WE ARE THE FALLEN, the group formed by EVANESCENCE co-founder Ben Moody (guitar) and other former members — John LeCompt (guitar) and Rocky Gray (drums) — along with "American Idol" powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson and bassist Marty O'Brien (DISTURBED, KELLY CLARKSON, STATIC-X, METHODS OF MAYHEM,TOMMY LEE) — will release its debut album, "Tear The World Down", on May 11 via Universal Republic Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows (as per AOL's Noisecreep):

01. Bury Me Alive
02. Burn
03. Paradigm
04. Don't Leave Me Behind
05. Sleep Well, My Angel
06. Through Hell
07. I Will Stay
08. Without You
09. St. John
10. I Am Only One
11. Tear The World Down

New York hardcore legends SICK OF IT ALL will release their new album, "Based On A True Story", on April 20 via Century Media Records (one day earlier internationally). The follow-up to 2006's "Death To Tyrants" was recorded Antfarm Studios in Århus, Denmark with Danish producer Tue Madsen (HALFORD, BEHEMOTH, KATAKLYSM, THE HAUNTED). The cover artwork was created by Ernie Parada and can be viewed below.

"Based on a True Story" track listing:

01. Death Or Jail (2:51)
02. The Divide (2:50)
03. Dominated (2:09)
04. A Month Of Sundays (2:34)
05. Braveheart (0:45)
06. Bent Outta Shape (1:53)
07. Lowest Common Denominator (2:18)
08. Good Cop (2:29)
09. Lifeline (2:33)
10. Watch It Burn (2:34)
11. Waiting For The Day (2:25)
12. Long As She's Standing (2:34)
13. Nobody Rules (2:29)
14. Dirty Money (2:57)

The "Lowest Common Denominator" song is now available for streaming below.

BLACK SUN AEON's second album, "Routa", is scheduled for release on March 31. The follow-up to "Darkness Walks Beside Me" is a double album featuring a Finish-winter theme and consisting of two parts — "Side A", called "Talviaamu" ["Wintermorning"], and "Side B", dubbed "Talviyö" ["Winternight"].

"Routa" track listing:

01. Core of Winter
02. Frozen
03. Sorrowsong
04. Routa
05. Wreath of Ice
06. Dead Sun Aeon
07. Cold
08. Funeral of World
09. River
10. Frozen Kingdom
11. Wanderer
12. The Beast
13. Silence
14. Apocalyptic Reveries

The entire album is available for streaming at this location.

Montreal death metal quartet BENEATH THE MASSACRE is currently recording a new EP for a fall release.

The band will take part in the European edition of the "Thrash And Burn Tour", which is scheduled to kick off on April 9 in Karlsruhe, Germany. Also scheduled to appear are DYING FETUS, ORIGIN, MAN MUST DIE and REVOCATION.

"Dystopia" (2008), the latest album from BENEATH THE MASSACRE, debuted at position No. 22 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.

Recorded again with St-Amand (DESPISED ICON, ION DISSONANCE, NEURAXIS) and featuring artwork from Felix Rancourt, "Dystopia" was the follow-up to 2007's "Mechanics of Dysfunction", which was supported by tours with NECROPHAGIST, THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD and ION DISSONANCE. The band also took part in 2007's inaugural Summer Slaughter tour and last year's Radio Rebellion Tour alongside BEHEMOTH, JOB FOR A COWBOY, and GOJIRA, among others.

MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars has revealed via Twitter that he is working on his first solo album at his home studio. No further details are currently available.

Mick Mars' signature guitar sound has become a staple of American music and Mars has been deemed one of the world's greatest guitar players from critics around the globe to many recording artists and musicians who credit Mars as an influence, which include such notables as Slash, Joe Perry from AEROSMITH, Carmine Apice, Alice Cooper, BUCKCHERRY, and Marilyn Manson, just to name a few.

In August 2008, Cherry Lane Music Publishing Company, Inc. published "Hooks That Kill - The Best Of Mick Mars & Mötley Crüe", a collection of Mick Mars-approved notes and guitar tabs for 15 songs from the legendary guitarist of MÖTLEY CRÜE. It includes:

* Dr. Feelgood
* Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
* Girls, Girls, Girls
* Kick Start My Heart
* Hell on High Heels
* Looks That Kill
* Primal Scream
* Smokin' in the Boys Room
* Wild Side

Chicago progressive metal band MINDWARP CHAMBER, has inked a deal with Dark Star Records. According to a press release, Scott Huffman (TWELFTH GATE, SYRIS, LORDS OF MEAT), Ed "Shreddy" Bethishou (SCEPTER, DAVID SHANKLE GROUP), Paul Kilkenny (GENERAL PATTON, DARKER), Mike Cerna (AURAL ECSTACY, BEYOND SOVEREIGNTY) and Marc Malitz (IMPERIAL RAGE, THE HEART ATTACK) "have all joined forces, blending their unique styles to create a very heavy and progressive style of music that comes from the very depths of their souls."

