Paragon News

FEAR FACTORY Announce American Tour Dates

2012-02-23T18:07:00.003-08:00

FEAR FACTORY today confirms their first tour dates for 2012. Set to begin in San Antonio on May 1, the tour’s initial dates include stops in Dallas, Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore, and Denver among others. Joining FEAR FACTORY for the tour is Boston’s Shadows Fall, Kansas City-based The Browning, Riverside, California’s The Devastated, and Legacy Of Disorder from New Zealand. The tour will precede the release of FEAR FACTORY’s new album titled The Industrialist.

FEAR FACTORY recently announced the addition of bass player Matt DeVries. The Ohio native previously noted, “I have been asked to join one of my favorite bands. I have been a fan of FEAR FACTORY since 1992 and I could not be more excited to be part of this incredible band.” Guitarist Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell noted, “we are very excited to have Matt playing bass for FEAR FACTORY. We feel he is a great addition to our touring line-up. He has been a friend for a very long time and he is a great musician who will be a perfect instrument in the FF machine.”

With rehearsals for the tour expected to start soon, the members of FEAR FACTORY are finishing details on their forthcoming new album expected for release early summer. Greg Reely has now completed the album’s mix. All that remains is final artwork and packaging. Regarding the new material, Cazares and Bell affirm, “this album perfectly captures the true nature of FEAR FACTORY. The industrial/metal blend is a strong return to our original concept for FEAR FACTORY."

The Industrialist follows 2010’s critically acclaimed Mechanize. Blabbermouth said, “this is the album fans have been waiting for…a fiery and evolved rebirth of the band that changed metal in the ’90s.” Revolver Magazine called Mechanize, “one of the best albums of the band’s career. Its combination of new-wave melody, rapid-fire aggression, and electronic ambiance sounds as fresh today as FEAR FACTORY did nearly 20 years ago. Call it the soul of their new machine.” Decibel Magazine noted, “FEAR FACTORY are back and beyond intact.”

Confirmed dates as of press time are:

5/01/2012 Backstage Live - San Antonio, TX

5/02/2012 Trees – Dallas, TX

5/03/2012 Scout Bar – Houston, TX

5/05/2012 State Theater - St. Petersburg, FL

5/06/2012 Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

5/09/2012 Ziggy’s - Winston-Salem, NC

5/10/2012 Theater of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA

5/11/2012 Wally’s Pub - Hampton Beach, NH

5/12/2012 Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY

5/13/2012 Sonar – Baltimore, MD

5/16/2012 The Crofoot Ballroom – Pontiac, MI

5/20/2012 Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO

THE SAFETY FIRE releases new single, “Circassian Beauties”, online

2012-02-23T18:05:00.002-08:00

THE SAFETY FIRE has pushed the boundaries of the ever-growing British progressive music scene since their inception in 2006, but now the band is finally ready to release their first full-length album, Grind The Ocean, on April 9th in the UK and April 10th in North America! Originally set to be released in late February via Inside Out Music, Grind The Ocean is available for pre-order here. If you pre-order your copy, you'll still receive the album on the original date of release (February 27th in the UK, February 28th in North America), plus additional bonus content in a special digipack, so reserve your copy now!

In anticipation of this upcoming release, the band has now debuted a new single, "Circassian Beauties", from Grind The Ocean . To listen to the track, head over to THE SAFETY FIRE's official YouTube.

For fans that can't wait for Grind The Ocean's release, THE SAFETY FIRE recently posted the first in a series of album teaser trailers. To watch the video, click here. A video for the band's first single, "Huge Hammers", can also be viewed here.

THE SAFETY FIRE will join PROTEST THE HERO, PERIPHERY, JEFF LOOMIS, and TODAY I CAUGHT THE PLAGUE on the road this spring for the band's first tour of North America! In regards to the tour, guitarist Derya "Dez" Nagle comments: "We are super hyped to come to the US, especially with such an amazing lineup. We are huge fans of all the bands playing and feel they all bring their own unique vibe to what should be an amazing tour. It's our first time to the US, and we are ready to bring the ruckus/party."

A complete list of tour dates is below, so check to see when this epic progressive metal show will be coming to a city near you!

THE SAFETY FIRE tour dates feat. PROTEST THE HERO, PERIPHERY, JEFF LOOMIS, TODAY I CAUGHT THE PLAGUE
3/25 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
3/26 - Lawrence, KS - Granada
3/27 - Dallas, TX - Trees
3/28 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
3/30 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine
3/31 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red
4/1 - Los Angeles, CA - Key Club
4/2 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
4/3 - Portland, OR - The Branx
4/4 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
4/6 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue
4/7 - Denver, CO - Summit
4/9 - St. Louis, MO - Pops
4/10 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave II
4/11 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
4/12 - Columbus, OH - The Outland Ballroom
4/13 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
4/14 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
4/16 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
4/17 - Orlando, FL - The Social
4/18 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theater
4/20 - New York, NY - Gramercy
4/22 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero

DARK TRANQUILLITY releases new video for "In My Absence"

2012-02-23T10:11:00.003-08:00

DARK TRANQUILLITY is proud to present their new music video, "In My Absence"! Taken from their latest release, We Are The Void (2010), "In My Absence" is the band's fifth promo clip for the album, and it was filmed by the band themselves on the road, with guitarist Niklas Sundin (www.cabinfevermedia.com / www.adurolabs.se) taking care of the editing/post production duties. Additional live footage was provided by Anders Björler (THE HAUNTED, AT THE GATES) and Nikolas Pegler. Click here to check out this new video from DARK TRANQUILLITY.

In regards to this video, Niklas Sundin comments: "I wanted to create a live video that would capture the energy of our show both from the audience's perspective as well as from the stage. To accomplish this, we headed out on our recent Europe/Russia tours equipped with a GoPro HD camera, which was mounted on various objects (guitar necks, vocal microphone, member's bodies etc.) on most of the shows. Despite probably looking pretty weird for those in the crowd that noticed the little device, we arrived home with a lot of interesting footage, and after a lot of editing we're happy to present the final result: A clip for 'In My Absence', filled with an energy and closeness out of the ordinary. Enjoy!"

DARK TRANQUILLITY, the unstoppable metal machine from Gothenburg, Sweden, has already played over 160 shows all over the world in support of We Are The Void, and the band continues to tour, heading to exotic locations such as China, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and Turkey, as well as appearing at European summer festivals in the upcoming months. In fall 2012, they will take a break to focus on a new album.

All upcoming tour dates for DARK TRANQUILLITY are below, so check to see when they'll be coming to a city near you!

