"Meadows Of Desire", the new video from Greek death metallers DAYLIGHT MISERY, can be viewed below. The clip, which features a guest appearance by Efthimis Karadimas (NIGHTFALL), was directed by Manos, the guitarist of the band UNIVERSE217. The song comes off DAYLIGHT MISERY's debut album, "Depressive Icons", which came out in early April.

"Depressive Icons" track listing:

01. Intro
02. Meadows Of Desire
03. Depressive Icons
04. Miserablia
05. Infinity
06. Endless Fairytale
07. Stealing Flowers From A Grave
08. Soul Embraced
09. Mind Games

The drums for "Depressive Icons" were recorded at Woodshed Studios in Germany by Seraph (DARK FORTRESS, NONEUCHILD) and producer Victor Bullock (DARK FORTRESS, CELTIC FROST). All artwork for the effort was handled by Travis Smith, who has previously worked with NEVERMORE, KATATONIA, OPETH and AMORPHIS, among others.

"Depressive Icons" includes additional guest appearances by Sakis Tolis of ROTTING CHRIST and Jakob Batten (ILLDISPOSED). The keyboard duties were handled by Q_Snc (UNHOLY RITUAL, SAVAOTH, OBSCECRATION) while the bass was recorded by Stergios Kanaropoulos (MORTAL TORMENT, THE ALMIGHTY FISHERMAN, LYTROSIS).

As previously reported, DAYLIGHT MISERY has announced the addition of drummer Yiannis Filippaios from the highly respected doom/death metal band DECEMBERANCE to the group's ranks.

Formed in September 2008 by Stamos Kordas (guitar) and Vassilis "Illdisposer" Mazaris (vocals), DAYLIGHT MISERY's debut album is described in a press release as an "amalgam of the musical influences of its members: ROTTING CHRIST, NIGHTFALL, PARADISE LOST, AMORPHIS, SATURNUS, MY DYING BRIDE among others. Within the songs you'll notice the changes and sifts of emotions and all of them are characterized by their own unique melody which is sometimes fierce and sometimes melancholic."

SUNDOWN SINDROME, the project featuring TO/DIE/FOR frontman Jape Perätalo and members of the German band DAS SCHEIT, has posted rough-mix versions of a couple of new songs in the YouTube clip below.

The band's debut album was recorded at Bazement studios in Germany and is tentatively due before the end of the year.

SUNDOWN SINDROME recently parted ways with guitarist A. van Crane and drummer U. del Cuervo and acquired three new members.

SUNDOWN SINDROME 2010 is:

J von Crow (Jape Perätalo) - Vocals
S. de la Corneille - Bass
M. di Corvo - Keyboards
Andy - Drums
Casey - Guitar
Miikka K. - Guitar

Canadian musician/producer Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, STEVE VAI, LAMB OF GOD, DARKEST HOUR, GWAR) performed his "Ziltoid The Omniscient" concept album in its entirety on Friday, July 2 at the thirteenth annual Tuska festival in Helsinki, Finland as a special one-off world-exclusive show. His DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT also played a set the following day at the festival, which featured additional appearances by TESTAMENT and OBITUARY, among many others.

Fan-filmed video footage of TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy putting on a cape and singing "Planet Smasher" during Devin Townsend's "Ziltoid" performance at Tuska can be viewed below.

"Ziltoid" setlist:

01. ZTO
02. By Your Command
03. Ziltoidia Attaxxx
04. Solar Winds
05. Hyperdrive
06. Guitar Duel (Ziltoid vs. Devin aka Captain Spectacular)
07. Intermission (Monty Python)
08. Kingdom
09. N9
10. Planet Smasher (feat. Chuck Billy)
11. Color Your World
12. The Greys
13. Deep Peace

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT setlist:

01. Addicted!
02. Supercrush!
03. Numbered!
04. Truth
05. OM
06. Deadhead
07. Gaia
08. Earth Day
09. Seventh Wave
10. Life

Finnish mainstream media coverage of Devin's appearance at Tuska:

* Helsingin Sanomat
* Ilta-Sanomat
* Turun Sanomat
* Nöjesbloggen

"Addicted", the second in a series of albums from Townsend to be made available under the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT moniker, came out in November 2009 and has become the fastest-selling solo record in Devin's career.