MINDWARP CHAMBER will release its new album, "Supernova", this summer. A CD-release party will be held on June 4 at Chicago City Limits in Schaumburg, Illinois.

SOUL SIGN, the Los Angeles-based band featuring Bjorn Englen (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, QUIET RIOT) on bass, Michael Olivieri (LEATHERWOLF) on vocals, Michael Taylor on drums and Rob Math (SEAL, MACY GRAY) on guitar, just completed a short tour of Sweden in support of its upcoming album, "Life In The Dark", due out in May.

According to the band's official bio, "SOUL SIGN was founded with the intention to deliver honest, original, strong modern rock through world-class musicianship.

All of the members are the most extraordinaire musicians and personalities, who have had their craft perfected through many years of extensive world wide touring and recording."

Serj Tankian has recorded and is currently mixing a new studio album, titled "Imperfect Harmonies", which will be the follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2007 solo debut "Elect the Dead". As with "Elect the Dead", Tankian is producing "Imperfect Harmonies" himself at his home studio in Los Angeles. The album will be released by Serjical Strike/Reprise Records in late summer.

"'Elect the Dead' is essentially a rock record with progressive melodic elements," Tankian says. "'Imperfect Harmonies' could be classified as rock because it is punchy with many peaks throughout, but the instrumentation is somewhat different. Though there are live drums, bass, and some guitars, the driving aspects are electronic and orchestral. It's quite unique in its sound palette. This is, in essence, music that has sat in the vat and matured to a ripe sensation and is now ready to serve."

So far, "Imperfect Harmonies" is shaping up to be as powerful and musically eclectic as its predecessor. "I have been calling the music 'electro-orchestral-jazz-rock' because it has all of those aspects in prominence within the songs," Tankian says. "A few are more stripped down, but the majority of the songs have this huge wall of sound presented in a way I've never heard before. It's not common to have a song that is both electronic and orchestral since one is synthetic and the other organic, but I found a way of meshing a lot of these colors together."

The album has been influenced by Tankian's experience making "Elect the Dead Symphony", a symphonic interpretation of his debut that had its inaugural performance in New Zealand with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in March 2009. The performance has been captured on the recently released CD/DVD "Elect the Dead Symphony".

"The making of 'Elect the Dead Symphony' gave me the confidence and tools to create ensemble pieces for orchestra more confidently and effectively than before," Tankian says. "And that became one of the primary colors for this record along with electronic, jazz, and live instrumentation."

Once again, Tankian's album takes a multi-themed approach to the lyrics, which he describes as addressing the political, environmental, social, and personal. "There is a slightly eerie urgency this time around though," he says. "It's darker and more dense in approach, both lyrically and musically."

"My intentions have always been to make music that is creative, quality, and moving," he continues. "I have never learned the static method of repeating myself musically whether in SYSTEM [OF A DOWN] or now. Each record I have made has been different musically, yet they all carry the same integral spirit."

Four years sine the release of "Madre, Protégenos", Duncan Patterson (ANTIMATTER, ANATHEMA), returns, leading the entity known as ÍON. On "Immaculada", the lone travelling musician has again collected instrumental and vocal souvenirs from his numerous destinations to illustrate the memoirs of his quest.

"'Immaculada' was written in a period I was travelling back and forth between Ireland and Greece," he says. "The album documents personal experiences of that time, set to introspective and reflective ballads."

Hypnotic and alluring, the album balances both the freshness of Irish landscapes and the warmth of Mediterranean sunbathed seashores, as its haunting Celtic vibe thrives and builds upon tribal rhythmic patterns. Much like its predecessor, the straightforward and minimalistic overall tone of the album is misleading, as its layered complexity and resonant harmonies reveal themselves at each listen, one mystery at a time, and one step closer to the end of this spiritual quest.

