Finnish metallers AMORAL will release their first single with new vocalist Ari Koivunen, "Year Of The Suckerpunch", on February 11. In addition to the title track, which was written and composed by guitarist Ben Varon, the single will include a cover of the MISFITS song "Dig Up Her Bones".

"Year Of The Suckerpunch" will make its Finnish radio debut this Friday, January 16.

AMORAL's as-yet-untitled new album was recorded at Sound Supreme Studios in Hämeenlinna, Finland and is currently being mixed for a May release.

Ari Koivunen, 24, is best known as the winner of the 2007 Finnish national TV talent competition "Idols". He has released two solo albums thus far — 2007's "Fuel For The Fire" and 2008's "Becoming".

A photo of the new AMORAL lineup can be viewed below.

Vocalist Niko Kalliojärvi left AMORAL in order to focus on other projects. He made his final appearance with the band at the Thrashia Läpi Yön festival at Tammela, Finland on August 23, 2008.

AMORAL in 2007 entered the album chart in Finland at position No. 5 with the band's latest effort, "Reptile Ride".

AMORAL's video for the song "Leave Your Dead Behind" can be viewed here.

Norway's TRAIL OF TEARS has completed work on the band's sixth album, "Bloodstained Endurance", for a spring release via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded and mixed over a six-week period at Sound Suite Studio in Marseille, France with producer Terje Refsnes. Mastering duties were handled by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Finland.

Commented TRAIL OF TEARS: "The band, as well as producer Terje Refsnes, have worked our asses off for the past few months and while sitting here listening to the end result we can't help but feel that we have outdone ourselves and managed to create something quite special."

"Bloodstained Endurance" track listing:

01. The Feverish Alliance
02. Once Kissed By The Serpent (Twice Bitten By Truth)
03. Bloodstained Endurance
04. Triumphant Gleam
05. In The Valley Of Ashes
06. A Storm At Will
07. Take Aim.Reclaim.Prevail
08. The Desperation Corridors
09. Farewell To Sanity
10. Dead End Gaze
11. Faith Comes Knocking

A limited-edition version of the album will include an additional song "as well as some other stuff," according to the band.

Fan-filmed video footage of TRAIL OF TEARS' performance at last year's Metal Female Voices Fest, which was held on October 18-19, 2008 in Wieze, Belgium, can be viewed here.

TRAIL OF TEARS' fifth album, "Existentia", was issued in January 2007 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded at Soundsuite Studio in Marseille, France with producer Terje Refsnes and includes contributions from French female singer Emmanuelle Zoldan and Norwegian keyboard master Bernt Moen.

In 2007, TRAIL OF TEARS was rejoined by vocalist Cathrine Paulsen, who sang on the group's 2002 album, "A New Dimension of Might".

Swedish thrashers CARNAL FORGE have issued the following update:

"Another strange year has passed in the history of CARNAL FORGE and all the thoughts of giving up because of disappointments with cancelled tours and broken trusts has run off... Once again, as they always tend to do in the end... Well, fuck you all for giving us hell and 'fuck yeah!' for those of you who have given us support! You know who you are! And we sure do!!! But let's not be bitter, let's save that for some sunny day...

"We have slowly started working on new material, but the process has been very slow as all of us have been busy in other stuff as we all need to stay alive... Mostly work, work and some more work... New job takes it's time... As we've experienced before, but this time we intend to keep this lineup... until we die or beyond that!

"Well, we will start off the New Year going to Finland for four shows, and that is really cool! Especially as we have some Finnish blood in the band. We've been to many places but never to our fellow neighbours for some reason.

"Soon we will record the vocals on a new track called 'Non Existence', and Dino [Medanhodzic; guitar] will put down some additional solos to Petri's [Kuusisto; guitar] stuff. So this will be the first time for you to hear the new lineup who haven't seen us live yet. We have finally got our little studio together so it's more 'cosy' than it has ever been before, as it has served mostly as a warehouse before. Dino was there recording some band from Gotland last week, and Petri just finished of the mixing of IRRITATION's new effort. There is still a lot of stuff to fix, but this is were we intend to record the next CARNAL FORGE album. The release is planned to January 2010.

"When the recording of the new song is done Dino will make a video for it... so stay put! The new and improved CF will kick some serious ass!!!"