DARK TRANQUILLITY live 2012:
08.03.2012 - Close-Up Båten (Metal cruise), Sweden & Finland
23.03.2012 - Beijing, China
24.03.2012 - Shanghai, China
27.03.2012 - Tokyo, Japan
28.03.2012 - Osaka, Japan
31.03.2012 - Seoul, South Korea
05.05.2012 - Tel Aviv, Israel
06.05.2012 - Istanbul, Turkey
31.05.2012 - Metalfest, Austria
02.06.2012 - Metalfest Dessau, Germany
03.06.2012 - Metalfest Poland
05.06.2012 - Metalfest Croatia
06.06.2012 - Metalfest Italy
08.06.2012 - Metalfest Loreley, Germany
10.06.2012 - Metalfest Switzerland
15.06.2012 - Metal Gate, Czech
28.o7.2012 - Faceplant Metalfest, Sweden
16.08.2012 - Summer Breeze, Germany
17.08.2012 - Motocultor festival, France
13.10.2012 - Metal Invasion Festival, Germany

ORIGIN: U.S. Headlining Tour Announced!

2012-02-23T10:09:00.002-08:00

Genre defining technical death metal giants, ORIGIN, will tour the United States this April/May on an epic headlining run that will bring together some of today’s best brutal bands. Groups like spastic-vegetarian-gore-grinders CATTLE DECAPITATION, psychedelically influenced tech-deathsters DECREPIT BIRTH, groove laden death-gore mongers ABORTED, and underground buzz band sensations RINGS OF SATURN and BATTLECROSS. Commented gentlemen drummer/wordsmith John Longstreth of ORIGIN:

"Hey ladies n' germs, it's Longstreth of ORIGIN here with a little dirt on what we currently have on the table. We're calling it OCCUPATION DOMINATION 2012. Simply put, it’s the most brutal death metal tour package of the spring and it’s starting up in the end of April and running all the way through till the end of May. This tour is for fans of the extreme, blast beat driven, face melting, skull crushing, type of DEATH METAL that parents and young children are still afraid of. In addition to ORIGIN, we have CATTLE DECAPITATION, ABORTED, DECREPIT BIRTH, and new comers RINGS OF SATURN and BATTLECROSS coming through your town to lay waste to your local music venues. It would be appropriate to consider these shows more endurance tests than metal concerts. Come out and treat yourself to death metal boot camp this spring to ensure yourself that you will be in top shape for the next ‘progressive’ core band or washed up ‘old school death metal’ fest tour that will be sure to roll through the states soon after. Cheers and see you there!"

OCCUPATION DOMINATION 2012

ORIGIN, CATTLE DECAPITION, DECREPIT BIRTH, ABORTED, RINGS OF SATURN, BATTLECROSS

April 20 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
April 21 Wilmington, DE @ Mojo 13
April 22 Trenton, NJ @ BackStage at Champs
April 23 Keene, NH @ Railroad Tavern
April 24 Brooklyn, NY @ Europa
April 26 Peoria, IL @ Brass Rail
April 27 Joliet, IL @ Mojoe's
April 28 Portage, IN @ Camelot Arena
April 29 St Louis, MO @ Fubar
May 2 Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater
May 4 San Diego, CA @ Ruby Room
May 5 Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
May 6 Hollywood, CA @ The Whisky A Go-Go
May 7 Fullerton, CA @ Slidebar
May 8 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
May 9 Stockton, CA @ Plea For Peace
May 10 Sparks, NV @ The Alley
May 11 Portland, OR @ Branx
May 12 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
May 13 Boise, ID @ The Venue
May 14 Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
May 15 Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
May 18 Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater

Entity was released on June 7, 2011, and was recorded at Chapman Recording Studios in Lenexa, Kansas with longtime engineer and friend Robert Rebeck. Artwork was handled this time around by Colin Marks (NEVERMORE, KATAKLYSM, EXODUS).

One of the most intense and technical forces of the contemporary death metal world, ORIGIN has returned to stake its claim as the leader of metal's new wave of extremity with its fifth studio effort, Entity. As expected, the death the band continues to churn out frantic, hell-paced grids of metal torment, but now further complements the arrangements with a newfound propensity for churning grooves and the hook-laden approach that first reared its ugly, but accessible head on the band's 2007 offering, Antithesis. As stated multiple times in the past, ORIGIN proves once again that they stand head and shoulders above their peers.

The Guitar Collection: George Harrison iPad App Released Today

2012-02-23T10:07:00.002-08:00

BANDWDTH Publishing, in conjunction with the George Harrison Estate, announces the release of a special iPad app celebrating the guitarist and his historical guitar collection. The Guitar Collection: George Harrison iPad app is available through iTunes today, two days before Harrison's birthdate.

The app brings George Harrison's private guitar collection to life through photographs, detailed descriptions, audio, and video footage. For the first time, with the help of unique 360° imaging by photographer Steven Sebring, fans can see the scratches, dings, and worn threads on the guitars as if they were themselves holding the instruments. The app features a number of Harrison's best known guitars, including the Gretsch G6128 Duo Jet, the Gibson J-160E, the Rickenbacker 360/12, the Fender Stratocaster named 'Rocky', the Ramirez Classical, the Fender Rosewood Telecaster, and the Zemaitis Lotus 12-String, Additional guitars will be added to the app in the future.

Fans can examine Harrison's private guitar collection, through personal audio recordings from Harrison himself as he introduces many of the guitars and plays sections of songs.

The history of each guitar is laid out in great detail; including the origin of the guitar, when and how it became part of Harrison's collection, modifications he made to it and why each was so important in creating his distinctive sound. Songs from his catalogue are organized by the guitars used on each track, which allows the user to appreciate the personalities of each instrument.

The video section of the app contains footage of Ben Harper, Josh Homme, Mike Campbell, and Dhani Harrison each playing and showcasing the guitars and exploring their feel and tone. In addition, Conan O'Brien and Dhani discuss what make these guitars so exceptional. Also in this section, guitar great Gary Moore shares his views on what made George Harrison such a distinctive and influential guitar player.

The app, available now, is selling for $9.99 at the Apple App Store, at the link below:

www.itunes.com/apps/TheGuitarCollectionGeorgeHarrison

Watch a video previewing the app's features at the link below:

http://vimeo.com/user9732995/review/37226227/1f5780e4fc

Scion A/V Set to Release New Melvins EP, Scion A/V Presents: The Bulls & The Bees, on Mar. 13

2012-02-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

Scion A/V has partnered with the Melvins for an EP titled Scion A/V Presents: The Bulls & The Bees, a five-song collection that marks the band's first original material since their 2010 album The Bride Screamed Murder. The release will be available as a free download on Mar. 13 via Scion A/V's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/scionav) with "The War On Wisdom" streaming this Friday on Pitchfork.com.

The Melvins formed in 1983, kicking off what would be a seismic shift in heavy music and focusing the epicenter of modern music firmly on the Pacific Northwest for the next decade plus. The band blended punk, metal, hard rock to create a new subgenre that has been tagged with a variety of labels including sludge, grunge and doom and won a cult of fans that have yet to waiver some twenty-nine years into the band's career. Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover have been the band's constants (Crover joined in 1984) with Big Business' Jared Warren and Coady Willis joining the band in 2006 for (A) Senile Animal.

