News

MASSACRE: ‘Back From Beyond’ Album Track Listing Revealed

Resurrected 1990s Florida-based death metallers MASSACRE will release their long-awaited comeback album, "Back From Beyond", in March via Century Media Records. The track listing for the CD is as follows: 01. As We Wait To Die 02. Ascension Of The Deceased 03. Hunter's Blood 04. Darkness Fell 05. False Revelation 06. Succumb To Rapture 07. Remnants Of Hatred 08. Shield Of The Son 09. The Evil Within 10. Sands Of Time 11. Beast Of Vengeance 12. Back From Beyond 13. Honor The Fallen Video footage of MASSACRE's entire March 29, 2013 performance at the Florida Metal Bash at The Brass Mug in Tampa, Florida can be seen below. MASSACRE released a seven-inch single, "Condemned To The Shadows", on July 30, 2012. The single, which is available as a regular black-wax version, a transparent wax limited edition and a yellow-wax limited edition, contains two brand new songs — "Succumb To Rapture" and "Back From Beyond" — that were recorded in February 2012 at CGM Studios in Altamonte Springs, Florida with Tim Vazquez at the helm. The band's current lineup consists of bassist Terry Butler and guitarist Frederick "Rick Rozz" DeLillo alongside MASSACRE's latest additions, Mike Mazzonetto (drums; M INC., PAIN PRINCIPLE) and Ed Webb (vocals; DIABOLIC, GENERICHRIST, DESTINED TO RUIN).

SONATA ARCTICA To Release ‘Pariah’s Child’ In March

Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA will release their eighth studio album, "Pariah's Child", on March 28 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the CD can be seen below. Comments SONATA ARCTICA vocalist Tony Kakko: "As always, it's pretty hard coming up with a name for the new baby. I tried to approach it from many angles; how this is our eighth album and how easy it would be to abuse that fact. All the symbolism of figure eight, eternity and so on. But that just did not feel right, as it's been done so many times. Then I started to think how we'd in ways abandoned our 'totem animal,' the wolf and all what comes with the territory. "As the music on the album is bowing more towards the 'old' SONATA, meaning more power metal-style elements and wolves in many of the songs in one form or another, it was clear we need a wolf on the cover. An abandoned wolf. A pariah. Or pariah's child, actually. The new generation to bring the old logo back." SONATA ARCTICA last August parted ways with bassist Marko Paasikoski and replaced him with Pasi Kauppinen (SILENT VOICES, ex-REQUIEM, WINTERBORN). The band will launch a European headlining tour in support of "Pariah's Child" on April 10 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Says SONATA ARCTICA keyboardist Henrik "Henkka" Klingenberg: "It's been a while since we last toured Europe, so I'm very happy that we can announce our first tour with our new album. "Since the album will be out in March 2014, we don’t want to waste any time but will head out for a full European tour. "The whole band is really looking forward to play some new songs for you and introduce our new bass player, Pasi, for all our fans. He's a monster live, you'll see." SONATA ARTICA's latest album, "Stones Grow Her Name", was released in Europe on May 18, 2012 and in North America on May 22, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded in several studios all over Finland, mixed at Sonic Pump Studios by Mikko Karmila and mastered at Chartmakers by Svante Forsbäck. "Stones Grow Her Name" sold around 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 9 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

SCORPIONS: ‘Blackout’ Super Audio CD Coming Soon

Audio Fidelity will release an SACD (Super Audio CD) version of SCORPIONS's classic 1982 album "Blackout" later in the year. "Blackout" is SCORPIONS' eighth studio album, released in 1982 on EMI and Mercury. After losing his voice during the writing of the album, SCORPIONS lead vocalist Klaus Meine had to undergo surgery on his vocal cords and it was uncertain whether he would be able to record it. Demos of the material were recorded with Don Dokken as vocalist; however none of those recordings are featured on the album. Rudolf Schenker could not choose between his guitar solos on "China White", so the U.S. and European releases differed in this small detail. A self-portrait of artist Gottfried Helnwein is featured on the cover of the album. Rudolf Schenker portrays this character in the "No One Like You" music video. Shirts with this album artwork on them are amongst the most popular SCORPIONS t-shirts. The RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) certified "Blackout" gold on June 24, 1982 and platinum on March 8, 1984.