FROSTMOON ECLIPSE, one of the oldest established bands on the Italian black metal scene, has made all three tracks from its contribution to the extremely limited "H.P. Lovecraft Series", available for streaming on their MySpace page until the end of January.

Released on God Is Myth Records at the end of 2008, FROSTMOON ECLIPSE's "I Am Providence" is volume six of the series dedicated to the writer H.P. Lovecraft. Each of the albums in the series features an individual band, and is limited to 100 copies of specially packaged three-inch CD-Rs.

The veteran black metallers, known for mixing thoughtful acoustic touches to their brand of old-school black metal, are all fans of Lovecraft, and, according to founder and guitarist Claudio Alcara, found the idea behind the series particularly interesting to work on. Alcara explained: "Two of the tracks, 'In The Vault' and 'The Thing On The Doorstep', were inspired by Lovecraft stories and the idea that people could actually listen to them whilst reading the stories is fascinating. The final track, 'Providence, 1937-03-15', is our tribute to this extraordinary writer who died much too soon."

Spanish death/black metallers NOCTEM will release their debut album, "Divinity", in April in Europe and May in the U.S. via via Austria's NoiseHead Records. The CD will feature guest appearances by Christos Antoniou (SEPTICFLESH, CHAOSTAR) and Leal (FOREVER SLAVE). It will contain 11 tracks based on the story of the disappearance of Atlantis "from a dark and subjective point of view, speaking about its blood's desire in the battle, the darkest rituals for reaching the immortality or its society based in a polytheistic theocracy with longings of glory," according to a press release.

"Divinity" track listing:

01. Atlas Death
02. In The Path Of Heleim
03. Realms In Decay
04. The Sanctuary
05. The Call Of Oricalco's Horn
06. Across Heracles Towards
07. In The Aeons Of Time
08. Necropolis Of Esthar's Ruins
09. Divinity
10. Religious Plagues
11. Under Seas Of Silence

Metalfan.nl has uploaded the cover artwork (see below) of "Lullabies For A Dormant Mind", the second album from the Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based female-fronted band THE AGONIST. Due in Europe on February 23 and in North America on March 10 through Century Media Records, the CD will feature the following track listing:

01. The Tempest (the Siren's Song; The Banshee's Cry)
02. ...And Their Eulogies Sang Me To Sleep
03. Thank You, Pain
04. Birds Elope With The Sun
05. Waiting Out The Winter
06. Martyr Art
07. Globus Hystericus
08. Swan Lake, Op. 20 – Scene, Act 2, #10 – Tchaikovsky (A Cappella)
09. The Sentient
10. When The Bough Breaks
11. Chlorpromazine

THE AGONIST's music video for the track "Business Suits and Combat Boots" was shot by renowned director David Brodsky. The song was featured on the band's debut CD, "Once Only Imagined", which tackles some of society's biggest issues, including animal testing, drug abuse, eating disorders, environmental protection and man's inhumanity towards man and animals. The band's ultimate goal, though, is simply to encourage people to think for themselves.

THE AGONIST vocalist Alissa White-Gluz once appeared on "Canadian Idol" and was named one of "the hottest chicks in metal" in the July 2007 issue of Revolver magazine.

Jyrki 69 (born Jyrki Pekka Emil Linnankivi), the lead vocalist of the Finnish goth-metal band THE 69 EYES, is featured in a new reality TV show called "Gone Fishing". Described as "the hardest-rocking fishing show and the most relaxed rock show around," "Gone Fishing" features "the loudest rock stars [who are] scooped off the largest stages and dropped into a wild, open arena."

You can take a sneak peek at the show's official trailer below.

"Gone Fishing" will be shown exclusively online. More information is available on the program's official web site.

THE 69 EYES is currently writing material for a new studio album, tentatively due in 2009.

"Hordes Of Chaos", the brand new album from German thrashers KREATOR, is available for streaming in its entirety at the web site of MTV Germany.

KREATOR will release "Hordes Of Chaos" in Europe on January 19, 2009 via SPV Records (except in Germany, where it will be issued on January 16). The CD will arrive in the U.S. on January 13.