"The Melvins have remained such a consistent presence in heavy music," says Jeri Yoshizu, manager of sales promotions for Scion. "It's an honor to have them create an original release for Scion A/V."

Osborne described Scion A/V Presents: The Bulls & The Bees as "amazing in its noisy calm intensity."

Scion A/V Presents: The Bulls & The Bees Track Listing:

1. The War on Wisdom

2. We Are Doomed

3. Friends Before Larry

4. A Really Long Wait

5. National Hamster

The EP release will be followed by a 21-date U.S. trek that kicks off on Apr. 11 at The Blank Club in San Jose, Calif. and wraps up exactly a month later on May 11 at The Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana, Calif. Dates are:

Tour Schedule:

April 11 San Jose, CA The Blank Club

April 12 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall

April 13 Los Angeles, CA The Troubadour

April 14 San Diego, CA The Casbah

April 17 El Paso, TX House of Rock

April 19 Austin, TX Mohawk

April 20 Houston, TX Warehouse Live

April 21 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jack's

April 23 Orlando, FL The Social

April 24 Gainesville, FL Double Down Live

April 25 Atlanta, GA The Loft at Center Stage

April 26 Charlotte, NC Amos Southend

April 28 West Chester, PA The Note

April 29 New York, NY Webster Hall

May 1 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom

May 2 DeKalb, IL Otto's Nightclub

May 3 St. Louis, MO The Firebird

May 4 Nashville, TN Exit Inn

May 7 Dallas, TX Trees

May 9 Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe Brewing Company

May 11 Santa Ana, CA Galaxy Concert Theatre

HEXEN - Album Artwork And Track Listing Revealed

2012-02-23T10:03:00.002-08:00

Los Angeles thrash battalion HeXeN are set to unleash their second album, Being And Nothingness. Recorded, mixed, and mastered at Vivid Tone Recording Studio (Lividity, Guthrie Govan, etc.) by producer Rich Bruce, the sonic onslaught of Being And Nothingness sees the band moving toward a far more comprehensive and thorough voyage of metal musicality and further distancing themselves from being just another run-of-the-mill revival band.

Being And Nothingness contains nine tracks of progressive thrash proficiency, closing with an epic eight-part suite, and features a hand-painted cover by celebrated extreme metal illustrator Kristian Wåhlin/Necrolord (King Diamond, Dissection, Emperor, etc) viewable HERE.

Commented HeXeN in a collective statement: “We are completely stoked for this long-worked on, long-awaited second release and we can’t wait to showcase this opus live to all our fans. Unlearn what you have learned about metal!”

Being And Nothingness Track Listing:

1. Macrocosm

2. Grave New World

3. Defcon Rising

4. Private Hell

5. Walk As Many, Stand As One

6. Stream Of Unconsciousness

7. Indefinite Archetype

8. The Nescient

9. Nocturne -

i. Opus 55 № 1 in Fmin

ii. Out of Reach

iii. Existential Crisis

iv. Entrance of the Absurd

v. The Unbearable Lightness of Being

vi. With Salvation I Persist

vii. Elegy of the Night

viii. End in Purplexity

Being And Nothingness will be released via Pulverised Records. Stay tuned for more announcements from HeXeN.

TOAD: Arizona Metal Miscreants Announce March Tour

2012-02-23T10:02:00.002-08:00

Phoenix, Arizona metal miscreants TOAD are set to embark on a live takeover next month. The punishment will begin on March 2 in Tempe and wind its way through 15 cities before coming to a ceremonial close in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The band will be joined by a host of eclectic bands throughout the tour including Lo-Pan, Sons Of Tonatiuh, Black Market Ministry and more.

Commented the band in a collective statement: “TOAD has long been preparing for this moment, and the time has finally come. This journey will lead us into uncharted territory and will spark the widespread corruption of anyone and everyone that is either willing or unfortunate enough to participate. We are confident that this experience will be only the beginning of the debauchery and mayhem that is yet to come.”

TOAD — short for “Take Over And Destroy” — will be touring in support of their criminally underrated five-track Rotten Tide EP, self-released last year. Flaunting a fully analog recording, the monolithic offering was produced by Bob Hoag at Flying Blanket Recording and features the exclusive use of vintage gear from the ‘60s and ‘70s to create “a true rock ‘n’ roll sound.” An underground masterwork of sorts, Rotten Tide has created a stir amongst scene diehards in the know. Said Metal Storm in a 9.4/10 review: “It's got that raw, grooving rock n roll appeal that you'll find with the likes of Bison B.C. combined with the grim psychedelic feel offered by few others than Nachtmystium.” Added The Sleeping Shaman: “Rotten Tide comes across like the bastard son of Entombed with its spit-in-your-eye attitude and brash swagger. It’s rough and raw, whilst managing to sound decently produced…it grooves, it has dark psychedelia, it’s catchy, it’s unhinged; there is a mash up of punk, black metal, crazy treble picking, utterly abrasive and yet catchy.” The Obelisk agreed: “Rotten Tide blends a variety of styles from bombastic hardcore metal to post-Mastodonic technicality, and — perhaps most curiously of all — a preference for analog recording that’s almost entirely absent from the larger scope of modern metal. “

TOAD Tour Dates 2012:

3/02/2012 Palo Verde - Tempe, AZ

3/03/2012 Lyzards - Prescott, AZ
3/04/2012 Burt’s Tiki Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT w/ OldTimer
3/05/2012 Curtis Street Pub - Denver, CO w/ Low Gravity, Backwoods Payback
3/06/2012 Kelly’s Irish Pub - Wichita, KS

3/07/2012 JR’s Lightbulb Club - Fayetteville, AR w/ Left Holding The Gun, Perpetual Werewolf
3/08/2012 Downtown Music - Little Rock, AR w/ Crankbait, Lost Coves
3/09/2012 The Buccanneer - Memphis, TN w/ Lo-Pan
3/10/2012 WonderRoot - Atlanta, GA w/ Sons Of Tonatiuh, Canopy
3/11/2012 TBA
3/12/2012 The Tiki Bar - Shreveport, LA w/ Black Market Ministry
3/13/2012 Tsunami - Monroe, LA w/ Black Market Ministry
3/14/2012 TBA
3/15/2012 TBA - New Orleans, LA
3/16/2012 The Saturn Bar - New Orleans, LA w/ PonyKiller, Brain
3/17/2012 TBA - Austin, TX

Famed Guitarist JOHN 5 to Release New Solo Album ‘God Told Me To’ with Rocket Science Ventures on May 8th, 2012

2012-02-23T09:58:00.001-08:00

JOHN 5 is pleased to announce the new release date for his impressive upcoming full-length solo CD/DVD, God Told Me To. The CD/DVD will be released through Rocket Science Ventures and Sony/RED on May 8^th, 2012—just days before he heads out to perform with Rob Zombie on their upcoming co-headliner with Megadeth (see below for tour dates). God Told Me To was recorded and produced by JOHN 5, Chris Baseford (Rob Zombie, Tommy Lee) and Bob Marlette (Sebastian Bach, Black Sabbath) in 2011. The cover art for the album is illustrated by none other than Rob Zombie, who is also tapping JOHN 5 to score the entirety of his upcoming film, ‘The Lords of Salem’.