Townsend is currently working on two new albums for 2011 release.

Norwegian death metallers THE SICKENING have parted ways with vocalist Sigve Stjernestøv. The group states, "We wish to thank Sigve for all the years he has been part of us and all that he has done for this band."

THE SICKENING has yet to announce a replacement singer.

Fan-filmed video footage of THE SICKENING performing a new song, "Suffer For My Pleasure", at this year's edition of the Death Feast Open Air festival, which was held June 10-12, 2010 in Hünxe, Germany, can be viewed below.

THE SICKENING's debut album, "Death Devastation Decay", was released late last year via Xtreem Music. The CD, which was mastered in Sweden by acclaimed producer and multi-instrumentalist Dan Swäno, contains "11 songs of relentless and brutal-as-fuck death metal, including a cover of CANNIBAL CORPSE's 'Hammer Smashed Face' in a way more brutal and bizarre style," according to a press release.

THE SICKENING came to life in 2003 as a side-project of Markspist (SLAGMARK) and Beist (SLAGMARK, ex-BLOOD RED THRONE). In the spring of 2007, Stjernestøv joined the band on vocals, and during the summer of 2008, Neeraj (ex-SLAGMARK) was added as the band's bassist. In September 2007, THE SICKENING recorded its first demo, "Soiled Rotten".

Finnish hard rock monsters LORDI debuted their brand new single, "This Is Heavy Metal", during their headlining appearance at this year's Gods of Metal festival, which took place June 25-27 in Torino, Italy.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

Photos of the LORDI concert are available on the Italian news blog Musica Metal.

"This Is Heavy Metal" comes off LORDI's fifth studio album, "Babez For Breakfast", which will be released in the U.S. on September 14 via The End Records. The CD will be made available simultaneously in Europe, Japan and the USA.

The "This Is Heavy Metal" single will be released on August 6.

"Babez For Breakfast" was recorded in early 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee with highly regarded producer Michael Wagener, who has produced albums for artists as varied as OZZY OSBOURNE, ALICE COOPER and JANET JACKSON and mixed METALLICA's classic "Master of Puppets".

LORDI frontman Mr. Lordi commented on the new CD: "We are very proud of this album. We went back to the basics and beyond. The new material is more rocking and melodic, but we have not forgotten the horror elements, either. As our producer says — each song includes a lot of energy, emotion and entertainment. We are eager to go back on the road and meet our fans with new songs, outfits and tricks!"

An important part of this album, as always, will be the new costumes designed by Mr. Lordi, which will be premiering soon.

Finnish vocalists Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH, TAROT, NORTHERN KINGS, SAPATTIVUOSI), Ari Koivunen (solo, AMORAL), Jarkko Ahola (TERÄSBETONI, NORTHERN KINGS) and Antony Parviainen (MACHINE MEN) are among the musicians who performed last night (Friday, July 2) at the Ronnie James Dio Memorial Gala at Tavastia in Helsinki, Finland as part of the thirteenth annual Tuska festival (which is being held July 2-4, 2010 in Helsinki).

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be viewed below.

All proceeds from the event will go to the Cancer Society Of Finland.

Fan-filmed video footage of Swedish death metal "supergroup" BLOODBATH's performance at this year's Hellfest — which took place June 18-20 in Clisson, France — can be viewed below.

BLOODBATH's "Breeding Death" (1999) album was re-released via Animate Records on January 8, 2010 as a high-quality gatefold 12-inch mini-LP with a black inner sleeve on 180-gram vinyl. The LP contains two bonus tracks and is limited to 999 copies (first 200 copies as collector's edition in golden wax). On side B there's an etched picture which is laser-manufactured and "simply looks killer," according to the band.

"The Fathomless Mastery", the most recent studio album from BLOODBATH, sold around 1,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 45 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 Fathomless Mastery" was previously described by the band as representing "nothing but hateful brutality." Promising its "most crushing production yet," the group's lineup on "The Fathomless Mastery" is the same as that on BLOODBATH's "Unblessing the Purity" mini-CD, which came out in March 2008:

Mikael Åkerfeldt (OPETH) - Vocals
Martin "Axe" Axenrot (OPETH) - Drums
Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström (KATATONIA) - Guitar
Jonas Renkse (KATATONIA) - Bass
Per "Sodomizer" Eriksson (ex-21 LUCIFERS, GENOCRUSH FEROX) – Guitar

BLOODBATH released a live CD/DVD digipack entitled "The Wacken Carnage" on June 2, 2008 in Europe and June 24 in the U.S. via Peaceville. The package contains footage of the band's appearance at the 2005 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival.

DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED, the band led by VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan, has issued the following update:

"We have been writing for the last few months and next week we start pre-production on the new LOADED record! We couldn't be happier and we think you fuckers will be, too!

"As it is looking, we will be recording it in August and thus begins LOADED Mach III!"

DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED recently parted ways with Century Media Records after releasing one EP (2008's "Wasted Heart") and one full-length album (2009's "Sick") through the label.

Drummer Isaac Carpenter (LOUDERMILK, GOSLING, OURS, THE EXIES) joined DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED as the replacement for Geoff Reading, who left the band last year.

Trond Nicolaisen from Norwegian metallers TOMORROW'S OUTLOOK has issued the following update:

"We have just posted some excerpts from another new song (Track 3 on 34613). It's entitled 'A Song For You' and
it can be streamed through our official MySpace page.
This new song is featuring the incredible talent of Mike Gorham. He's already taking care of the vocals for three
other songs on our debut album ('Doubt', 'The Ethereal Dream' and 'March Of The Demons').

Well, our debut 34613, it's finally starting to take shape.. and we're slowly but surely getting there! These days we are working on the LAST song for the album.. and we're also putting the final touches on the rest of the material. The last
song will be featuring the legendary hard rock vocalist Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, ALCATRAZZ, IMPELLITTERI). We recently posted a rough demo version of this track (a clip with no vocals). This track can also be streamed through our official MySpace page. It's untitled at this time and just called 'Demo'.

We are not only putting the final touches on the music. We have also been working on a proper logo for Tomorrow's Outlook. Our new logo can be viewed (at the left). It's designed by a young and talented Norwegian girl named Isis Sousa. The logo should be something really special (a trademark!) and I do think that Isis nailed the job and came up with something really special for us. What a great artist! I definitely hope we can work more with this girl in the future!"

After two years of relentless touring, Los Angeles based neo-classical death metal unit EXMORTUS is back on the war path and getting ready to head into the studio to record a follow-up to their heralded debut album, In Hatred’s Flame, released on Heavy Artillery Records in late 2008.

Since the departure of former vocalist and guitarist Balmore earlier this year, Exmortus have recruited new guitarist, Sean Redline, while lead shredder/songwriter Conan has also taken over vocal duties giving Exmortus an even more brutal death-tinged edge than before.

The band has recorded a two-track demo to give fans a taste of what to expect from the new lineup and the yet-unnamed new album, tentatively scheduled for release during spring 2011.

Preview the first track, entitled 'Entombed With The Pharaohs', at the band's MySpace page.

innish gothic metallers TENHI break their silence and release the following news concerning their fifth full-length album, Saivo, and re-releases of their back catalogue:

"Sorry for the sparse updates about Saivo. We hoped to get the album out this summer and didn't want to disappoint you before all hope was gone.

Despite the hopefully final delays, the album is well underway and the final parts are being recorded within couple of weeks, namely choirs and cello parts. We plan to finish our works on the album by the end of August eventually.

Saivo has taken its time and we didn't want to rush it. Almost every of the song has gone through a huge variety of alternative arrangements until we felt that we had achieved best result.

Another excellent news is that Prophecy Productions will re-release all our previous full-length albums (Kauan, Väre, Airut:aamujen, and Maaäet) with special and significantly enhanced booklets and artwork.

Stay tuned for more information about these reissues!"

Further updates to follow.

The new GWAR DVD, "Lust In Space - Live At The National", can now be ordered at Sleazy P. Martini's Hypereal Productions page. The footage for the DVD was filmed at the National Theater in Richmond, Virginia and chronicles GWAR's return to outer space in search of its old Scumdog legion and its battle against Cardinal Syn. The disc contains the band's full 82-minute set, the 10-minute "Behind The Murder" mockumentary, plus a special "features" section, including interview extras, a behind-the-scenes look at special F/X being filmed and a slideshow featuring band shots from the album cover.