ÍON has gathered around it an enormous amount of talent, both in the many musicians that have taken part in "Immaculada" and in the group of singers that bring words to life, this time lead by the Irish Lisa Cuthbert. Her heartfelt performances are occasionally accompanied by her sister Aoife Cuthbert, with Mark Kelson (of THE ETERNAL) and gothic/alternative muse Vic Anselmo, providing additional outstanding contributions to the album, among other voices from Argentina, Mexico, Romania or Brazil.

Mostly recorded in the Portuguese countryside and in Dublin city, the intricate instrumental backbone is mainly constructed out of traditional instruments. With the mandolin family taking center stage, the tracks have been arranged to incorporate ethnic instrumentation (flutes, uillean pipes) which contrast with the sparse orchestration supplied by cello, violin, acoustic guitars, keyboard pads and piano, supported by the earthbound pulse of the percussion.

Due in May in deluxe digipak CD on Equilibrium Music, "Immaculada" is a collection of slow motion mysterious ballads, balancing light and shade, salvation and loss, beautifully crafted by gifted artists scattered over the world.

"Immaculada" track listing:

01. Immaculada (4:43)
02. Temptation (5:26)
03. Adoration (5:24)
04. Damhsa Na Gceithre Ghaoth (6:18)
05. Invidia (4:37)
06. Cetatea Cisnadioara (10:06)
07. The Silent Stars (7:42)
08. Return To Spirit (6:11)

ALTER BRIDGE has issued the following update:

"We are pleased to inform you that the recording of our third album has been completed. It was an amazing journey and we believe that the songs that we have created are our most inspired and dynamic work to date.

"We all worked very hard on these songs, over a long period of time, and we are all fiercely proud of what we have recorded.

"We have played some of the rough mixes of the songs to a few of our 'trusted ears' and they are telling us that we have absolutely topped the 'Blackbird' album. The true test will come when we get to hear what all you fans think and we are very much looking forward to that day.

"The next step in the process will be mixing, which will begin in mid-April, in New York. The mixing will probably take a few weeks and once that is finished, we will begin the difficult task of deciding which songs will make the album. The goal is to release the album in September, before our planned October tour in Europe that will start in the U.K."

ALTER BRIDGE's sophomore effort, "Blackbird", sold 47,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release in October 2007 to debut at No. 13 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Former and current members of DORO, LITA FORD and BRITNY FOX have joined forces in THE NICK DOUGLAS BAND. The group, which featuring in its ranks Nick Douglas, Johnny Dee, Joe Taylor and Harrison Young, will make its live debut on April 3 at the Pennant East in Bellmawr, New Jersey.

Nick Douglas is currently working on his second solo album. One of his new songs, "You Break", is available for streaming at this location.

"Hell Chose Me", the new video from the California-based deathcore band CARNIFEX, can be viewed below. The track is the title cut of the band's new album, which sold around 3,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 4 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.

KISKE/SOMERVILLE, the new project featuring former HELLOWEEN vocalist Michael Kiske and American singer Amanda Somerville, filmed two videos — "Silence" and "If I Had A Wish" — this past Sunday and Monday in Nuremberg, Germany. Joining Kiske and Somerville for the shoot were bassist and main composer Mat Sinner (SINNER, PRIMAL FEAR), guitarist Sander Gommans (AFTER FOREVER, HDK), drummer Ramy Ali and keyboardist Jimmy Kresic (VOODOO CIRCLE). The clips were directed by Martin Mueller of RCN TV who previously helmed U.D.O.'s "Black and White" and "Mean Streets" and GOTTHARD's "The Call" videos.

The KISKE/SOMERVILLE debut album is scheduled for release at the end of September. A single, "Silence", will precede the full-length CD in early September.

Commented Mat Sinner: "The first video clip is for ther song and first single of the album, 'Silence', and was shot at the Opera House. The second video clip was shot for the song 'If I Had A Wish' in an old and closed public bath. Hard job for all of us, but we had a fantastic time!"
This is the track listing for the album (not final sequence; composers for each track listed in parenthesis):

01. Nothing Left To Say (Mat Sinner & Magnus Karlsson)
02. Silence (Mat Sinner & Magnus Karlsson)
03. If I Had A Wish (Mat Sinner & Magnus Karlsson)
04. One Night Burning (Mat Sinner & Magnus Karlsson)
05. Arise (Sander Gommans & Amanda Somerville)
06. End Of The Road (Mat Sinner & Jimmy Kresic)
07. Don't Walk Away (Mat Sinner & Magnus Karlsson)
08. Devil In Her Heart (Mat Sinner & Jimmy Kresic)
09. Rain (Mat Sinner & Magnus Karlsson)
10. A Thousand Suns (Sander Gommans & Amanda Somerville)
11. Second Chance (Mat Sinner & Magnus Karlsson)

Bonus Track:

12. Set A Fire (Sander Gommans & Amanda Somerville)

Somerville is the American singer-songwriter and vocal coach who was tapped to replace EPICA vocalist Simone Simons on the band's North American tour with SYMPHONY X due to Simons' health issues.