JOHN 5 doesn’t just play the guitar. His guitar is an extension of his soul and through it his music has become the Frankenstein birth penetrating the ear drums of fans and admirers worldwide. For JOHN 5, the music is not just about playing, but living, breathing, feeling and passion. His impressive resume has seen him work with some of the most renowned musicians in the industry (Rob Halford, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie to name a few), and has cemented his name into the annals of rock history.

The CD portion of the release features ten painstakingly handcrafted pieces transcending multiple styles—an equal combination of acoustic and electronically influenced tracks—each designed to gradually reveal JOHN 5’s innovative interpretation of his instrument. The orchestration of God Told Me To showcases JOHN 5’s ability to master the subtlety of dynamics, thus emphasizing the overall production value of this body of work. God Told Me To stands tall as a stunning, audible cultural experience.

The DVD portion of the release is hosted by retro-style horror-host Mike Odd and takes a look inside the world of JOHN 5 during his terrifying trip into the realm of God Told Me To. The DVD features footage of JOHN 5 in the studio while working on the new album, exclusive videos taken on tour, a peek inside the photo shoot for his 2011 remix album Remixploitation, and more.

“I'm so proud of this record, I’ve put more time into this release than any other! It's half acoustic and the other half electric with a tribute to Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen with ‘Beat It’,” states JOHN 5. “The DVD shows me actually recording the songs as well as behind the scenes of a "day in the life" of JOHN 5! This album will take you on a musical journey designed to show more diversity in my playing than in the past. Enjoy!”

JOHN 5 continues to branch out, coupling his solo career with his work in Rob Zombie. His five previous solo albums, up to his 2010 release, Art of Malice, continue to break new molds in solo instrumentalist work. JOHN 5 also continues to work in 2012 with other artists including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rod Stewart, and is currently working on new music for Rob Zombie’s upcoming album.

JOHN 5 Performing with ROB ZOMBIE on Co-Headliner with MEGADETH:

5/11 Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

5/12 Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion

5/16 Pittsburgh, PA@ Stage AE

5/18 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Deltaplex

5/20 Columbus, OH @ Columbus Crew Stadium (Rock On The Range)

5/22 La Crosse, WI @ La Crosse Center

5/24 Sioux City, IA @ Tyson Center

5/25 Wichita, KS @ Hartman Arena

5/26 Pryor, OK @ Fever Music Festival Grounds (Rocklahoma)

JOHN 5’s brand new, redesigned website features a huge merchandise store, news updates, tour information, and more. For more on JOHN 5, his upcoming tour with Rob Zombie, and God Told Me To, please visit www.john-5.com

PHILM SIGN WITH IPECAC, ANNOUNCE MAY 15 RELEASE FOR DEBUT ALBUM "HARMONIC"

2012-02-22T12:00:00.001-08:00

PHILM, the Los Angeles power trio featuring Slayer's Dave Lombardo, War's Pancho Tomaselli and Gerry Nestler of Civil Defiance, have signed to Ipecac Recordings and will release their debut album, Harmonic, on May 15.

"When people hear about my involvement in PHILM, they automatically assume that it will compare to Slayer's sound," explains Lombardo. "They couldn't be more different. I have scaled down my drum set to a four-piece, reminiscent of the drummers from the late '60s that influenced me. Each song is unique in itself, I like to refer to it as 'rhythmic emotion." It's almost like taking all the heavy songs of the '60s and bringing that era to a modern plateau, then blending them with the modern trance and psychedelic sounds of today."

"We decided to record Harmonic in the intimate setting of a home, with various vintage recording equipment. " says Lombardo on the band's debut album. "The music was written collectively in an improvisational manner, unlike the majority of recordings I've done before. This was very important given this is my first recording where I'm carrying the title of Producer and performer. The album achieves a dense, unholy convergence of tones and discords. We also touch on haunting, desolate, ambient sounds. Our music tends to be written in a manner where we never know the outcome until we listen back to what we recorded. A Harmonic journey."

A highly anticipated release, PHILM officially took form in late 2010 with a handful of tour dates and an early four-song demo that quickly began to make the rounds of in-the-know music critics. Noisecreep said the band "has crafted a crunchy, thrashy, yet thoroughly unclassifiable sound" and the OC Weekly said of the trio: "PHILM's ability to melt down metal influences and mix them with the elements of funk, ambient jazz and punk... is potent and has left audiences wondering how so much noise could emanating from just three musicians."

Harmonic track listing:

1. Vitriolize

2. Mitch

3. Hun

4. Area

5. Way Down

6. Harmonic

7. Exuberance

8. Sex Amp

9. Amoniac

10. Held in Light

11. Dome

12. Killion

13. Mezzanine

14. Mild

15. Meditation

PHILM's next show is Apr.28 at The Ruby Room in San Diego with more tour dates to be announced soon.

Beak share promo video for debut album "Eyrie" (Apr. 3 release, Chicago metal quartet); New tour dates announced

2012-02-22T11:59:00.001-08:00

Beak, the post-metal quartet formed by local Chicago luminaries Chris Eichenseer and Jason Goldberg previously of The Timeout Drawer, have created a clip highlighting music from their forthcoming debut album, Eyrie (Apr. 3, Someoddpilot Records), which can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/37183154.

The band has also shared the cover art for Eyrie which was created by Eichenseer, a sought after graphic artist who has done artwork for American Heritage, Caural, Elliot Lipp and others. The album cover photo was shot outside of Monterrey, Mexico where Eichenseer was teaching a course on graphic design.

Recorded and mixed in late-2011 at Engine Studios by Neil Strauch (Sage Francis, Bonnie Prince Billy), the five-track release highlights the band's adept combination of blistering heaviness and melodic prog-rock.

"Metal for the sake of it just doesn't interest us. We need more than heavy riffage and the trappings of the genre," expained Eichenseer. "I wish we could call it something else, because to me it's more. We're not afraid to carry influence from our roots in post to punk rock. We're very aware of storytelling and depth. We're not interested in skulls."

Vocalist Jon Slusher discussed the conceptual aspect of the debut album: "Eyrie is the nest of a bird of prey built in a high, inaccessible place. The album is conceptual. It's the path of ruin, the crumbling of empires and the marching of time. "

Beak is Andy Bosnak (Guitar), Chris Eichenseer (Drums), Jason Goldberg (Bass, Vocals) and Jon Slusher (Guitar, Lead Vocals).

Upcoming tour dates:

Feb. 23 Chicago, IL Reggie's

Mar. 31 Chicago, IL Ultra Lounge* Record Release Show

Apr. 11 Lansing, MI Mac's Bar

Apr. 12 Columbus, OH Ruby Tuesday

Eyrie track listing:

1. Angry Mother of Bones

2. Hands Collide

3. Men at Arms

4. Billions of Eyes

5. The Weight & Time

SONATA ARCTICA: NEW ALBUM DETAILS REVEALED!