The full track listing is as follows:

01. Metal Metal Land
02. Saddam A Go Go
03. Lords and Masters
04. Apes of Wrath
05. Tormentor
06. Where Is Zog?
07. Womb With A View
08. Let Them Slay
09. Maggots
10. Immortal Corruptor
11. The Price of Peace
12. Lust In Space
13. Bring Back The Bomb
14. Have You Seen Me?
15. Sick Of You

Swedish black metallers LUSTRE will release a new 3-track album, A Glimpse Of Glory, worldwide on September 20th via the De Tenebrarum Principio label.

According to a press release: A Glimpse Of Glory is an experience like no other. Awash in mile-high walls of hypnotic, hypothermic synths, the three epic tracks comprising the album idiosyncratically fuse together arcane elements of black metal, dark ambient, pagan metal, and funeral doom, glacial in drift and towering in its vision.

Imagine BURZUM’s Dunkelheit crossed with SUMMONING’s Stronghold, but spawned in the same studio environs SKEPTICISM uses: perhaps then you will catch A Glimpse Of Glory.

Tracklisting:

'I' - 16:08 min
'II' - 11:26 min
'III' - 13:06 min

APOPTYGMA BERZERK, werden die neue Live-DVD/CD "Imagine There’s No Lennon" am 22. September 2010 über das Apop-Label Hard:Drive (Soulfood Distribution) veröffentlichen. Die neue DVD ist ein Mitschnitt der vergangenenTour, die Stephan Groth und Band durch Europa, die USA und Südamerika führte. Zuvor touren APOPTYGMA BERZERK im September erneut durch neun Städte auf dem amerikanischen Kontinent. Manager Markus Hartmann: "APOPTYGMA BERZERK sind quasi seit zwei Jahren, seit Veröffentlichung des letzten Albums "Rocket Science" auf Tournee, die DVD ist ein aufwändiges Paket für die Fans, und wir freuen uns sehr über die Einladung des Grafen, UNHEILIG zu begleiten“.

INSIDIOUS DISEASE (formerly INSIDIOUS), the international metal project featuring members of DIMMU BORGIR, NAPALM DEATH, OLD MAN'S CHILD and MORGOTH, will release its debut album, "Shadowcast", on July 12 in Europe and July 27 in the U.S. via Century Media Records. The bloodsoaked cover artwork was created by Kjell Ivar Lund and will be censored by a nice CD slipcase to avoid any trouble with the shops. Apart from an equally gory booklet, the limited-edition first-pressing CD will include two bonus tracks ("Insomaniac" plus a blistering cover of DEATH's classic "Leprosy").

Regarding the "Shadowcast" lyrical concept, guitarist Silenoz (also of DIMMU BORGIR) said, "The basic idea behind 'Shadowcast', lyrically, is an attempt to describe the 'misfits' in this world, the misunderstood, mentally defect and depraved individuals that walk among us — rapists, serial killers, pedophiles, necrophiles, drug addicts etc. It could be your neighbor, you just never know. Or, it could be YOU!

"Denial and self-denial are taboos that seldom are touched upon unless it's behind closed doors at the shrink's office. Even so, no matter how disturbing the subject might be, we hardly get to the bottom of it. Each text tries to approach the many outcast stereotypes we face in today's modern society, and how most of them once caught get neglected and pushed away instead of being offered proper assistance, support and help through various institutions according to their 'needs.'

"Let's face it, we humans equal shit.

"In some countries where death penalty apply the convicts also have to wait years before being executed, that is inhumane as things need to be dealt with as soon as possible. We humans are better at pushing things away and destroy than facing a problem and try to rehabilitate.

"Most people reading the lyrics and seeing the booklet photos will perhaps immediately assume that it's all about glorifying violence and hatred. But if you read between the lines, it's actually kinda the 'opposite,' portraying this very issue.

"So, the album title 'Shadowcast' has somewhat of a double meaning; all these 'actors and actresses' star in the 'shadowcast.' They are the true stars of the underground, our very own dark backyard. The backyard we humans hate dealing with because it means interacting with other people and as they mingle among us daily they continue to 'cast their shadows' at us."

