Melbourne, Australia ’s doom-dwellers INVERLOCH  (featuring 2/4 of the legendary DISEMBOWELMENT) have premiered the first track from their upcoming debut mini-LP Dusk…Subside.  The song, entitled “The Menin Road” is available for streaming via the band’s official Facebook page here, you may also listen below.  Dusk…Subside will be released as a digi-pack CD, deluxe etched vinyl, and digital download on April 10^th in North America and April 16^th in Europe via Relapse Records.  A preview of the album can be heard at this location, with pre-orders and the full album art available here.

Additionally the band has announced a series of special European shows  and a pair of rare festival performances this Spring, performing for a limited time under the name D.USK. They will be presenting DISEMBOWELMENT‘s legendary funeral doom opus, Transcendence into the Peripheral live in it’s entirety at Roadburn in the Netherlands and then playing five headlining dates throughout Europe, offering a different, albeit equally devastating set at these shows.  The band will then appear at the legendary Hellfest in France this June.  A full list of dates is available below.

INVERLOCH Tour Dates:

Apr. 12 – Tilburg , Netherlands – Roadburn Festival
Apr. 15 – Helsinki , Finland – Nosturi
Apr. 17 – Groningen , Netherlands – Gloppe
Apr. 18 – Antwerpen , Belgium – De Rots
Apr. 19 – London , UK –  The Underworld
Apr. 20 – Edinburgh , Scotland – Bannermans
June 17 – Clisson , France – Hellfest

Rite of Passage Records, an imprint of Mediaskare,  is proud to announce the signing of Johannesburg, South Africa based TRUTH AND ITS BURDEN. The band’s new album Choices is set to be released on May 22nd through Rite of Passage; a song from the album titled “Threadbare” can be listened to below, also on the band’s Facebook page located here http://www.facebook.com/truthanditsburden.

Formed in 2008, TRUTH AND ITS BURDEN started out as an idea to bring a sincere message of hope, and to do so with a real sense of urgency. Those same ideals that gave life to this band still chorus through in every song 4 years later. To be aware, to challenge, to follow through, to ignite ideas into dreams, to re-invigorate life itself and to find meaning and purpose. Over the past four years, the band has toured throughout Europe and Africa with bands like The Ghost Inside, Haste The Day, Have Heart, and many others.

“The main idea behind ‘Choices’ is pretty simple;” stated vocalist Ashley DeBeer. “Making choices that reflect clear consideration for dreams and aspirations, it’s not something that merely applies to me/us alone, but rather something many can relate to. I wrote a lot of the songs during a period in my life when change was necessary and I guess with choices in my life I found there was a constant balancing act that took place.”

“There are many contributing factors to making serious life decisions that balance a good choice and help make things a little clearer,” added DeBeer. “Many of the songs reflect the idea of finding myself, building myself, deciding things and just trying to make a conscious effort at being a better person in general.”

ORWELL sets out today for 3 FREE shows throughout their home state of Wisconsin.  The band is currently gigging around on their latest EP, A View of Heaven From A Seat In Hell, which you can “Name your own price” to digitally download it or to purchase a limited edition, hand made, hand packaged tangible CD via their BandCamp.  Currently the band is working on a followup to AVOHFASIH, looking to be released later this year.

EVERY TIME I DIE has debuted a video for their new song “Revival Mode,” which will appear on the band’s forthcoming album Ex Lives out on March 6th through Epitaph Records.

The last time we checked in about INCOMING CEREBRAL OVERDRIVE, we announced their anticipated new album, Le Stelle: A Voyage Adrift, which is now confirmed for released worldwide on May 7th via Italy’s Supernatural Cat Records. Now we can reveal the track listing and cover art created of course by Malleus Rock Art Labs.

Le Stelle: A Voyage Adrift Track Listing:
1. Mirzam
2. Sirius
3. Betelgeuse
4. Kochab
5. Adhara
6. Pherkad
7. Sirius B
8. Polaris
9.Bellatrix
10. Rigel

The end of the first decade of the new millennium marks a new step in the evolution of INCOMING CEREBRAL OVERDRIVE The title of the new chapter is: Le Stelle: A Voyage Adrift. The concept, an imaginary, dark and lonely trip adrift discovered in a diary. Emotions of fear, anger and irrational excitement are expressed, waiting for a certain epilogue into desolation, a final annihilation in a cosmic fusion.

