETERNAL LEGACY, CELLBOUND, MANIMALS) for their appearance at Keep It True XIV festival, set to take place April 29 at Tauberfrankenhalle in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany. Vanek replaces guitarist Nick Giannakos (WRETCH), who was forced to sit out the show due to work commitments and scheduling conflicts. Giannakos will continue with his band WRETCH, who are busy finishing up recording a new studio album at Noise Floor Studios in Cleveland, with BREAKER guitarist Don Depew producing.

Giannakos had been filling in on live performances for original BREAKER guitarist Michael Klein. Klein, who has appeared on all of the band's studio recordings, was forced to limit his live playing time several years ago due to a severe case of tinnitus.

Vanek made his live debut with BREAKER at the WJCU Radiothon Benefit Concert in Cleveland on February 19.

"I really love jammin' with these guys," says Vanek.

"I have always been a fan of Michael and Don's guitar playing. They both complement each other very well.

"I'm really looking forward to playing Michael's parts. It is key for me to play the solos like Michael because that's the way the fans are used to hearing the studio recordings but add my own energy to the live show. The stage is going to explode!"

Adds drummer Mark Klein, "We're very happy to have Shaun in BREAKER and it feels as though he's been with us for years. It's an ideal fit for us and I feel that our fans will really appreciate his great guitar playing and the energy he brings to the band!"

BREAKER has already been writing and rehearsing new material and will debut one new song for its German fans at the festival.

An e-card for "Communication Lost", the new studio album from the Swedish progressive rock band WOLVERINE, can be accessed at this location. Due on May 23 in Europe via Candlelight Records, the CD was recorded at various locations in Sweden between February and August 2010. It was mixed by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark in July/August 2010 and mastered by Eroc at Eroc's Mastering Ranch in Germany in December 2010/January 2011.

Australian progressive thrash metal band TERAMAZE has enlisted the talents of Jeff Waters (ANNIHILATOR guitarist/producer) and Neil Kernon (QUEENSRŸCHE, NEVERMORE, NILE, DEICIDE) to produce its forthcoming full-length album, "Anhedonia". The CD, which is described in a press release as "a critique of modern man's diminishing ability to experience life's simple pleasures," will be mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (SEPULTURA, SUFFOCATION, UNEARTH) in New Windsor, New York.

TERAMAZE has been creating tidal waves on its native shores of Australia with its explosive live performances and is ready to bring its music to the masses on the world stage.

While loosely befitting the genre of thrash metal, the music of TERAMAZE conjures such adjectives as "modern," "innovative," "progressive" and "groove-laden." Keeping the fundamental elements of metal alive in its music, TERAMAZE has the potential to push metal into unchartered waters with innovative guitar work, powerful grooves and soaring melodic vocals.

A rough-mix version of a new TERAMAZE song "Smashed Face" — taken from the "Anhedonia" album — cane be streamed using the audio player below.




TERAMAZE is:

Dean Wells - Guitar
Brett "TIKI" Rerekura - Vocals
Mat Dawson - Guitar
Miles Krenzin - Drums
Andrew Pitman - Bass

Spanish black/death metallers NOCTEM will release their sophomore album, "Oblivion", on June 13 via Rising Records. A "signed limited tour edition" of the CD will be made available in Spain on May 24.

The follow-up to 2009's "Divinity", "Oblivion" was recorded at Ultrasound Studios 2 in Portugal with producer Daniel Cardoso (ANGELUS APATRIDA, AVA INFERI, ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN) and features cover artwork by by Marcelo Vasco, the Brazilian designer who previously worked on "Divinity" as well as with bands like DIMMU BORGIR, DARK FUNERAL, SATYRICON, BELPHEGOR, GORGOROTH and many more.

According to a press release, the second part of the trilogy that started with "Divinity" will be "the hardest, fastest and darkest opus from NOCTEM to date." The CD will be a "logical progression of the last album, full of new nuances and based in a darker sound and a more complex composition."

"Oblivion" track listing:

01. Popol Vuh
02. The Arrival Of The False Gods
03. Universal Disorder
04. Abnegation And Brutality
05. Invictus
06. Sons Of Hun-Vucub
07. Seeking The Ruin Of Souls
08. Unredemption
09. Q'uma'rka'aa'j
10. A Borning Winged Snake
11. Oblivion

Legendary New Orleans metallers EXHORDER have released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"On March 22, 2011, Frankie Sparcello, our brother, friend and bassist sadly passed on from us. His sense of humor and gentle soul that touched so many will always be missing from us in our lives and on the stage we are honored to have shared with such a talented musician.

"In situations that were low for us as a band, Frankie usually managed to lift us from the darkness with his silly spirit. His ferocious bass playing and stage presence will always be revered.

"The outreach from family, friends and fans has been amazing for us and the extended EXHORDER family. People are coming from out of the woodworks to lend us their support, love and general kindness.

"Beneath the top layers of we that are known as EXHORDER are real, quality human beings that care deeply for one another and the ones we each call family or friend.

"EXHORDER also extends big arms to Frankie's family, and we consider you exactly that — family.

"Thank you again deeply from the bottom of our heavy hearts.

"Rest well, dear brother. We love you, Frankie."

Sparcello joined EXHORDER prior to the recording sessions for the band's sophomore album, "The Law", which came out in 1992. The group broke up a short time later and reformed with its original lineup a few years later. Sparcello rejoined EXHORDER in 2009 and was scheduled to perform with the band at this year's Maryland Deathfest IX, which is set to take place May 26-29, 2011 at Sonar in Baltimore.

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach recently entered a Los Angeles studio with his new, young, virtuosic guitarist Nick Sterling 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 two separate Facebook postings dated March 23, Bach writes, "Recording continues today! We are into the vocals now and everything is sounding great! We are making sure that the CD is energetic, powerful, cool, heavy, melodic, and rocking like a sonofabitch.

"I hate to make comparisons, but I swear the song Nick Sterling is cutting right now is like a cross between RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and THE WHO, with a little BLACK SABBATH thrown in for good measure. Guitar wizardry is underway."

Check out photos at this location.

Bach previously stated about his new solo material, "This CD will follow along the lines of 'Skid Row', 'Slave To The Grind', 'Subhuman Race' and 'Angel Down'. If you like rockin' guitar riffs, high-energy songs and performances, deadly drums of doom, and ear-shattering screams, we got your rock right here!" He also described the songs as "heavy, interesting, classic sounding, modern sounding, completely rock 'n' roll — just how we like it!"