The new album will be available in three different versions. The jewel case edition includes the ten regular album songs, and the deluxe version features an additional bonus DVD with an atmospheric making-of in super-8 quality courtesy of a Berlin filmmaker. As a third option, the ultra-deluxe version comes with a t-shirt, a worthwhile photo book and an extended version of the bonus DVD, as well as the CD.

The "Hordes Of Chaos" artwork was created once again by Joachim Luetke. Luetke designed the artwork for KREATOR's last album, "Enemy Of God", as well as past releases from bands like DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY and RAGE.

"Hordes Of Chaos" track listing:

Limited Edition:

01. Hordes Of Chaos (A Necrologue For The Elite)
02. Warcurse
03. Escalation
04. Amok Run
05. Destroy What Destroys You
06. Radical Resistance
07. Absolute Misanthropy
08. To The Afterborn
09. Corpses Of Liberty
10. Demon Prince

Bonus DVD

* The Making of "Hordes Of Chaos" directed by Stephanie von Beauvais; Running time: approximately 20 minutes

Jewel Case:

01. Hordes Of Chaos (A Necrologue For The Elite)
02. Warcurse
03. Escalation
04. Amok Run
05. Destroy What Destroys You
06. Radical Resistance
07. Absolute Misanthropy
08. To The Afterborn
09. Corpses Of Liberty
10. Demon Prince

LP:

Side 1:

01. Hordes Of Chaos (A Necrologue For The Elite)
02. Warcurse
03. Escalation
04. Amok Run
05. Destroy What Destroys You

Side 2:

06. Radical Resistance
07. Absolute Misanthropy
08. To The Afterborn
09. Corpses Of Liberty
10. Demon Prince

A teaser for the CD can be viewed below.

According to a press release, "Hordes Of Chaos" is "a powerhouse featuring rigorous thrash attacks and KREATOR's familiarly intelligent lyrics about self-determination and the dangers of contemporary war propaganda."

"Chelsea Smiles", the new video from U.K. metalcore act BRING ME THE HORIZON, can be viewed below. According to a press release, the clip "captures the band's larger-than-life personalities and outrageous antics perfectly in an insane house party that highlights the band's three favorite things — booze, girls and maniacal music."

"Suicide Season", the new album from BRING ME THE HORIZON, was issued in the U.K. on October 6 via Visible Noise and in the U.S. on November 18 through Epitaph Records. The follow-up to 2006's "Count Your Blessings" was recorded at Studio Fredman in in Arboga, Sweden with producer Fredrik Nordström (ARCH ENEMY, DIMMU BORGIR) and according to frontman Oli Sykes, the isolation of recording an hour away from anywhere had its advantages.

The cover artwork for "Kreuzfeuer", the new album from German folk rock/metal heroes SUBWAY TO SALLY, can be viewed below. Due in late March/early April 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records, the band's tenth studio album will feature the following track listing:

01. Aufstieg
02. Judaskuss
03. Besser Du Rennst
04. SoFfern, So Nah
05. Die Jagd
06. Einsam
07. Komm in Meinen Schlaf
08. Angelus
09. Krähenkönig
10. Niemals
11. Versteckt
12. Vater

Following the album's release, the band will tour Germany, Austria and Switzerland before taking some time off for a creative break.

Vocalist Keith Buckley of Buffalo, New York's EVERY TIME I DIE has issued the following update:

"As of yesterday, January 12, we have officially begun writing the new record. Well let me rephrase that. Jordan [Buckley; guitar], Mike [Michael Novak; drums], Andy [Andrew Williams; guitar] and Josh [Newton; bass] have begin writing and I have just attained a level 23 ranking on Call Of Duty: World At War online. But that' not to say I have not been doing my part as I await to hear the demos of the songs as they begin filing in. I have, according to tradition, thrown myself into a tempestuous spiral of panic, doubt and self-loathing in the face of an impending creative venture that will ultimately shift public opinion of me to one extreme or another independent of my own faculties to control it. And still we do it for the kids. The irony. We will be taking a brief hiatus from the writing to play Poughkeepsie, New York; Plains, Pennsylvania; and Worcester, Massachusetts on January 29-31, then again between February 16 - March 4 to play shows in New Zealand and Australia before heading to the studio in California on April 1."