Sonically, this new album is a journey that intersects and expands in a huge, deep and at times, claustrophobic monolith. Heavy cavernous guitars with back-breaking riffs, multifaceted, effect laden vocals and rhythmic notes plunge into a psychedelic mix of unpredictable sounds of distress and madness that we, the recipient, can only succumb to.

The album ultimately analyses the irrational, insane feelings of the man who face a journey toward the unknown. A diary has been found, but we can’t say anything more than what’s written inside. Impossible to identify the places (real or not, who knows) that he explored, what shines through his words are his fears, sensations and frustrations fed by a sense of belonging to a chaotic, uncontrollable, and compromised whole.

Denver sludge/grind trio CLINGING TO THE TREES OF A FOREST FIRE have just confirmed a Spring tour for the second half of March. The 7 Years Of Disillusion Tour will storm through fifteen American cities between March 13th and April 1st, including an assault on the Northeast with shows throughout three of NYC’s boroughs alongside Connecticut’s SEA OF BONES.

CTTTOAFF 7 Years Of Disillusion Tour:
3/13/2012 La Casa Sam – El Paso, TX w/ Communion of Thieves
3/14/2012 1011 – San Antonio, TX w/ Colonia
3/15/2012 108 (SXSW show) – Austin, TX w/ All Pigs Must Die, Early Graves, Kill The Client, The Atlas Moth and more!
3/16/2012 The Ranch Bar & Grill – Arlington, TX
3/17/2012 Queen City Hall – Dallas, TX w/ Kill the Client, Baring Teeth, Akkolyte, Tyranosorceress
3/23/2012 West Wing – Omaha, NE
3/24/2012 7th St. Space – Dekalb, IL w/ Sick/Tired
3/25/2012 Bird Alley – Jackson, MI w/ Sender Receiver, Bruxism, Scum, Isenblast, Discerned
3/26/2012 Lit Lounge – New York, NY w/ Sea Of Bones, The Year is One, Radiation Black Body, Head Snatcher
3/27/2012 HillTap Tavern – Queens, NY w/ Sea Of Bones
3/28/2012 O’Brien’s Pub – Boston, MA w/ Sea Of Bones, In The Shit
3/29/2012 St. Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY w/ Sea Of Bones, The Communion, Amputee, Scowl
3/30/2012 The Summit – Columbus, OH
3/31/2012 The Brass Rail – Peoria, IL
4/01/2012 Asshole Castle – Kansas City, MO

CLINGING TO THE TREES OF A FOREST FIRE’s Visceral 10″ EP was released via Prosthetic Records last Summer, and set a new landmark in brutality for the band. Surging with six tracks in barely sixteen minutes of the band’s angriest, grating grind/sludge attack to date, Exclaim called the release “one big bad touch of visceral grind/sludge that’s also an experiment in abstraction, where undifferentiated noise meets the experience of a physical barrage”, and hometown Denver weekly Westword stated that Visceral “achieves an electrifying alchemy of despair and rebellion against personal demons.”

Step into Damnation track listing:
01. Eternal Genocide
02. Wasteland of Corpses
03. Obidience
04. Camp Blood
05. El Salvador Death Squad
06. Step Into Damnation
07. The Bitch Died
08. Pierce My Flesh
09. Threesome
10. Failure of the Sacrifice
11. Buried In Hell

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Funeral-Whore/162850173791403

It has been confirmed that FEAR FACTORY and SHADOWS FALL will be doing some touring together in May with THE DEVASTATED, THE BROWNING, and LEGACY OF DISORDER supporting.  Both FEAR FACTORY and SHADOWS FALL will have new releases coming out this Spring/Summer.

5/1 San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
5/2 Dallas, TX @ Trees
5/3 Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
5/5 St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theater
5/6 Ft Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
5/9 Winston-Salem, NC @ Ziggy’s
5/10 Philadelphia, PA @ Theater Of Living Arts
5/11 Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s Pub
5/12 New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
5/13 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
5/16 Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot Ballroom
5/20 Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall

Before the word “Metalcore” existed… VISION OF DISORDER did. We did what we did because WE loved it, not because we thought others might. 20 years later we’re, once again, at work with the same approach. After a newly inked deal on Candlelight Records, we are about to begin tracking on our first studio album in a decade. We are bringing all the elements of what made us unique and ferocious to the table. Playing reunion shows over the past few years and seeing such positive responses has truly been inspirational. This album is absolutely dedicated to our fans that have stuck by us through our ups and downs. Without them, it would not have been.