2012-02-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

Finland’s SONATA ARCTICA have named their seventh studio album Stones Grow Her Name. Recorded in several studios all over Finland, mixed at Sonic Pump Studios by Mikko Karmila and mastered at Chartmakers by Svante Forsbäck, the album will be released in Europe on May 18th and in North America on May 22nd.

SONATA ARCTICA vocalist Tony Kakko comments:

"Our newest adventure is only a final touch short of being ready. The recordings went extremely well and the mixing is in schedule. Have to say I am enjoying myself greatly. I've had a very hard and work- filled two year period writing the songs while touring extensively with our previous album The Days Of Grays, but it has all been worth it! Yet again, we are introducing new things to keep the music alive and interesting. New elements, styles and new moods, talented guest artists and ideas for the enjoyment of the loyal friends of our music. Can't wait for you to get your hands and ears on Stones Grow Her Name! Hope to see you all again on tour! Be well!“

The track listing for the standard jewel case version will be:

01. Only The Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)

02. Shitload Of Money

03. Losing My Insanity

04. Somewhere Close To You

05. I Have A Right

06. Alone In Heaven

07. The Day

08. Cinderblox

09. Don't Be Mean

10. Wildfire II

11. Wildfire III

RYAN MONROE (BAND OF HORSES) - SOLO DEBUT + FREE DOWNLOAD

2012-02-22T11:56:00.001-08:00

Ryan Monroe, multi-instrumentalist for Band Of Horses, is excited to announce the release of his debut album A PAINTING OF A PAINTING ON FIRE. Set for a May 22nd release, this collection of songs was written over the last few years, in-between tours and during various musical ventures. What started off as over 100 songs and ideas was eventually whittled down to an 11-song album that showcases Ryan's talent as both a musician and songwriter for pop-oriented progressive rock.

Recorded at Redstar Studios in Silver Lake CA with Grammy award-winning producer Chris Testa, Ryan plays every instrument on this cohesive album that seamlessly flows from elaborate pop rockers to complex but melodic ballads.

Ryan is thrilled to offer fans new song "Any Way, Shape Or Deformity" for free download here: http://snd.sc/xdK3vf

With an opportunity to play every note on the record and having access to the studios large collection of instruments, Ryan was able to explore every idea. "I've had multiple parts for different instruments brewing in my head for quite some time, and because the studio had so many toys, I started messing with vibes and strange synths to get them out. To just walk over to any instrument and start kind of painting the track with it was extremely fun and therapeutic. There were over 120 different instrument tracks on some of the tunes" laughs Ryan.

What gives A PAINTING OF A PAINTING ON FIRE its character is how Ryan fearlessly explores musical territories / influences - country, art-rock, pop, classical and prog - often in the course of one song. The end result is an accessible and colorful listen for fans.

DESTRUCTION ANNOUNCE 30th ANNIVERSARY TOUR DATES

2012-02-22T11:55:00.001-08:00

Iconic German thrash trio DESTRUCTION will embark on a North American 30th Year Anniversary Tour this May with shared direct support from Vital Remains and Warbringer (who will be alternating each night) plus Pathology.

States DESTRUCTION frontman & bassist Schmier:

“A killer package for old-school thrash & death metal freaks! This may be the best set list we’ve ever had – the essence of thrash metal history united with our new anthems. We’ll have more classics than ever in the set, more from the first records for sure. Can’t wait to hit the road again!!! Some North American cities have a great audience for this old school sound again, and it wasn’t always like that. The main intention for this second North American tour within a year is that we could not play all markets that we wanted to book last time. Now, we’ll play some new places and return to those cities that gave us a great welcome last year like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Montreal. Warbringer are a perfect match to a DESTRUCTION bill. They are one of the best new thrash bands and keep our ‘80s spirit alive. It will be great to have them with us! We’ve played with Vital Remains before; awesome guys and a brutal band. They bring a good variety into the billing. Thrash/death metal is always the best mix, that’s why Pathology complete the show!”

Confirmed dates & cities thus far for DESTRUCTION’s 30th Year Anniversary Tour are:

05-04-12 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA

05-08-12 Casselman’s – Denver, CO

05-10-12 Reggie’s – Chicago, IL

05-12-12 Blackened Moon Concert Hall – Lansing, MI

05-16-12 B.B. Kings – New York, NY

05-17-12 The Met – Pawtucket, RI

05-18-12 Maverick’s – Ottawa, ON - CANADA

05-19-12 Rockpile – Toronto, ON – CANADA

05-22-12 Kim’s Pixie Inn – Pueblo, CO

05-24-12 The Coach House – San Juan Capistrano, CA

05-26-12 The Metro – Oakland, CA

05-30-12 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA

More dates will be announced soon.

Day Of Reckoning - the first album to feature DESTRUCTION's new drummer Vaaver (INDUKTI, ex-UNSUN) – debuted at #54 on the Hard Music Albums chart, #58 on the New Artist/Heatseekers Album chart, and #143 on the Independent Current Albums chart the week following its release in March 2011. The album entered Germany’s Media Control chart at #95.

The new music video for "Hate Is My Fuel" at this location. Produced by Roax Films of Berlin, Germany, it was shot on location at the Headbangersball Silvester Festival in Burgdorf, Switzerland.

MUNICIPAL WASTE: LYRIC VIDEO FOR "THE FATAL FEAST" NOW AVAILABLE

2012-02-22T11:54:00.001-08:00

The lyric video to “The Fatal Feast,” the title track off MUNICIPAL WASTE’s fifth studio album, is available for viewing on the Nuclear Blast YouTube channel and features guest vocals by NUCLEAR ASSAULT’s John Connelly.

The Fatal Feast is due out in the U.S. and Canada on April 10^th and in Europe on April 13^th. View North American track list information here.

The members of MUNICIPAL WASTE spent an entire day shooting their music video for “The Fatal Feast” this past weekend in Los Angeles with Jeff & Chris Speed of Halo Of Flies Productions. According to guitarist Ryan Waste, “For our upcoming video of the title track, we stepped it up drastically in the sci-fi horror realm. Once again, we had a blast working with The Speed Brothers and crew. Prepare to Feast!” Video debut date will be announced soon.