EVERY TIME I DIE has reportedly inked a deal with Epitaph Records.

In a July 2008 interview with U.K.'s Rock Sound magazine, EVERY TIME I DIE frontman Keith Buckley stated about the band's label situation, "Our latest album was the last thing we had to deliver for Ferret so we are in limbo. We are talking to some labels right now, I think people will be very pleased to know that it looks like we will not be signing with a major. Some were interested but I don't think we even got down to discussing deals, I know I would have signed a Shakira-esque 100 million dollar 360 deal but it never seemed to come up in conversation."

Chuck Stark of TheMetalUnion.com conducted an interview with Keith Buckley on August 9, 2008 at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts on the Vans Warped Tour. Watch the five-minute chat below.

EVERY TIME I DIE sold almost 14,000 copies of its last album, "The Big Dirty" (Ferret Music), in the United States in its first week of release in September 2007 to debut at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"The Big Dirty" was produced by Steve Evetts and was described by the band as "the CD you would compile if asked to make a mix of the best EVERY TIME I DIE songs you haven't heard yet. Ten-plus tracks that tore from our filthy hands like the creature that jumped out of that dude's stomach in 'Alien'."

"Painstained", the sixth album from Finnish goth-metallers ENTWINE, is available for streaming in its entirety at this location. (Note: The stream will be available for three days only!) Due on January 28 via Spinefarm Records, the CD was recorded with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa (HIM, APOCALYPTICA, SENTENCED).

"Painstained" (cover) track listing:

01. Soul Sacrifice
02. Strife
03. Dying Moan
04. Beautifully Confined
05. Lost In My Denial
06. Greed of Mankind
07. Dead By Silence
08. Hollow
09. Caught By Desire
10. Say Goodbye

Another evolutionary leap from the more commercial Americanism and electro leanings of 2004's "DiEversity" and heaviness of 2006's "Fatal Design", ENTWINE's latest step, "Painstained", presents an even more melody-oriented ENTWINE than any of its predecessors. The band has headed into yet another new direction. Layering Mika Tauriainen's melodic vocals over detuned and heavy guitars and the strong backbone of the Hanttu/Miettinen rhythm section, with "Painstained", ENTWINE has truly come into its own.

ENTWINE will release a "best-of" collection through the UK branch of Spinefarm Records sometime in 2009. The exact track listing for the CD has not yet been confirmed.

ENTWINE's fifth studio album, "Fatal Design", was released in September 2006 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Benelux via Century Media Records through a licensing deal with Spinefarm Records. The CD was recorded at Petrax and Groveland studios by ENTWINE drummer Aksu Hanttu and producer Janne Joutsenniemi (STONE, SUBURBAN TRIBE). The album was mixed at Finnvox by Mikko Karmila (NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM).

Melbourne, Australia-based progressive power metallers EYEFEAR have announced the addition of bassist Evan Harris (BLACK MAJESTY, ENDEL RIVERS' "Hardbite", TARAMIS) to the group's ranks. The band says in a statement: "We're really excited to have Evan in the band, and [it is] also a great honor, as he is one of Australia's premier bassists."

Commented Evan: "I have long been an admirer of EYEFEAR and of their class and commitment, and simply couldn't pass up the rare opportunity to join when it arose. Hopefully there are many years of great live shows and mindblowing albums ahead of us all."

EYEFEAR's fourth album, "The Unseen", was released this past November via Dockyard 1. The CD was mixed and mastered at Jailhouse Studios by Tommy Hansen.

Italian dark metal band GRAVEWORM has issued the following update:

"We are currently working on songs for our upcoming album. We will enter the studio at the beginning of February and the new new one will be released at the end of May. We will present the new stuff at three festivals in May — the Legacy festival in Germany, the Summer Nights festival in Austria and the Pratteln Z7 Metaldayz in Switzerland."

GRAVEWORM's latest album, "Collateral Defect", was released through Massacre Records. The CD was recorded at Stage One studios in Borgentreich, Germany with producer Andy Classen (DEW-SCENTED, CALLENISH CIRCLE, TANKARD, OCCULT). The follow-up to 2005's "(N)utopia" contains 10 songs and features guest appearances by Maurizio Iacono from KATAKLYSM and Matze from THE SORROW.

Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY), Tony Franklin (THE FIRM, WHITESNAKE), Brian Tichy (BILLY IDOL, OZZY OSBOURNE), Virgil Donati and Rusty Cooley (OUTWORLD) are among the guest musicians who appear on the new solo album keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), entitled "Molecular Heinosity".

The CD is scheduled for release on the following dates:

Japan: February 25
Taiwan: March 1
Germany, Austria, Switzerland: March 20
Europe: March 23
North America: March 24

Audio samples of five songs from "Molecular Heinosity" — "Antarctica", "Frozen By Fire", "Molecular Heinosity", "So Far Gone" and "Wings Of Insanity" — are available on Derek's MySpace page.

Swedish black metal horde LORD BELIAL has issued the following update:

"January 2009; LORD BELIAL has quit all their activities. All future gigs are cancelled. We would like to thank all fans, bands we have played with, labels, organizers and everyone involved in the band for the past 17 years!

"The main reason for this is the hearing problem (tinnitus) that has grown into a quite big problem for Micke [Backelin, drums] the last years… The other members in the band were not forced to put an end to the band but instead they mutually agreed that finding another drummer was not a solution for the future.

"Anyhow, if Micke's hearing will be at least a little bit recovered after a break from music and especially live appearances for some time, we really hope that we can continue where we ended.

"We will not comment or discuss this in emails etc."

LORD BELIAL released its latest album, "The Black Curse", in September 2008 via Regain Records. The CD was recorded at Deadline Studios with producer Valle Adzic.

LORD BELIAL's seventh full-length album, "Revelation", was recorded at Los Angered studio (owned by KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque) outside Gothenburg.

"This Time", the 1984 album from New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends JAGUAR, will be reissued on January 19 in Europe via Metal Mind Productions and March 10 in the USA through MVD. The new edition of the album includes four bonus tracks (demo, live and remix). The digipack title (limited to 2,000 copies) will be made available on golden disc, digitally remastered using 24-bit technology.

"This Time" (cover) reissue track listing:

01. This Time
02. Last Flight
03. A Taste of Freedom
04. Another Lost Weekend
05. Stand Up (Tumple Down)
06. Sleepwalker
07. Tear the Shackles Down
08. Stranger
09. Driftwood
10. (Nights of) Long Shadows

Bonus tracks:

11. (Nights of) Long Shadows (demo)
12. Last Flight (demo)
13. Sleepwalker (live)
14. This Time (remix)

Italian thrash-death metallers SOTHIS have set "Egod" as the title of their sophomore album which they will begin recording on January 15. 13 songs were written for the CD and 10 of them will be tracked for the final product, which will be produced by Paolo Ojetti (INFERNAL POETRY) at Petemkin Studios.

SOTHIS recently announced the addition of singer Alessandro Falà from IGNITION CODE to the group's ranks. A photo of the new lineup can be viewed below.

SOTHIS's video for their song "Beyond the Bound", taken from the band's debut album, "Fusion", can be viewed here. The clip was directed by Philozei Prod..

"Fusion" was released in April 2006 via Italy's Temple Of Noise Records.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor has confirmed to Billboard.com that he is making plans to record his first solo album rather than go back to his other band, STONE SOUR, at the end of SLIPKNOT's current touring cycle.

"I know I have this album that I need to make," Taylor tells Billboard.com, "and I'm the kind of guy that if I can't get that done then it's going to hold me back from all this other stuff I want to do. I just know I've got to make it or I can't branch out."

He adds that there are "a lot of songs I've written that don't fit with either band, really" and describes the material as "kind of a cross between the FOO FIGHTERS and SOCIAL D, with some JOHNNY CASH mixed in. . . Obviously there's a country background that comes built-in with living in Iowa," Taylor notes — but he also promises that "there's a lot of upbeat, just flat-out hard rock tunes."

DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy writes: "Roadrunner asked me for my Top 10 album list back in November (with comments) for their artist/employee year-end wrap up. For whatever reason, they never posted anybody's lists this year — so I figured I'd share it here so it doesn't go to waste."

Portnoy's comments on his favorite albums of 2008 follow below.