The band will start recording their yet untitled album in the next month or so with Will Putney (Shadows Fall, Suicide Silence, Four Year Strong) and Cameron Webb (Motorhead, Social Distortion, Ignite, Pennywise) will be handling mixing of the album.
Darren Toms, Candlelight’s European label manager, had this to say about the new collaboration:

“I have been a fan of the band since the first release many years ago on Roadrunner/Supersoul and after hearing the new material I’m very excited to be working with the band and getting them back to where they need to be in today’s market.”

VISION OF DISORDER had this to say:

 “We are excited to be a part of the Candlelight roster. They were a perfect choice for us. After numerous record label woes, it was refreshing to partner with people that are passionate about music- not just profit or agenda.”

One of the most innovative and widely admired bands to emerge from the never-ending collision between hardcore and metal, VISION OF DISORDER  exploded from the streets of Long Island, NYC, with their self-titled debut album in 1996. Rapidly established as one of the hottest heavy bands on the planet, they were merely reaping the rewards of several years of hard slog as they honed their daring crossover sound across a series of gritty and groundbreaking demos prior to signing with Roadrunner Records’ Supersoul imprint.

Formed by guitarists Matt Baumbach and Mike Kennedy in 1992 and completed by vocalist Tim Williams, bassist Mike Fleischmann and drummer Brendon Cohen, their first official release was a split single with fellow NY crew LOYAL TO NONE, but it was 1995’s seven-inch Still EP that sealed the Roadrunner deal for this groundbreaking riff squad. With a burgeoning underground following who lauded the band’s blending of their traditional hardcore roots with more adventurous melodic and rhythmic elements, VOD were the right band for the right time, as the lines between metal and hardcore became ever more blurred and heavy music entered an era where cross-pollination was the name of the game.

Released in October ’96, VISION OF DISORDER  was a fearsome and fearless debut that quite rightly put the band firmly on the radar throughout the metal world. Songs like “Element“, “Liberation” and “D.T.O.” sounded simultaneously like the future and the past, and Williams’ impassioned vocal delivery was impossible to dismiss for anyone who demanded sincerity and intensity from their music.

After a great deal of touring and spreading of the VOD word, the band reconvened to create a follow-up record in 1998. Somewhat stymied by raw production values that were effectively forced on them by the limitations of a two-week studio session, Imprint emerged in the summer and received a mixed bag of reviews, ranging from the ecstatic to the disillusioned. The presence of PANTERA’s Phil Anselmo on the scorching “By The River” certainly helped to raise the album’s profile and his endorsement of VOD strengthened ties with the metal scene at large, but the band’s relationship with Roadrunner came to an abrupt end as Imprint failed to surpass the success of its predecessor.

Newly independent, VOD released a collection of re-recorded demos and new material called For The Bleeders in August ’99 on the low-key Go-Kart label, before retreating into the urban shadows to work on their third album. Audibly influenced by southern rock and grunge as much as hardcore or metal, 2001’s From Bliss To Devastation confused many fans but delighted others, adding yet more layers of intrigue and invention to the VOD sonic masterplan. Unfortunately the record was a comparative failure in commercial terms and its creators became disheartened and announced that they were to go on an indefinite hiatus in 2002. Williams and Kennedy teamed up to form epic metalcore merchants BLOODSIMPLE, while Fleischmann and Cohen became members of KARNOV. However, the lure of VOD soon proved to be too strong and the band reunited in 2006 for a brief three-song set at a BLOODSIMPLE show in Long Island and received such a rapturous response that they decided to perform a full gig together later that year at NYC’s Super Bowl Of Hardcore fest in Manhattan. Several more reunion shows followed, some of which were filmed for a proposed DVD that would eventually emerge under the title Dead In NY in 2008. Later that same year it was confirmed that VOD were back in action for real and working on material for a new studio album. By mid-2010, the band were on a creative roll and began shopping new material to labels. Shows with Life Of Agony, Biohazard and Glassjaw (during their brief UK run in 2011) added to the growing buzz around the reformed quintet, who entered the studio last spring to piece their latest magnum opus together. In June 2011, VISION OF DISORDER  unveiled the first fruits of their renewed collaboration, posting new song “The Enemy” online and generating a storm of excitement and approval.

Finally, over a decade on from their last album, VOD are back. Newly signed with revered underground label Candlelight Records, the Long Island destroyers are set to wreak havoc and incite wild pits across the globe when their brand new yet untitled full-length drops later in 2012. Reliably one step ahead of the game, the new record takes the best from past VOD releases and adds plenty of new ideas and vitality to an already heady brew of savage riffing and fearless proclamations. Let disorder reign!