DREAM THEATER Launches Its First 360° Interactive App

Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER have announced their first 360° App (iOS). The DreamTheater360° App will offer fans a unique 360° interactive experience into the Grammy-nominated progressive metal titans' performance as captured onstage by Mativision multi-camera 360° video technology at Luna Park in Buenos Aires. The DreamTheater360° App promises to be a thrilling way for fans to interactively experience the band's onstage world. The DreamTheater360° App in its first release will include five interactive songs filmed and produced using the Mativision technology, which virtually transports fans directly onto the Luna Park stage right next to the band members and completely immerses them in a unique experience that they can control in real time. Each fan can direct the show by manipulating Mativision's multi-camera iOS player, and enjoy the concert in any way they want. They can seamlessly choose to switch from among six different cameras while also being able to rotate camera angles by taping and dragging, or by using the device's built-in gyroscope. Fans can even zoom in and out or simply switch to "auto pilot" mode and enjoy the show without interaction. With this groundbreaking app, DREAM THEATER aim to share with fans all the intense moments of a live performance from right beside them on stage, and provide fans with true interactivity to experience the onstage moments with complete freedom. Along with the unique interactive 360° content, the DreamTheater360° App will also include enriched up-to-date band-related content such as a biography, discography, photos, and continuously updated tour information, news, and social media. The first release will be just the start: Mativision will constantly surprise fans with frequent updates, adding more and more amazing and exclusive band content. The DreamTheater360° App is available from the iOS AppStore on January 9, priced at $9.99.

EVANESCENCE’s AMY LEE Records Score For Indie Film ‘War Story’

EVANESCENCE frontwoman Amy Lee tells MTV News that she has just recorded her first score with composer Dave Eggar for the indie film "War Story", which will premiere later this month at Sundance. "It's going to surprise my fans. It's not what you'd expect; the film is very dark, very introspective. There's not even a lot of dialogue, which is great, because to me it makes this beautiful, sad platform for music," Lee says. "There's a lot of blending of sounds, a lot of ominous tones. I play a lot of keyboard, and a lot of Taurus pedal. There's a lot of low drones. "There are moments of playing, and it's musical, but there are a lot of moments where Dave and I just built walls of sounds, out of blaring cellos and trombones and synthesizers and harp, all on top of each other," she continues. "Sort of creating new sounds. It's not, like, a soundtrack. it's an atmosphere." Lee also says that the experience of scoring a film is one she hopes to replicate again very soon. "I've been talking about wanting to score forever, and this was my first opportunity to explore that," she says. "Dave and I were already talking about taking a meeting for another film, and I definitely want to work with him again. I'm open-minded. I really like to be in a free place where I'm not boxing myself in; I say that all the time, but that's the goal right now." Lee is reportedly suing her longtime label, Wind-Up Records, for at least $1.5 million over unpaid royalties and other alleged misdeeds, according to TMZ.com. Lee has also alleged in her lawsuit that the company attempted to sabotage the band's career by assigning them to under-qualified promotion executives who lacked fresh ideas on how to market and promote the group. Asked by MTV News about the lawsuit, Lee said: "I can't say a word, I'm sorry. It's really for the best right now." TMZ.com did not cite its sources for the report, nor did it obtain any official statements from either the label or Lee, who is seeking over $1.5 million in back royalties. EVANESCENCE is actually no longer part of the Wind-Up roster. Back in November, Wind-Up sold most of its back catalog to the Bicycle Music Company and Concord Music Group, including the entire catalogs of EVANESCENCE, CREED, SEETHER and others. EVANESCENCE, whose third, self-titled album debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 when it came out in 2011, has sold 25 million records worldwide. That last disc came out after a five-year hiatus and Lee told The Pulse Of Radio at the time that she wasn't even sure if she wanted to keep on making rock music. "For me, it had really been such a long time for us coming back after, you know, five years or four years of not doing it, living normal life and not even thinking about EVANESCENCE for a lot of that time, it starts to feel like, is this really still me?" she said. "You know, have I outgrown this thing? Is this going to work anymore? You know. Who am I? [laughs]" The band toured through mid-2012 in support of the CD, but has been inactive since then.