1. METALLICA - "Death Magnetic"

Portnoy: "Is this too obvious a pick? Perhaps.....but it's absolutely deserving. No other album has kicked my ass this year as much as this one has... This is the new METALLICA album I've been waiting almost 20 years for! That they made an album this strong and inspired 25 years after their debut is absolutely incredible and completely unprecedented (I challenge you to name three other bands that you can say that about... I can't!)"

2. PROTEST THE HERO - "Fortress"

Portnoy: "This album is totally insane... awesome playing, crazy arrangements, breakneck tempo and time changes. This is what MR. BUNGLE would've sounded like if they grew up on equal portions of DREAM THEATER and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN!"

3. THE MARS VOLTA - "The Bedlam In Goliath"

Portnoy: "After being disappointed with their last one, this latest one is back on track with some very cool, more cohesive (by their standards) writing. And new drummer Thomas Pridgen is worth the price of admission alone for all you drummers out there."

4. BEARDFISH - "Sleeping In Traffic Part 2"

Portnoy: "These Swedish retro-proggers were on my 2007 top 10 list with their 'Traffic Part 1' and they have done it again with the equally as great 'Part 2'. If you dig early '70s prog stuff like ZAPPA, GENESIS and YES, you'll dig these guys… (If you're a closed-minded Blabbermouth-posting idiot, don't bother.....not that you would've anyways!)"

5. SLIPKNOT - "All Hope Is Gone"

Portnoy: "For any doubters, look beyond the masks... these guys have made an absolutely amazing metal album with some great playing and a bit of Corey Taylor's more melodic side making its way into the sound without losing any of their edge and power."

6. OPETH - "Watershed"

Portnoy: "My Progressive Nation tourmates never disappoint...I think every album they've released in this millennium had made my year-end list! They're one of my all-time favorite metal bands... 'Nuff said!"

7. BLOODBATH - "Unblessing The Purity" / "The Fathomless Mastery"

Portnoy: "For the OPETH fans that dont like their melodic and progressive side (shame on you!) there are these two absolutely brutal side project releases with Mikael Åkerfeldt's trademark death growls and Martin Axenrot's intense double-bass drumming and blast beats that are tighter than a nun's vag..."

8. TRIVIUM - "Shogun"

Portnoy: "My favorite release so far from these guys who have really fallen into their own. It's refreshing to see a young band who obviously take their playing and writing as serious as they do and keep the shredding alive in metal.

(And yes, this is the third Roadrunner release in my top 10... and it is not due to any kind of shameless self-plugging or ass-kissing...they just happen to have the best metal roster around and are the best label on Earth... which is why we made them DT's home!)"

9. STEVEN WILSON - "Insurgentes"

Portnoy: "The newset addition to my ipod in the past few weeks is this latest masterpiece from PORCUPINE TREE's leader and sonic genius. Some serious ear candy here."

10. CYNIC - "Traced In Air"

Portnoy: "The pioneers of progressive death fusion are back with a sophmore release that took 15 years to come to fruition!"

A new instrumental and orchestral version of the song "Rouse Your Dream" from Italian folk metallers ELVENKING has been recorded for the movie "Little Black Dress" (where the original version of the track also appears). According to the band, Australian director Fredric Noah needed more music to be featured in the film and asked for something based on the "Rouse Your Dream" melodies, so the new song version was tracked specially for this purpose.

ELVENKING released a new acoustic album, "Two Tragedy Poets (...And A Caravan Of Weird Figures)", in Europe on November 14 via AFM Records. The CD was issued in digipack and jewel case formats.

ELVENKING's latest album, "The Scythe", was released in Europe in September 2007 via AFM Records.

The band has released the video for its song "The Divided Heart". The clip was shot with director Mirco Andreis (ELDRITCH, MACBETH, DISARMONIA MUNDI) and can be viewed here.

"The Scythe" was mixed at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland. The mastering took place on April 10 at Finnvox Studios with Mika Jussila and Nino Laurenne.

Californian brutal death metallers VILE will enter the studio on January 25 to begin recording their fourth full-length album for a late 2009 release. Drums will be tracked by Tyson Jupin over an eight-day period at founding member/guitarist Colin Davis' Imperial Mastering studio.