The Occupation Domination Tour has been officially announced featuring ORIGIN, CATTLE DECPITATION, DECREPIT BIRTH, ABORTED, RINGS OF SATURN, and BATTLECROSS.   Dates below:

04/20 Baltimore, MD – Sonar
04/21 Wilmington, DE – Mojo 13
04/22 Trenton, NJ – Backstage @ Champs
04/24 Brooklyn, NY – Europa
04/26 Peoria, IL – The Brass Rail
04/27 Joliet, IL – Mojoes
04/28 Portage, IN – Camelot Arena
04/29 St. Louis, MO – Fubar
05/02 Albuquerque, NM – El Rey Theatre
05/04 San Diego, CA – Ruby Room
05/05 Tempe, AZ – The Clubhouse
05/06 West Hollywood, CA – Whisky A Go Go
05/07 Fullerton, CA – Slidebar
05/08 San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge
05/09 Stockton, CA – Plea For Peace Center
05/10 Sparks, NV – The Alley
05/11 Portland, OR – Branx
05/12 Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
05/13 Boise, ID – The Venue
05/14 Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
05/15 Denver, CO – The Summit
05/18 Lawrence, KS – Granada Theatre

Singapore grinders WORMROT have released a new music video for the song “Breed to Breed,” directed by Raul Gonzo.  The track is from WORMROT‘s EP, Noise, which is available for free download at this here.

Legendary Swedish grinders NASUM have announced a limited number of farewell performances for 2012 including their first ever tour on North American soil!  NASUM was hit hard by the passing of guitarist and co-founder Mieszko Talarczyk in the 2004 Asian tsunami, but announced the farewell performances to mark the band’s 20th anniversary and close the book on the wildly influential band.

The band will be bringing total devastation to North America beginning May 18th in Chicago , IL with grind-mates BRUTAL TRUTH and seminal hardcore troupe DROPDEAD for a series of Midwest and East Coast dates before co-headlining the 10th annual Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore , MD. Immediately after, NASUM will head out to the West Coast for a series of shows including support from BLACK BREATH, FROM ASHES  RISE, MASSGRAVE, and more bands TBA.  NASUM will wrap up this highly-anticipated run at Chaos in Tejas in Austin , TX on May 31st.

In addition to the North American dates, NASUM has also been confirmed for a dozen festivals in Europe , including Wacken Open Air, Hellfest, Graspop Metal Meeting, Obscene Extreme and many more. A complete list of confirmed tour dates and festival appearances is available below with many more to be announced soon.

The members of NASUM (Anders Jakobson: drums, Jesper Liverod: bass/vocals, Urban Skytt: guitars, Jon Lindqvist: guitars/vocals) have enlisted the help of ROTTEN SOUND vocalist, Keijo Niinimaa to handle the screams for the forthcoming dates. Anders Jakobson and Jesper Liverod commented on the upcoming North American Dates:

“So, farewell America . We mean it. These are the gigs that will sew our mouths shut. No turning back, no regrets, no apologies – we offer nothing but blastbeats and good times. This is about making grindcore a threat once and for all.

This first leg of the last tour is ironically also the first tour Nasum leads in North America . Barring the infamous Contamination tour in 1999, and a bit of chaos at the Milwaukee metal fest in 2001, North America is untouched by our blasting. Kind of weird, considering Nasum’s most dedicated following always came from Canada and the US .

So this one’s for all you guys as much as for Mieszko and the rest of us. The North American Grind Finale!”

NASUM North American Tour Dates:

May 18 Chicago , IL Reggies w/ Brutal Truth, Dropdead
May 19 Cleveland, OH Now That’s Class w/ Brutal Truth, Dropdead
May 20 Toronto , Canada Wreck Room w/ Brutal Truth, Dropdead
May 21 Montreal , Canada Sala Rosa w/ Brutal Truth, Dropdead
May 22 Providence , RI as220 w/ Brutal Truth, Dropdead
May 23 Philadelphia , PA The Barbary w/ Brutal Truth, Dropdead, Backslider
May 24 New York , NY Europa w/ Brutal Truth, Dropdead, Margrudergrind, Grudges
May 25 Baltimore , MD Maryland Death Fest
May 26 Seattle , WA Highline w/ Black Breath, Massgrave, Theories
May 27 Portland , OR Branx w/ From Ashes Rise, Massgrave
May 28 Oakland , CA Metro
May 29 Ventura , CA Billy O’s
May 30 Los Angeles , CA TBA
May 31 Austin , TX Red 7 – Chaos in Tejas