INSIDIOUS DISEASE faced serious problems during the manufacturing process as pressing plants refused to produce the original design of the booklet due to its violent content as well as print the equally controversial lyrics.

Added Silenoz: "It's quite fascinating that in the year of 2010 album artwork can be so scary that manufacturing plants don't even dare to print it. I always thought reality still was more frightening compared to art in that sense, but I guess I was wrong! Controversy is still to be reckoned with in the world of metal and if we're being censored for being realistic and touch upon human flaws through our lyrics and art — then so be it!"

ANTIMATTER's Alternative Matter compilation, celebrating the band's tenth anniversary, will be released soon as a premium artbook with more than 100 pages as well as three audio CDs and one DVD.

It features a comprehensive introduction and in-depth liner notes by Mick Moss as well as a vast amount of photographs illustrating Antimatter's career from 2000 up to now.

Without a doubt, this retrospetive will draw an impressive line under Antimatter's first decade of existence! See the complete tracklist for Alternative Matter below:

Disc One:
'Black Sun' (Dead Can Dance Tribute)
'Over Your Shoulder' (Reel To Reel Demo)
'The Art Of A Soft Landing' (Acoustic, Enhanced)
'Far Away' (Live)
'Saviour' (Reel To Reel Demo)
'Landlocked' (Mick Moss Remix)
'In Stone' (Acoustic, Enhanced)
'Epitaph' (New Version)
'Terminal' (Duncan Patterson Remix)
'Mr White' (Live)
'Flowers' (New Version)
'Expire' (Remix)

Disc Two:
'A Portrait Of The Young Man As An Artist' (Enhanced)
'Over Your Shoulder' (Acoustic)
'Flowers' (Acoustic)
'The Art Of A Soft Landing' (4 Track Demo)
'God Is Coming' (Duncan Patterson Remix)
'Everything You Know Is Wrong' (Acoustic, Enhanced)
'Angelic' (Reel To Reel Demo)
'Holocaust' (Reel To Reel Demo)
'Expire' (Remix)
'Dream' (4 Track Demo)
'Lost Control' (Acoustic, Enhanced)
'Epitaph' (Orchestral Mix)

Disc Three - Forbidden Matter EP:
'Fighting For A Lost Cause' (Demo)
'Enjoy The Silence' (Live)
'Angelic' (Mick Moss Remix)
'Over Your Shoulder' (Reel To Reel Demo)
'Holocaust' (FreeDoom Remix)
'The Summer Effect' (Instrumental Demo)
'Angelic' (Reel To Reel Demo)

Disc Four - DVD:
Antimatter - The Small Yesterdays Documentary
'Epitaph' (Promo video)
'Conspire' (Promo video)

This artbook will be available in a strictly limited edition of 1,000 copies. Stay tuned for the release date and pre-order possibilities.

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND haben vor Kurzem bekannt gegeben, dass sie diesen Sommer in Kooperation mit Pledge Music eine neue EP veröffentlichen wollen, die exklusiv über ihre Mailing Liste sowie ihre Social Network Seiten verfügbar sein wird. Die neue EP wird "The Young and Defenceless" heißen und mit folgenden Songs in den Handel kommen:

01. Serpents in Solitude
02. Sixteen
03. Damned If You Do, Dead If You Don’t
04. Vultures

Netherlands-based progressive metallers SUN CAGED are currently mixing their third album, The Lotus Effect.

The album sees the band retain the same lineup as on Artemisia, with the addition of new bassist Daniel Kohn, and promises to show a more mature version of the band.

Guitarist Marcel Coenen comments, "The majority of songs on this album were written in the rehearsal room together as a band and it will show the chemistry we have as a group."

Das neue BONDED BY BLOOD Album "Exiled To Earth" kommt in Europa am 16. August 2010 via Earache Records in den Handel und jetzt wurde das Cover Artwork und die Track List enthüllt.

"Exiled To Earth" Track List:

01. 600 AB (After the Bomb)
02. Episodes of Aggression
03. Prototype: Death Machine
04. Prison Planet
05. Genetic Encryption
06. Blood Spilled Offerings
07. Exiled to Earth
08. Parasitic Infection
09. Desolate Future
10. Sector 87
11. Cross-Insemination