THE 11TH HOUR — the doom metal collaboration between Ed Warby (drums, guitar, bass, vocals, programming; GOREFEST, DEMIURG, HAIL OF BULLETS) and Rogga Johansson (vocals, additional guitar; RIBSPREADER, PAGANIZER, DEMIURG) — has issued the following update:

"It is with great pleasure that I [Ed Warby] welcome my former GOREFEST buddy Frank Harthoorn to the triple axe live incarnation of THE 11TH HOUR! He'll be sharing the stage with us at all upcoming gigs, including the renowned Doom Shall Rise festival in Göppingen (9th of April). This means we're saying goodbye to Petra Guijt who will, of course, continue to perform with her bands DEADCELL and TOXOCARA. We wish her all the best with her future musical endeavours!

"Frank, meanwhile, has mastered the six chapters of doom that comprise THE 11TH HOUR's debut album, 'Burden Of Grief', and adds considerable weight to the already massive live sound. His dedication to delivering the riff, the whole riff, and nothing but the riff is legendary (at least it is to me), and I look forward to exploring the road to musical misery with this new yet old companion."

THE 11TH HOUR is:

Ed Warby - Guitar, Vocals
Pim Blankenstein - Vocals
Bram Bijlhout - Guitar
Frank Harthoorn - Guitar
Daniël Huijben - Bass
Dirk Bruinenberg - Drums

Columbus, Ohio-based band AMERICAN DOG, featuring former SALTY DOG bassist Michael Hannon, has issued the following update:

"On Wednesday [March 31] we are going in to Sonic Lounge Studios (in Ohio) to record a cover of AC/DC's 'Givin' The Dog A Bone' for Classic Rock magazine's tribute CD to 'Back In Black'. There will be a different band doing each song, and will come with the May issue. While we're in there, we're going to record a new original we've written as well. It's about getting laid in the ladies room at a bar!!! Tentative title? 'Good Time'!!!"

AMERICAN DOG's fifth full-length studio LP, entitled "Mean", came out late last year. The CD features ten all-new original tracks along with a cover of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's "This Ain't The Summer Of Love".

01. Just One More
02. Cat Has Got You By The Tongue
03. Drivin' Down The Sidewalk
04. Mean
05. Boozehound
06. Gonna Stop Drinkin' Tomorrow
07. Mine All Mine
08. This Ain't The Summer Of Love
09. Sunshine/Moonshine
10. Ain't Dead Yet
11. Motherfucker

"Cavalcade", the new video from Finnish melodic black metallers CATAMENIA, can be viewed below. The song is the title cut of the band's new album, which was released on February 26 via Massacre Records. The CD was recorded and mixed by Kari Vähäkuopus at Mastervox Studios in Oulu, Finland and was produced by CATAMENIA. POISONBLACK/ex-SENTENCED frontman Ville Laihiala makes a guest appearance on the album's opening track, "Blood Trails".

"Cavalcade" track listing:

01. Blood Trails (featuring Ville Laihiala)
02. Cavalcade
03. The Path That Lies Behind Me
04. Silence
05. Quantity of Sadness
06. Post Mortem
07. The Vulture's Feast
08. A Callous Mind
09. Reincarnation
10. Angry Again (MEGADETH cover)
11. Farewell (SENTENCED cover) (digipack bonus track)

...IN DEVILTRY, the Rio Grando do Norte, Brazil-based band formed by Tommy Lindal, one of the founding members of Norway's THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, has posted an "orchestral" version of "Theme", the main track from the group's forthcoming, as-yet-untitled EP. Check it out at this location.

...IN DEVILTRY, whose lineup also includes Brazilian singer Larisse Katarine, is an atmospheric doom-metal band inspired by powerful deep metal with classical elements like piano and strings. The vocals will be feminine, but with some additional male vocals. Main influences are "old THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, MY DYING BRIDE, KATATONIA and AFTER FOREVER, but with a darker feeling."

Tommy Lindal left THEATRE OF TRAGEDY in 1997 for medical reasons.