Confirmed European Tour Dates:

June 2 Nijegen , Netherlands Forta Rock
June 15 Clisson , France Hellfest
June 16 Gothenburg , Sweden Metaltown
June 23 Dessel , Belgium Graspop Metal Meeting
June 29 Lobnitz , Germany With Full Force XVIII
July 5 Salzburg , Austria Extremefest
July 6 Huenxe , Germany Extremefest
July 7 Martigny , Switzerland Extremefest
July 8 Roskilde , Denmark Roskilde Festival
July 13 Trutnov, Czech Rep. Battlefield (as part of Obscene Extreme Festival)
July 14 Joensuu , Finland Ilosaarirock
August 3-4 Wacken , Germany Wacken Open Air Festival XXIII

SPLIT CRANIUM, the hardcore/crust punk outfit led by ex-ISIS and current MAMIFFER and Aaron Turner and Jussi Lehtisalo of CIRCLE, are set to release their self-titled debut LP, out March 20 via Hydra Head.  ”Tiny Me” and “Sceptres to Rust” are streaming below.

Split Cranium track listing:
1. Little Brother )
2. Tiny Me
3. The Crevice Within
4. Blossoms from Boils
5. Sceptres to Rust
6. Black Binding Plague
7. Yellow Mountain
8. Retrace the Circle

Preorders are available here.

Brooklyn sludge rock ministers HULL are pleased to announce another stretch of tour dates this Spring. The short but epic run will commence on March 7 in Long Branch, New Jersey. From there the band will forge their path towards Austin to pillage their way through another SXSW Music Conference.

Commented the band in a collective statement:

“The fires of life boil our blood as we anticipate the rising of the moon. Sharpening our steel for the open road, the Earth’s tides overwhelm the coasts. With much doom, the salted sands part as tortured souls spread their heavy upon the cracked crust of our Mother. Brother and Sister traverse the scarred country side, elating the spirits of willing followers as the skies blacken with the sorrow that is expelled. Once again, packed neatly in their battered vessel, HULL burn this candle of life and light the roadside within the depths of night. Accompanied by true warriors upon the first leg are Black Tusk, Royal Thunder and East Of The Wall. Raise your fists in revelry. Stand side by side as we carve deep into the soil of this turbulent wasteland.”

HULL Tour 2012:
3/07/2012 Brighton Bar – Long Branch, NJ
3/08/2012 Annabells – Akron, OH
3/09/2012 Ultra Lounge – Chicago, IL w/ Black Tusk, Royal Thunder, East Of The Wall
3/10/2012 I Rock – Detroit, MI w/ Black Tusk, Royal Thunder, East Of The Wall
3/11/2012 Camelot Arena – Portage, IN w/ Black Tusk, Royal Thunder, East Of The Wall
3/12/2012 Fubar – St. Louis, MO w/ Black Tusk, Royal Thunder, East Of The Wall
3/13/2012 Stone Pony – Fayetteville, AR w/ Black Tusk, Royal Thunder, East Of The Wall
3/15/2012 SXSW Red Seven – Austin, TX
3/17/2012 SXSW Triple Crown Tattoo – Austin, TX
3/18/2012 The Lion’s Den – Denton, TX w/ Mutilation Rites
3/19/2012 Queen City Hall – Dallas, TX w/ Nachtmystium/Alcest/The Atlas Moth/Bruce Lamont
3/20/2012 Downtown Music – Little Rock, AK w/ Mutilation Rites
3/21/2012 Café CoCo – Nashville, TN w/ Mutilation Rites
3/22/2012 TBA – Richmond, VA w/ Mutilation Rites
3/23/3012 The Acheron – Brooklyn, NY w/ Mutilation Rites, Batillus, Trenchgrinder

http://www.facebook.com/hull666

Norwegian pioneers in Blackened Death metal, FESTER has risen from their grave to unleash the fury that is A Celebration Of Death. The band’s first offering of new material in 17 years, A Celebration Of Death is a whirlwind of dark musical flavors mixing Black, Death, Thrash, Heavy Metal and Jazz. FESTER returns to celebrate death with this vicious assault of old-school and sinister riffing. This truly is the band’s darkest offering to date.

Guitarist/vocalist Bjorn “Tiger” Mathisen elaborates, “FESTER has never made music to please a certain crowd and this dark anthem really proves that darkness and death can come in many different disguises.”