MUNICIPAL WASTE will be direct support to Gwar on the “Return Of The World Maggot” tour with guests Ghoul and Legacy of Disorder. Dates are:

3/16/12 The National – Richmond, VA

3/17/12 Mr. Smalls Theatre - Millvale, PA

3/18/12 Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ

3/20/12 Wilbur Theatre – Boston, MA

3/21/12 Higher Ground - S. Burlington, VT

3/22/12 Westcott Theater - Syracuse, NY

3/23/12 The Omni - Toledo, OH

3/24/12 Buster's Billiards & Backroom - Lexington, KY

3/25/12 Mojoes - Joliet, IL

3/26/12 Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI

3/27/12 People's Court - Des Moines, IA

3/28/12 Cain's Ballroom - Tulsa, OK

3/30/12 Bourbon Theatre - Lincoln, NE

3/31/12 Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO

4/01/12 Mesa Theater & Club - Grand Junction, CO

4/02/12 Orpheum Theatre - Flagstaff, AZ

4/03/12 House of Blues - San Diego, CA

4/04/12 Majestic Ventura Theatre - Ventura, CA

4/05/12 Senator Theatre - Chico, CA

4/06/12 The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA

4/07/12 Knitting Factory - Reno, NV

4/09/12 Hard Rock Cafe - Las Vegas, NV

4/10/12 The Great Salt Air - Magna, UT

4/11/12 Aggie Theatre - Ft. Collins, CO

AURA NOIR Debut New Track

2012-02-22T11:52:00.001-08:00

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," NOW!

The ugliest band in the world is back! 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 NOW!

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

Aura Noir just completed the "Fire Walk With Me Vol 2" tour with Skeletonwitch and Nekromantheon, and will make their first appearance at WACKEN OPEN AIR (August 2nd-4th) later this summer.

Trucker Diablo's "Drink Beer, Destroy" Debuts On ROCK BAND™ For XBox

2012-02-22T11:51:00.002-08:00

Ripple Music is proud to announce that the rising hard-rock band from Northern Ireland, Trucker Diablo, in addition to being scheduled to appear at Hammerfest next month, have just made their debut on the hit game ROCK BAND™ for XBox.

The band's epic party song "Drink Beer, Destroy" has been available for download and game play through the ROCK BAND™ Network Store. Fans have already been posting videos and photos of their attempts to master the high-energy Trucker Diablo track. You can check out a shot at the high-score courtesy of Vargtime on YouTube at this location. One fan went as far as to re-create the band members as ROCK BAND™ avatars and posted it on Facebook. Images can be seen here . . . Trucker Diablo

Ripple Music, the home of authentic, retro rock and metal, signed Northern Ireland’s most explosive rock n’ roll importafter hearing how the band blew away the crowds at 2011’s Download Festival where they also made fast friends with Def Leppard's, Joe Elliot, Thin Lizzy's Ricky Warwick and none other than Dee Snider.

Since then, there's been no looking back for Trucker Diablo or Ripple Music as the band's debut The Devil Rhythm has been garnering widespread accolades and lead off single/video "Drink Beer, Destroy" has been getting steady play on BBC Radio 1, Kerrang Radio and Kerrang TV. The Devil Rhythm has been converting rock fans the world over with it's cohesive, unified, high energy rock tracks, slick and polished indelivery, but served up raw and forceful. "Drink Beer, Destroy" has proven to be an instant classic that has fans raisingtheir fists and singing along to the anthemic chorus. And it doesn't stop there. "Juggernaut" features a guest appearance by vocalist, Ricky Warwick, the acclaimed voice of The Almighty and now Thin Lizzy. "Stand Up And Fight" is another song from the album that sounds as though it should be played before an arena-sized stadium crowd. The song "Voodoo" is a blues-rock number with a good groove. "Big Truck" is yet another example that TRUCKER DIABLO can compete with the best when it comes to hard rock, combining a massive chorus with chugging guitars.

And in case you haven't had the opportunity to experience the Big Truck live, Trucker Diablo has announced a series of UK dates centered around Hammerfest that will see the band heading from Ireland over to England and beyond. Tour dates are below.

Lock up your daughters and hide your wives, cause when the big Truck rolls into town, high -octane rock mayhem will be sure to follow!

The Devil Rhythm is now available at the Ripple Music Store and world-widethrough Clearspot International in Europe and Code 7 Distribution in the UK on February 6th, 2012.

SCOTT KELLY's U.S. Solo Tour Underway; New Album Nears Release

2012-02-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

Having his American acoustic tour alongside Bob Wayne and Jay Munly in December, and just recently a trek through Australia and New Zealand alongside John Baizely, SCOTT KELLY's newest U.S. solo tour with support from EUGENE S. ROBINSON (Oxbow) is now underway.

If there was ever a certainty of damage done, dealt and overcome, the SCOTT KELLY solo tour is an object lesson in the character building parameters of life's grinding parade. Bringing equal parts sonorous weight and lambent beauty, the man, the guitar and the songs from a songbook heavy with NEUROSIS and SHRINEBUILDER antecedents, KELLY's current tour sees him debuting unreleased songs from his upcoming solo record, as well as his previous solo LPs for a live show experience burnished by the acoustic and not diminished by it. "There's fear everywhere," Kelly says. "In moments both quiet and small. And there's surviving them all. And we are."

EUGENE S. ROBINSON supports with a brand of storytelling that draws from his previously published work, as well as stories from the beast that has driven OXBOW for the past two decades.

SCOTT KELLY American Winter Tour w/ Eugene S. Robinson [remaining dates]:

2/21/2012 Record Bar - Kansas City, MO

2/22/2012 Fubar Lounge - St Louis, MO

2/23/2012 MOTR Pub - Cincinnati, OH

2/24/2012 Intersection Front Bar - Grand Rapids, MI

2/25/2012 Lager House- Detroit, MI

2/26/2012 Rockstar Pro Arena - Dayton, OH

2/28/2012 Now That's Class - Cleveland, OH

2/29/2012 Ace Of Cups - Columbus, OH

3/01/2012 Mohawk Place - Buffalo, NY

3/02/2012 Cafe Nine - New Haven, CT

3/03/2012 Church of Boston - Boston, MA w/ Marc Pinansky

3/04/2012 Knitting Factory - Brooklyn, NY

3/06/2012 Johnny Brenda’s - Philadelphia, PA

3/07/2012 Golden West Cafe - Baltimore, MD

3/08/2012 Strange Matter - Richmond, VA

3/09/2012 The Pinhook - Durham, NC

3/10/2012 Snug Harbor - Charlotte, NC

UFOMAMMUT Unleash Video Teaser From Oro Recording Sessions

2012-02-22T11:50:00.001-08:00

In anticipation of their forthcoming release, Oro: Opus Primum and the follow-up Oro: Opus Alter, UFOMAMMUT have released a video trailer as an early indicator of what to expect from these monolithic new recordings.

The footage was filmed during the recording sessions with Lorenzo Stecconi at Locomotore Studio in Roma, where UFOMAMMUT have recorded their previous albums.

This video offers a unique insight into the formation of their gargantuan riffs, succinct drum blasts, stirring synths and effects and purposeful vocal passages. As the footage draws to a close we are left with an impression of how all of these elements are seamlessly bound together by this dynamic and cohesive trio.

If you thought that Eve was a bold step in UFOMAMMUT's sonic adventure, then just wait until you hear these titanic recordings from start to end.

With Oro: Opus Primum being released in North America via Neurot on April 17th you can expect to hear more on the album very soon. Meanwhile feast your eyes on the video HERE.