Canadian thrash metal veterans ANNIHILATOR will release their 13th, self-titled album in Europe on May 17 via Earache Records, in Japan through Marquee and in Australia via Riot Entertainment.

The Earache webstore is now taking pre-orders for the limited-edition deluxe version of the album housed in a clam box (pictured below) with three pin badges, sticker sheet, ANNIHILATOR logo keyring and a guitar pic limited to 500.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. The Trend
02. Coward
03. Ambush
04. Betrayed
05. 25 Seconds
06. Nowhere To Go
07. The Other Side
08. Death In Your Eyes
09. Payback
10. Romeo Delight

Total running time: 48:50

Danish extreme metallers PANZERCHRIST have issued the following update:

"The recording and mixing of our next album is now complete and we are currently in the process of finding the right label for this release. We have also begun rehearsal sessions with live shows in mind. These will be the first in more than a decade."

One of the new tracks, "For The Iron Cross", is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

German extreme metal outfit NEAERA has issued the following update:

"The songwriting process [for the next NEAERA album] is going fluently; we're focused and very close to wrapping this thing up! We are very confident about the song material; this one is going to be a beast.

"We will enter the studio in June to work on this next record which will be released in the fall of this year via Metal Blade Records. In compliance with the back-to-the-roots approach to this record, we will record the drums at Stage One Studio with the Mr. Myiagi among metal producers, Andy Classen, who already produced our first record, 'The Rising Tide of Oblivion'. Of course, we will also work again with our good friend Alexander Dietz, the self-proclaimed Brad Pitt among metal producers, on this one. The mixing/mastering will be done by none other than Tue Madsen."

Los Angeles-based black metal band THE FUNERAL PYRE has completed work on its new album, "Vultures At Dawn", for a late spring release via Prosthetic Records. The follow-up to 2008's "Wounds" was recorded by Adam Campbell at Awkward Studios, mixed by Ryan Butler (LANDMINE MARATHON, MISERY INDEX, PHOBIA) at Arcane Digital and mastered by Dave Shirk (INCANTATION, NILE, TODAY IS THE DAY) of Sonorous Mastering. Artwork for the album is being handled by Justin Barlett, known for his work with bands such as TRAP THEM, INTRONAUT and SUNN0))).

The band commented on the sound of the new record: "On this record we stepped out of our comfort zone and tried to create better songs, never focusing on what style of metal it actually is. Just writing the songs was most important to us."

No strangers to the DIY metal circuit, having multiple U.S. tours under their belt, THE FUNERAL PYRE has a run of dates next week on the West Coast; two with EARLY GRAVES and four with LIGHT THIS CITY on their farewell run. The band also just completed a batch of dates to Texas and back with LANDMINE MARATHON, which included Prosthetic's South By Southwest showcase on March 17 in Austin and a Brooklyn Vegan SXSW day party at Hoek's Death Metal Pizza.

Guitarist Stefan Weinerhall of the Swedish metal band FALCONERhas issued the following update:

"Still alive and kicking!

"Yet another rare update for all who wonder if we've split up, taken a year off or just forgot the [band's official] website.

"Between jobs, diapers, TV-shows, Friday beers and good ol' apathy we rehearse a song or two. Slowly the new stuff is taking shape but we have no stress, half the new album is written.

"Recording time for the forthcoming album is October.

"Previously I said that it will have a slightly new direction, or rather new approach. Hint No. 2: The Germans will probably like it more than the Americans."

Houston, Teas' KIAH-TV (Channel 39) reports that legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW) has been going to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas since late last year when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

"Why come to Houston? It's the best hospital, " Dio said as he got ready for a round of chemotherapy on Monday.

"I've been poked and prodded in holes I never had before," Dio said.

Dio, 67, first noticed symptoms after Halloween. He felt chest pain and indigestion that eventually led to the cancer diagnosis. Dio now comes to Houston every two weeks for treatment.

"I'm lucky that I'm a hard person in terms of my beliefs," said Dio.

Dio then has a direct message for the tumor in his stomach: "Cancer, I'll kick the hell out of you."

"Ronnie is a very feisty person, He's taking in in stride. He just wants to get on with his life," wife/manager Wendy Dio said.

Getting on with life means flying in from Los Angeles, five hours of chemotherapy, then flying back home. Sometimes band members, like bass player Geezer Butler, come for support.

Wendy Dio is always with him. The treatment seems to be working, Wendy Dio said the tumor is getting smaller, all of this in a man with a very big voice who expects to go back on tour soon.

"The fans have been incredible, it proves to me that I've done something right with my life," said Dio.