Regarding the band's current label situation, Davis said, "We have had a very ambiguous relationship with labels and music business people for our entire career. There seems to be a general theme here though. And that is that VILE seems destined to ultimately reject the common way of doing business in this industry. We have been grass roots from the very beginning and although labels like Listenable and Unique Leader have helped to boost our popularity to a degree, the large majority of it has come from the plain fact that we make quality and original music and word of mouth has come back to help us. And now, as we enter 2009 and begin ramping up for the recording and release process for the new album, we find ourselves without a label for the first time in eight years, and rather turned off by the entire label situation as a whole."

He continued, "I always keep all windows of opportunity open and will continue to do so, but as we stand now, we are seriously considering a self-release for this new album. Music is now an online phenomenon to a very large degree and I feel that an online approach to promotion will get us as far as, or even further than, the old ways of doing business."


VILE's new album will be the follow-up to "The New Age of Chaos", which was released in North America in October 2005 via Unique Leader Records.

Commented Davis: "I'm really looking forward to giving birth to this baby… it's been gestating for over three years and its about time to drop this sucker! As I have said before, this album is going to be very fresh and also quite daring in many ways. There is a wide variety of stylistic modes on this one, and my goal was to make an album with different moods or vibes. Human life is not all about one mood or one way of being. And so why should our music be so one-dimensional? You want heavy? You're going to get it… but you are going to get it in a way that makes you think and feel a little more broadly than you did with past releases. Also, I hope to be able to deliver you some lyrical content that actually means

Ex-ALTARIA bassist Marko Pukkila has joined forces with former SONATA ARCTICA guitarist Jani Liimatainen and HUMAN TEMPLE vocalist Janne Hurme in a new band called DREAM ASYLUM. According to the group's official bio, "The foundation of DREAM ASYLUM was built by Marko Pukkila. He had material that wasn't suitable for the classic metal style of his main band, more melodic rock by nature. To sing these songs he needed a strong, emotional voice, and it didn't take him too long to invite Janne Hurme to the studio. Hurme, who has released several solo albums and a critically acclaimed hard rock album with his band HUMAN TEMPLE, was impressed by the quality of the songwriting and gladly accepted the invitation. Jani Liimatainen, the guitarist of SONATA ARCTICA, was also contacted, and he agreed to 'enter the ASYLUM'. As it happened, he also had a selection of songs that would fit neatly into the sound of the new project, and lo and behold — the band had an album's worth of songs with strong crossover potential!"

DREAM ASYLUM is:

Janne Hurme - Vocals
Jani Liimatainen – Guitar, Keyboards
Marko Pukkila - Bass
Jani Hurula - Drums

The cover artwork for "Ravenous", the new album from Swedish metallers WOLF, can be viewed below. The CD features a guest guitar solo by Hank Shermann (FORCE OF EVIL, MERCYFUL FATE) and guest vocals by Mark Boals (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ROYAL HUNT).

For the fierce and bloody artwork, the band once again decided to work with its longtime cover artist Thomas Holm (MERCYFUL FATE).

"He has the ability to 'paint our music' and that's something we're not gonna pass up on," WOLF explained.

Topped off by the phenomenal production by Roy Z (BRUCE DICKINSON, JUDAS PRIEST), "Ravenous" promises a heavy metal delicacy par excellence!

WOLF recently filmed a video for the song "Voodoo" in Umeå, Sweden with director Owe Lingwall of Village Road Film. WOLF previously worked with Lingwall on the clip for the track "I Will Kill Again", which can be viewed below.

Danish metallers IRON FIRE have announced the addition of guitarist Marc Masters (FORCENTURY) to the group's ranks.

IRON FIRE's new album, "To The Grave", will be released in the U.S. on January 27 via Napalm Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. The Beast From The Blackness
02. Kill For Metal
03. The Demon Master
04. Cover The Sun
05. To The Grave
06. March Of The Immortals
07. The Kingdom
08. Frozen In Time
09. Hail To Odin
10. Doom Riders
11. Ghost Of Vengeance
12. The Battlefield
13. Blacksmith of Thunder (bonus track)

OPETH, DISMEMBER and BURST are among the nominated artists in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" category at the upcoming Manifest 2009 awards.

The Manifest awards are given out by SOM (Svenska Oberoende Musikproducenter) (Swedish Independent Musicproducers), an organization that consists of over 100 record labels. This year's awards ceremony will take place on February 6 at Nalen in Stockholm.