A Celebration Of Death is scheduled for a mid-March release date through Abyss Records.

In addition to core members Jon Bakker (bass), Thomas Andersen (vocals) and Bjorn “Tiger” Mathisen (guitar/vocals), A Celebration Of Death also features Audun Kleive (session drums), Raymond Pellicer (additional guitars, programming and synth), Eivind Aarseth (additional guitars), Guido Saint Roch (guest vocals on “Metalized”) and Mortiis (Dark Converter). The cover for A Celebration Of Death was painted by artist Eliran Kantor (Testament, Sodom, Atheist, Sigh, Anacrusis). The rest of the layout was done by Joce of Industrie Chimere Noire (Portal, Ghäst, Total Holocaust). The CD release will include a 16-page booklet. Flooga Records will be issuing a vinyl version of the album with laminated gatefold and heavy inner sleeve. Total Holocaust Records will release a limited edition cassette version (100 copies only) with alternate, hand drawn cover and artwork.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fester/204292849614033

American heavy metal juggernauts THY WILL BE DONE have posted an exclusive video teaser for their anticipated upcoming EP via their recently launched YouTube channel. The video features a sampling of new music from their forthcoming release combined with live footage and some familiar faces.

“We, as a band and as individuals, went through a lot during the writing process of this EP.”, comments rhythm guitarist Kurt Fraunfelter who also engineered the forthcoming release. “You can hear so many emotions and feelings throughout whether it be in the vocals, the guitar solos, or whatever.”

The forthcoming release was mixed by acclaimed metal producer Zeuss (WHITECHAPEL, SUICIDE SILENCE, CHIMAIRA, SOULFLY) at Planet Z in Hadley, MA and features six brand new studio tracks, including “You, The Apathy Divine“, which the band debuted live on the Stillborn Fest tour with HATEBREED.

“Musically, it is still very much a THY WILL BE DONE release,” Kurt elaborates. “However, I think when this new EP is played from start to finish you will definitely hear a darker and far more ‘moody’ vibe than throughout our entire last album. Lyrically, I can assure you there is not one word on this EP that isn’t straight from (vocalist) J’s heart.”

THRICE will embark on a “farewell” tour of North America this spring, this past November the band has gave word that they are going on hiatus. ANIMALS AS LEADERS will be joining them.
5/4 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues-San Diego
5/5 Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Café
5/6 Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
5/8 Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
5/9 Dallas, TX @ The Door
5/10 Austin, TX @ Emo’s East
5/11 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
5/12 New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s
5/13 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
5/15 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
5/16 Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
5/18 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
5/19 Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
5/20 Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
5/22 Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon
5/23 Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre
5/24 New York, NY @ Best Buy Theatre Times Square
5/25 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
5/26 Boston, MA @ Royale Night Club
5/27 Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
5/29 Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
5/30 Toronto, ONT @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
6/1 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
6/2 Chicago, IL @ Metro
6/3 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
6/5 Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
6/6 Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
6/7 Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
6/9 Seattle, WA @ The Showbox @ The Market
6/10 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
6/12 San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
6/13 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
6/14 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
6/15 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
6/16 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia LA Live

A WANTED AWAKENING has recently entered Steelhouse Studios where their are recording their as yet untitled full length.   The effort will consist of 10 songs, including rerecorded versions of 5 songs from their Rebirth EP that was released this past July.   Their very own bassist, Jason York, will be handling recording, mixing, and mastering duties.

Commented vocalist Rick Hardy:

“The album as a whole is a collection of a lot of hard work for the better part of 5 years where we have gone through many different evolutions in our sound.We are very proud of the product that we will be putting out and are very excited to get back on stage to showcase the new songs to our fans. It’s been a long time in the making.

http://www.facebook.com/awantedawakening

Noisecreep and Gun Shy Assassin have each posted live tracks from the upcoming DEATH deluxe live 2CD collection entitled Vivus! Noisecreep is currently streaming the Scream Bloody Gore classic “Zombie Ritual” taken from Disc, while Gun Shy Assassin is streaming The Sound of Perseverance track “Flesh And The Power It Holds” also from Disc 1. Compiling two separate DEATH concerts, each recorded in 1998, Disc One features the band at the height of their prowess tearing the roof off of the infamous Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles while Disc Two is a brilliant recording of the band on the festival stage at Dynamo Open Air. The complete tracklisting for both discs can be found below.