SEBASTIAN BACH On New Solo Album: ‘I Could Not Be Happier Or More Proud Of This Record’

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has completed work on his new solo album for a 2014 release via Frontiers Records. The follow-up to 2011's "Kicking & Screaming" was once again produced by Bob Marlette, who has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, BLACK SABBATH and SHINEDOWN, among others. Says Bach: "[I had an] album cover meeting today with the immensely talented Mr. Richard Villa. "Richard is an incredible artist and we have brainstormed some kick-ass ideas that I cannot wait to execute. And exciting for the collectors out there, it looks like I will be incorporating another one of my father's paintings into this album design. "My father painted the covers for [SKID ROW's] 'Slave To The Grind' inside artwork for [SKID ROW's] 'Subhuman Race', [and my solo albums] 'Angel Down' and 'Bring 'Em Bach Alive!' as well. "There is one specific image that is haunting to me that lends itself to the album title perfectly. We are also doing a crazy-ass photo session that will be quite theatrical and fun to do. "This album is going to knock you all out. I guarantee it. "I could not be happier or more proud of this record. I can't wait for you all to hear it!" Sebastian managed to involve in the writing and recording some very special friends and guest stars, including none other than Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES), and not one but two top-class guitar players: John 5 (MARILYN MANSON, ROB ZOMBIE) and Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL). Rounding out the lineup on the CD are Devin Bronson (AVRIL LAVIGNE, PINK) on guitar and Bobby Jarzombek (HALFORD, RIOT, FATES WARNING) on drums. Duff and Sebastian previously collaborated on Duff's solo album "Believe In Me". Bach's CD/DVD package, "ABachalypse Now", was released in North America on March 26, 2013 via Frontiers Records. The "ABachalypse Now" Ultimate CD/DVD Edition includes never-before-seen footage from 2012's Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Dessel, Belgium, the full never-before-seen Hellfest set from France and the fully-remixed and remastered Nokia show from Los Angeles (originally broadcast on AXS TV), as well as bonus music videos. The DVD contains a running time of nearly 160 minutes. "ABachalypse Now" was made available in two configurations: the Ultimate CD/DVD Edition (2 CDs + DVD) and a standalone DVD.

BEHEMOTH’s NERGAL: ‘The Satanist’ Is ‘More Human Than Any Other Record We’ve Made’