"Best Hard Rock/Metal" Manifest 2009 award nominees:

* BURST - "Lazarus Bird" (Relapse/Border)
* DISMEMBER - "Dismember" (Regain/Sound Pollution)
* GRAND MAGUS - "Iron Will" (Rise above/Border)
* OPETH - "Watershed" (Roadrunner/Bonnier Amigo)

"Best Punk/Hardcore" Manifest 2009 award nominees:

* DISCO VOLANTE - "We Are Forever" (Not enough)
* DISFEAR - "Live The Storm" (Relapse/Border)
* NITAD - "Ibland Kan Man Inte Hindra Sig Själv" (Kranium)
* MEANWHILE - "Reality Or Nothing" (Feral Ward)

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has uploaded two video clips (see below) of him and his band performing on May 27, 2008 at the Burswood Theatre in Perth, Australia. He says, "It was our second time there in a year. Just a year before, we played with GUNS N' ROSES and ROSE TATTOO at the Burswood Dome, located just across the parking lot! I love playing Australia. Perth is quite the hike from New Jersey but we can't wait to go there again soon!"

Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED will release a new double-disc compilation that details the band's time with Earache Records, from 1998 to 2003.

Titled "Warning Shots", the set contains 28 of THE HAUNTED's most killer tracks, including a second disc with many rare and unreleased songs. The booklet contains an extensive interview with bass player Jonas Björler, conducted with respected U.K. rock critic Dominic Lawson, examining the early years of the band and reflecting on the material included on the compilation.

"Warning Shots" track listing:

Disc 1 (containing tracks from the three albums "The Haunted", "The Haunted Made Me Do It" and "One Kill Wonder"):

01. Hate Song
02. Trespass
03. Shadow World
04. D.O.A.
05. Undead
06. One Kill Wonder
07. Under the Surface
08. In Vein
09. Hollow Ground
10. Everlasting
11. Dark Intentions
12. Bury Your Dead
13. Shithead
14. Chasm
15. Revelation
16. Forensick

Disc 2 – "Off the Record" (containing rare and previously unreleased material):

01. Ritual ("One Kill Wonder" session track)
02. Creed ("One Kill Wonder" session track)
03. Well of Souls (CANDLEMASS cover)
04. Eclipse ("The Haunted Made Me Do It" session track)
05. Choke Hold (live)
06. Leech (live)
07. Three Times (live)
08. Undead (demo)*
09. Shattered (demo) (from "Statements Of Intent" compilation)
10. Undead (DEATH & 1/2 PROD. rehearsal)*
11. Now You Know (DEATH & 1/2 PROD. rehearsal)*
12. Blood Rust (DEATH & 1/2 PROD. rehearsal)*

* previously unreleased

Trivia fans will note that the final three tracks on Disc 2 were recorded in
pre-THE HAUNTED times, before the band had settled on a final name. The tracks come from a rehearsal tape made at a time when the group was considering using the moniker DEATH & 1/2 PROD.

"Warning Shots" will be released in Europe on March 9, with a U.S. release scheduled for April 7.

ENSLAVED, KEEP OF KALESSIN, and BENEA REACH have been nominated in the "Metal" category at the 37th annual Spellemann awards (the Norwegian equivalent to the Grammy Awards). The largest and oldest Norwegian music awards show will be held Saturday, January 24 at the Spektrum in Oslo, Norway and will be broadcast live on the Norwegian channel TV2.

The nominees in the "Metal" category are as follows:

BENEA REACH - "Alleviat" (Tabu Recordings)
ENSLAVED - "Vertebrae" (Indie Recordings)
KEEP OF KALESSIN - "Kolossus" (Indie Recordings)

ENSLAVED vocalist/bassist Grutle Kjellson commented: "This is great! Although this is our fifth nomination, I will never get used to receiving honors such as this! Some people claim these awards do not mean anything — and they may be right, of course. Then again, they are lying idiots if they claim they wouldn't appreciate a 'Best Metal Album' award. It simply states that you are doing something right even if your life doesn't depend on it. Congratulations to our buddies in KEEP OF KALESSIN for their nomination, too!"