Vivus! is set for a February 28th North American release date, March 2nd in the Benelux/Germany, and March 5th in the UK and rest of Europe. Vivus! follows the recent Relapse Records re-issues of Individual Thought Patterns, The Sound of Perseverance and Human. Like those reissues, this collection will contain extensive liner notes from previous members and never-before-seen photos of the band. Pre-order options, including a new line of exclusive DEATH merch and additional release information can be found on the Relapse Store.

Vivus! Tracklisting:

Disc 1 – Live In L.A. – 1998

1. The Philosopher
2. Spirit Crusher
3. Trapped In A Corner
4. Scavenger Of Human Sorrow
5. Crystal Mountain
6. Flesh And The Power It Holds
7. Zero Tolerance
8. Zombie Ritual
9. Suicide Machine
10. Together As One
11. Empty Words
12. Symbolic
13. Pull The Plug

Disc 2 – Live In Eindhoven – 1998

1. The Philosopher
2. Trapped in a Corner
3. Crystal Mountain
4. Suicide Machine
5. Together As One
6. Zero Tolerance
7. Lack Of Comprehension
8. Flesh and the Power It Holds
9. Flattening of Emotions
10. Spirit Crusher
11. Pull the Plug

In anticipation of their forthcoming new 2012 studio album, SHADOWS FALL  are reaching out to fans to ask for help in designing their official new band logo.   The design contest, presented by MetalSucks.net, is launching February 21^st through Talenthouse where fans can submit their original designs through March 14^th.  Voting will be open from March 21^st – March 27^th with the winner set to be announced on April 5^th.  There will be a total of three contest winners.  Visit TalentHouse.com to enter.

Winning prize packages are as follows:

One Grand Prize Winner (chosen by Shadows Fall)

-$250.00 Cash Prize
-Artist profile editorial feature and Logo design featured on MetalSucks.net
-VIP pair of tickets (2 tickets) and meet/greet to a local Shadows Fall tour date
-Designed Logo featured as Shadows Fall’s default image on band social media accounts for 2 weeks
-Signed copy of new Shadows Fall album

One First Prize Runner Up (chosen by fan vote)

-$100.00 Cash Prize
-Logo design featured on Shadows Fall’s Facebook page
- Pair of tickets (2 tickets) and meet/greet to local Shadows Fall tour date
-Shadows Fall merchandise package
-Signed copy of new Shadows Fall album

One Second Prize Runner Up (chosen by fan vote)

-Logo design featured on Shadows Fall’s Facebook page
- Pair of tickets (2 tickets) and meet/greet to local Shadows Fall tour date
-Signed copy of new Shadows Fall album

In other news, SHADOWS FALL will hit the road for a string of headlining tour dates this February where they will play intimate warm up shows and new music in select cities. The band will then head to Australia for Soundwave 2012, dates below.

SHADOWS FALL has just wrapped recording their seventh official studio album at Zing Studios.  Slated for a late spring 2012 release, the new record reunites the band with long-time friend, producer/engineer and Killswitch Engage/Times Of Grace guitarist, Adam Dutkiewicz. Adam D., who has previously helmed the boards on albums for All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, Unearth, The Devil Wears Prada, and Every Time I Die, is also intimately involved in the writing of the new SHADOWS FALL material.

SHADOWS FALL has a new album coming out later this year through Razor & Tie, more details on the album and tours dates are expected to be announced soon.  Enter .  In the video below, vocalist Brian Fair speaks about the contest where a clip of a new song follows.

SHADOWS FALL Headlining Shows:
Feb 16 – Rochester, NY – Montage
Feb 17 – Syracuse, NY – Station 58
Feb 18 – Clifton Park, NY – Trickshots
Feb 19 – Turners Falls, MA – Shea Theatre

SOUNDWAVE 2012:
Feb 25 – Brisbane, AUS – Soundwave
Feb 26 – Sydney, AUS – Soundwave
Feb 28 – Melbourne, AUS – The Palace (Sidewave w/Machine Head, Chimaira, Times of Grace)
Feb 29 – Sydney, AUS – UNSW Roundhouse (Sidewave w/Machine Head, Chimaira, Times of Grace)
Mar 2 – Melbourne, AUS – Soundwave
Mar 3 – Adelaide, AUS – Soundwave
Mar 5 – Perth, AUS – Soundwave

With just days before the release of Recurring Themes the new album from Detroit’s progressive metal band IMMINENT SONIC DESTRUCTION, the band has released a new video for the track “Monster“. The video features the full-length track combined with video content created by ISD fans and can be viewed below:

Recurring Themes was produced by Roy Z (Halford, Bruce Dickinson), and features nine original tracks that showcase the band’s vocal harmonies soaring over original progressive-metal riffing, melodic compositions and the rhythms of ex-Tiles drummer, Pat DeLeon. The album is set to be released this Friday, February 24^th and will be available via the band’s website, iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Lasers Edge, Dearborn Music as well as many other online music outlets.

https://www.facebook.com/imminentsonicdestruction

AURA NOIR have debuted the track, “Abbadon,” exclusively, at Brooklyn Vegan. Listen to the first taste from the self-proclaimed “ugliest band in the world’s” upcoming album, Out to Die!

Featuring members of IMMORTAL, MAYHEM, VIRUS and AVA INFERI, AURA NOIR has announced their latest masterpiece Out to Die. More intense and aggressive than ever, with an increasingly stark and raw vibe to it all, the bar is once again raised and another milestone of putrid black thrash metal is born!  Out to Die, their fifth album overall, and first with Indie Recordings, will see a release on March 23rd in Europe and March 27th in North America. The new album sees the return of Blasphemer to AURA NOIR‘s ranks! Pre-order is now available in North America. Order the CD on its own, or with an exclusive shirt design here.

Check out the track listing of Out to Die:

1. Trenches
2. Fed To The Flames
3. Abbadon
4. The Grin From The Gallows
5. Withheld
6. Priest’s Hellish Fiend
7. Deathwish
8. Out To Die

http://www.facebook.com/auranoirofficial

In it’s third year, the Midwest’s premiere hardcore/punk/metal festival, The Rumble, will be taking place on April 27th and 28th at The Bottom Lounge in Chicago.  This year’s lineup is the festival’s best yet, featuring bands like NEGATIVE APPRAOCH, MURPHY’s LAW, 100 Demons, CRUEL HAND, COLISEUM, HARMS WAY, and over a dozen others.  The full list of bands can be found below, and two-day festival passes are available now for $55, single day at $25 for Friday and $35 for Saturday via www.ticketweb.com.

The Rumble is presented by Empire Productions, whose founder, Shane Merrill, has been booking hardcore shows in the Chicagoland area since 1997.  While both coasts have had no shortage of music festivals, the Midwest had been lacking a solid hardcore/punk/metal festival, and Shane took it into his own hands to create just that.  He commented,

“The Rumble is growing each year and we’re digging into a lot of different subgenres of hardcore.  From Negative Approach to 100 Demons to Cruel Hand to Coliseum to Murphy’s Law and so many more, this year’s lineup is one of our most diverse yet.  It will be great to see some amazing newer bands that are making their first trips to Chicago like Rock Bottom and Empire of Rats among others.  I’m personally looking forward to taking in all the different styles on the fest, both new and old.    Should be a great weekend.”

For more information, check out The Rumble online at www.Facebook.com/TheRumbleChicago and stay tuned for more information, including after-parties at the Cobra Lounge in Chicago, to be announced soon.

FRIDAY, APRIL 27
Negative Approach
Murphy’s Law
Coliseum
Sweet Cobra
Ensign
Rotting Out
Focused Minds

SATURDAY, APRIL 28
100 Demons
Death Threat
Trapped Under Ice
Cruel Hand
Wisdom in Chains
The Mongoloids
Harms Way
Palehorse
Rock Bottom
Wrong Answer
Empire of Rats
Argonauts
Agitator
Beware
WIthdrawal
Everything Went Black
No Regrets

On March 27th, STICK TO YOUR GUNS  new album, Diamond.  Listen to a new song,“Against Them All,” off the album below or you can snag it through iTunes.

DOWNSPIRIT, the German/Swiss bluesy/hard-rocking-metal-oriented band formed by ex-SYMPHORCE/ex-FREEDOM CALL guitarist Cedric “Cede” Dupont, will enter the studios in mid-march to record their second album. A release is expected for late summer via Metalville Records, followed by a tour in fall/winter.

DOWNSPIRIT‘s debut album, Point Of Origin, was received well with much positive feedback all over the world, and brought the band’s touring schedule to include more than 60 shows around Europe.

The band states on their official Facebook site:

“We can’t wait to let you hear what our second album will sound like. Being on the road a lot and having so much fun together as a band certainly made it’s inspiration to the songwriting process. We’re gonna have a lot of killer tunes on that album, that’s for sure!! We’re looking forward to get to the studio in mid-march!”