HANK3: Chatting Live with Fans about Touring, Music and More on Yowie.com this Thursday, February 23rd at 4pm ET/1pm PT

2012-02-22T11:49:00.001-08:00

This Thursday, February 23^rd at 4pm ET/1pm PT, Yowie.com will host a unique, live chatting experience in which Hank3 fans will be provided the opportunity to chat and ask questions live via video with the hellbilly pioneer himself. Make sure to head to Hank3’s Yowie.com chat page on Thursday to chat and ask questions pertaining to his new tour, new albums, and anything music related! While you’re waiting to chat, check out a brand new interview with Hank3 posted today at AOL’s Noisecreep.com.

Known for many years as the only man with the balls to fuse the respective genres of backwoods country and ear-splitting speed metal together, music legend Hank3 recently conjured up another surprise— presenting four new records to fans simultaneously on September 6^th, 2011. These titles include Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown, Attention Deficit Domination and 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin. The records were released through his own record label, Hank3 Records, in distribution partnership with Megaforce Records (MRI). To commemorate these new albums, Hank3 will head out on a three week U.S. trek through several Eastern states in March. Hank3 kicks off the tour in Chattanooga, TN on March 2^nd, and continues through March 21^st in St. Louis, MO. Make sure to come out and witness a candid, brazen, and extended whirlwind of a set; this is Hank3, 100%, full tilt boogie—a show fans surely do not want to miss. See below for a full listing of dates.

HANK3 TOUR DATES:

3/2 Chattanooga, TN @ Rhythm & Brews

3/3 Montgomery, AL @ Rock Bottom

3/4 Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen

3/6 Orlando, FL @ Plaza Theatre

3/7 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room

3/9 Melbourne, FL @ Levelz

3/10 Tampa, FL @ State Theatre

3/11 Jacksonville, FL @ Brewsters

3/13 Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre

3/14 Norfolk, VA @ Norva

3/15 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

3/16 Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero

3/19 Morgantown, WV @ 123 Pleasant St

3/20 Indianapolis, IN @ Vouge

3/21 St. Louis, MO (Sauget, IL) @ Pop's

You will not want to miss these performances featuring songs from Hank3’s new albums, and make sure to get an early peek at what’s going on in the world of Hank3 by joining Thursday’s Yowie.com chat!

HULL Announce Mini Spring Tour; Band To Level Austin At SXSW

2012-02-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

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

HULL continues to tour in support of their monolithic Beyond The Lightless Sky full-length released via The End Records last fall. Called “…a concept album for the ages, ” by Metal Army America Beyond The Lightless Sky features guest appearances by vocalist Jarboe, keys/ambiance by Fade Kainer (Batillus/Jarboe/Inswarm ) and continues to reap critical acclaim internationally for its delicate balance of staggering heaviness and poetic grace. Exclaim hailed the band saying: “HULL have made something immense and nimble, ponderous and powerful,” while CMJ noted of the triple guitar sound in particular, “they’re downright elegant at times, a fantastic contrast to the otherwise intense soundscape.” The Obelisk called the band “crushingly heavy in a cerebral sense,” adding that “HULL have come into their own and not only join the ranks of forward-thinking American metallers, but position themselves at the front of the pack with a few moments of unabashed, unashamed modern metal,” and The Village Voice (NYC) commended the band’s seamless versatility: “[Beyond The Lightless Sky] veers between motorcycle-revving D-beat, bog-trawling doom, sinister black metal, Neurosis drum-offs and hypnotic passages that gnash like a venom-dripping cousin to the final Isis album.” Pop Matters agreed calling Beyond The Lightless Sky: “a determined and significant release, and one thoroughly deserving of a lot more visibility in the realms of heaving, epic metal.”

In related news, HULL appeared on The Learning Channel’s Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker last month. The Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker is a TLC series hosted by Buddy Valastro, the star of his own reality series, Cake Boss. The show features contestants participating in challenges that test their baking and decorating skills. View footage from the performance at THIS LOCATION.

The Cult To Headline SXSW Auditorium Shores Stage on 3/17

2012-02-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

The Cult will make its 2012 concert debut when the band plays the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival next month, headlining the Auditorium Shores Stage on Saturday, March 17. The Auditorium Shores Stage show will be free and open to the public, and The Cult will take the stage at 8:00PM.

"SXSW is thrilled that The Cult is returning to play our biggest stage at Auditorium Shores," said Darin Klein, SXSW Festival Producer. "We're excited to hear their new tunes and their classic hits. The show is free and open to the public, so everyone in Austin should get fired up for a great night of music."

The Cult - Ian Astbury/vocals, Billy Duffy/guitar, Chris Wyse/bass and John Tempesta/drums - will make the appearance in support of Choice of Weapon, the band's first new studio album in five years, due out May 22 (Cooking Vinyl). Written by founding members Astbury and Duffy and produced by Chris Goss (Queens of the Stone Age, U.N.K.L.E., Masters of Reality) and Bob Rock (Metallica, Bush and The Cult's Platinum-certified Sonic Temple), the album reveals the band at its rawest and most visceral, and reflects the current discontent and destruction of our eco systems, the search for individual meaning against a tide of rampant materialism, narcissism and disconnected lives.

"The title of the record reflects the fact that here we are, we have a choice to make right now," Astbury recently told Rolling Stone. "In a metaphorical sense, a weapon can be a camera, a weapon can be a pen, a weapon can be a statement, a verbal statement, a weapon can be an article of clothing. I think what needs to be said is that we have to start looking inward. Our spiritual lives are almost bankrupt. The material systems are not going to fix where we are."

More tour dates for The Cult will be announced shortly. For a taste of Choice of Weapon, go to www.thecult.us/ for a free download of the brand new track "Lucifer."

12 STONES READY TO SHOW WHAT’S ‘BENEATH THE SCARS’ WITH THEIR INFECTIOUS NEW ALBUM OUT MAY 22

2012-02-22T11:41:00.001-08:00

12 STONES will release their fourth album, BENEATH THE SCARS, May 22 on the Executive Music Group label via Fontana/Universal. The band joined forces, once again, with producer Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, Skillet, Saliva), who had previously worked with 12 STONES on 2007’s ANTHEM FOR THE UNDERDOG. The first single, “Infected,” mixed by Johnny K (3 Doors Down, Disturbed, Staind), is currently being serviced to Rock radio and will be available for download on iTunes and Amazon on February 28.

Fans who pre-order of BENEATH THE SCARS from band’s official website (www.12stones.com) will have early download access to six songs starting March 6. The rest of the album will then be made available on May 22.

A lyric video for “Infected” recently premiered on Loudwire.com and can be seen here: http://bit.ly/wDzbyW. As singer Paul McCoy explains, “The song ‘Infected’ was written about the messed up state of the world. It speaks about how crazy these times are, and about being fed up with the chaos and hatred.”

Early buzz for BENEATH THE SCARS surfaced last year as the track “Bulletproof”—which was mixed by Mike Shipley (Green Day, 30 Seconds To Mars)--made its way onto Rock radio stations across the country, including SiriusXM’s “Octane,” WIIL (Chicago), WBSX (Wilkes-Barre), KDJE (Little Rock), WRXW (Jackson), KFRQ (McAllen) and KHTQ (Spokane). It reached #1 on the CMW “Rock” chart, where it lived for eight consecutive weeks.

As singer Paul McCoy explains, “The album title comes from knowing that we all eventually fall short of our expectations regardless of financial, emotional, physical well being. But in the same breath, we all strive to find a way to better ourselves. That’s human nature. There are always two sides to people. It's all about realizing that we all bleed the same. We are ALL human. Lyrically, the songs capture the essence of life’s challenges. As an example, the song ‘I’m With You’ is about the impact a friend’s suicide had on all of us in the band. It’s a song of hope for those that are going through the trials we all face and the hardships that are a part of life.”

A new partnership with the Executive Music Group and a recording that is the realized vision of a decade of finding their voice in BENEATH THE SCARS has delivered a renewed passion for the future of 12 STONES. “Thanks to EMG,” says McCoy, “we have found a new love for this industry. I think that people forget how hard it is to succeed when you don't have the right people in place. We think that we are finally poised to break through the mold. I have never felt stronger about what we are doing and I think that this is only the beginning for this band.” Guitarist Eric Weaver added, “EMG, and their partners in Fontana/Universal, are all supporting the vision that we have for the band. We've always wanted to reach out to our fans that are all over the world, and finally we’re getting to do that. Our first tour in support of BENEATH THE SCARS will be in the U.S., and the opportunity to tour globally is something we have been waiting years for.”

12 STONES’ previous albums and singles have sold over one million copies in the U.S., in addition to singer Paul McCoy winning a Grammy® Award for “Best Hard Rock Performance” for his contribution on Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” smash hit single which went on to sell over 14 million albums worldwide. The band has also garnered multiple GMA Dove Nominations for their singles "Broken" and "Lie To Me.”

Here’s the complete track listing of BENEATH THE SCARS:

1. Infected

2. Bulletproof

3. For The Night

4. Worlds Collide

5. That Changes Everything

6. The One Thing

7. Blind

8. I'm With You

9. Bury Me

10. Psycho

11. Only Human

12. Someone Like You

13. Shine On Me

14. Pretty Poison

NAPALM DEATH posts fourth and final track-by-track video online

2012-02-22T11:40:00.001-08:00

NAPALM DEATH, the leaders of the extreme, just released the fourth (and final) part of their amazing Utilitarian track-by-track series in anticipation of the album's release on February 27th in Europe and February 28th in North America (the first track-by-track can be viewed here, the second can be viewed here, the third can be viewed here ). The band's shouter, Mark "Barney" Greenway, guides you through the next four songs on the album: "Nom De Guerre", "Analysis Paralysis", "Opposites Repellent", and "A Gag Reflex". In addition to featuring an explanation of the meaning behind each song, this track-by-track is also spiced-up with audio samples of all the new album songs that Barney refers to. Click the link below to see this final installment of Utilitarian track-by-tracks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeTSUnK3h54

To show their support for the Occupy movement and to provide fans with the latest news about their politically-charged Utilitarian, NAPALM DEATH launched an "Occupy Napalm" Facebook tab with downloadable Occupy-themed stencils and screensavers, plus a special video teaser for the album created by Mitch Harris (guitar, vocals). This Facebook tab is the place to go for everything NAPALM DEATH, so go Occupy Napalm now!

The band is already confirmed to play the 2012 editions of Wacken Open Air (Germany), Hellfest (France), Maryland Deathfest (USA), and several other shows throughout Europe. Check the dates below to see when NAPALM DEATH will be coming to a city near you!

NAPALM DEATH live 2012
03.03 - Aachen - Musikbunker (GER)
04.03 - Paris - Maroquinerie (FR)
31.03 - Enschde - Atak (NL)
04.04 - Blios - Chatodo (FR)
05.04 - Castres - Bolegason (FR)
06.04 - Rambouillet - Usine a Chapeaux (FR)
07.04 - St Brieuc - Citrouille (FR)
27.04 - Lausanne - Les Docks (CH)
28.04 - Bari - Demode' Club (IT)
29.04 - Livorno - The Cage Teather (IT)
11.05 - Magdeburg - Factory (GER)
12.05 - Essen - Zeche Carl (GER)
24.-27.05 - Sonar, Baltimore - Maryland Deathfest (USA)
01.06 - Barcelona - Primavera Sound (ES)
15.06 - Clisson - Hellfest (FR)
27.07 - Bertingen - Rock unter den Eichen Open Air (GER)
28.07 - Essen - Nord Open Air Festival (GER)
02.-04.08 - Wacken - Wacken Open Air (GER)
06.08 - Tolmin - Metalcamp (SI)06.08 - Tolmin - Metalcamp (SI)

Metalocalypse Co-Creator Announces New Side Project: BRENDON SMALL’s GALAKTIKON

2012-02-21T09:48:00.001-08:00

BRENDON SMALL is the co-creator/ writer/ actor/ director/ producer/ of ADULT SWIM'S METALOCALYPSE television series. Brendon Small is also responsible for writing and performing all of the show's music and DETHKLOK: THE DETHALBUM and DETHALBUM II, the latter now known as the fastest-selling death metal album to date.

Now, Brendon has written and produced BRENDON SMALL's GALAKTIKON: "A High Stakes Intergalactic Extreme Rock album", his long-awaited side project set to release in April 2012. The album release will coincide with the Season 4 premiere of METALOCALYPSE.

Coming off of the second DETHKLOK album which was heavier and darker than the first, BRENDON SMALL’s GALAKTIKON searches for melody (in the vocal) and finds inspirations in modern black metal, Queen, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer. No influence is unwelcome on this project. Brendon Small paired with DETHKLOK drummer (legendary metal drummer) Gene Hoglan (Dethklok, Strapping Young Lad, Testament, Fear Factory) and DETHKLOK bassist Bryan Beller (Dethklok, Steve Vai, Mike Keneally band) and DETHKLOK engineer and mixer Ulrich Wild.

“This album should be thought of as an audio comic book, an over acted chamber drama, a ridiculous premise that takes itself way too seriously all the way to the end,” states Brendon Small.

BRENDON SMALL’s GALAKTIKON comes as a follow up to Brendon’s work on the chart-topping DETHKLOK albums based on METALOCALYPSE and released by Williams Street Records. DETHKLOK: THE DETHALBUM debuted at #21 on the Billboard Top 200 with over 30,000 copies sold in the first week and held the “fastest-selling death metal album to date” position originally until the follow-up, DETHALBUM II, surpassed it to break the aforementioned record with a #15 debut on the Billboard Top 200. DETHKLOK has performed on several US tours and headlined the Los Angeles kick-off date of the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.