"The Satanist", the long-awaited new album from Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH, will be released on February 3 in the U.K., February 4 in North America and Poland, February 5 in Japan, and February 7 in the rest of the world. BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski tells Decibel magazine about the writing process for the new CD: "When we started working on 'The Satanist''s first themes, we decided not to overthink or overanalyze things. "To me, it was clear that it's the first time in my musical career that I'm gonna play only the notes that naturally come out of my system. There's gonna be no single sound on the record that is not coherent with my inner self — with my needs, aspirations, expectations. "[2009's] 'Evangelion' was a monster of a record. I'm still very proud of it… but it's a reflection of what we were. We are way more conscious these days… and so is this record. "Maturity, sincerity, quality — 'The Satanist'." According to Nergal, BEHEMOTH's tenth album is their most fully realized to date and then some — in part thanks to his battle with leukemia in 2010 and early 2011. "I remember when l left hospital and started my recovery (which took a few months), I was saying to myself, as well to my doctors and friends, 'Cancer happens for a reason,' he said. "I was quite an aware individual before, but afterwards, I realized how much l suffered from old programming — automatic reactions that were part of my being, but wouldn't make my life any happier. "I worked on myself a lot, mentally, spiritually and physically. But I'm happy and very much thankful for this lesson of self-awareness I was given. "'The Satanist' is a fruit of this enhanced and expanded consciousness. It's more to the core, more carnal… more human than any other record we've made. "I'm super proud of myself and my bandmates. "But what I wanted to say in the first place is that l experienced this sickness so that I can come out stmnger than before. There was no other option for me in life. "I know there are a lot of people who, after a near-death experience, they kinda hide in the shadow of life praying for every next day. I am not afraid of life, as I am not afraid of death. I'm an integral part of the Universe that surrounds me. I embrace it and make one perfect entity with it." BEHEMOTH's video for the new single "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" can be seen below. This visual masterpiece was produced by Grupa 13 and is one of BEHEMOTH's most unsettling and unique works to date. "The Satanist" deluxe box, which is available in North America as an European import, includes: CD/DVD digibook in silver mirror slipcase with a high-quality 44-page booklet (with gold foil, UV gloss lamination), supersize poster flag (approx. 3.5' x 5'), wooden black inverted rosary cross, metal pin, black envelope with black communion wafers. The DVD, "Live Barbarossa", includes a professionally filmed show in Ekaterinburg, Russia, as well as 30-minute documentary about the creative process behind "The Satanist". "The Satanist" was produced by BEHEMOTH, Wojtek and Slawek Wieslawscy and Daniel Bergstrand at Hertz Studio. The CD was mixed by Matt Hyde (SLAYER) and mastered by Ted Jensen (METALLICA, AC/DC) at Sterling Sound in New York City. The cover art for "The Satanist" was painted by renowned Russian painter and occultist Denis Forkas. The paint used included some of Nergal's own blood. Additional art and design was completed by Metastazis (PARADISE LOST) and Zbigniew Bielak (WATAIN, GHOST). "The Satanist" track listing: 01. Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel 02. Furor Divinus 03. Messe Noire 04. Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer 05. Amen 06. The Satanist 07. Ben Sahar 08. In the Absence ov Light 09. O Father O Satan O Sun!

MACHINE HEAD’s ROBB FLYNN Says New Songs Are ‘Definitely’ Moving Band’s Sound Forward

San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD will enter the studio in February to begin recording their new album for a late summer release via the band's new label, Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Tentative songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Killers & Kings", "Beneath The Silt", "Ojos De La Muerte", "Sail Into The Black" and "Night Of The Long Knives". Speaking to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, MACHINE HEAD guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn stated about the band's new material: "It sounds like MACHINE HEAD! It's definitely moving forward, which I feel like we're probably always gonna do. "We're not a band that ever looks back. We do our thing and try to take the life experiences that we have and the musicianship that we've evolved and try to use it. Obviously, we have our sound and we have the MACHINE HEAD patented harmonics, the downtuned riffs and I sing the way I sing. "I think Bob Dylan said it best: 'You just find new ways to say the same thing.'" Speaking about some of the specific tracks and the lyrical themes covered on the new album, Flynn said: "I've got some pretty cool lyrics ready. There's a song called 'Night Of The Long Knives', and it's pretty fucked! It's about the Manson murders, and the lyrics are really dark and vicious. "We've found some new twists to give to the MACHINE HEAD sound and some new fire and excitement." Asked what the band's main aims were when they started composing music for the new CD, Flynn said: "Well, it's nice to try and have a plan, but music has a way of unravelling over time! [Laughs] You've just got to roll with it. "With [2007's] 'The Blackening', I'd love to say I had this grand vision of nine- and 10-minute songs, but the first four songs we wrote were the four shorter songs on the record. For months, there was no indication whatsoever that we'd have 10-minute songs. That stuff came later. "Human nature wants to control and dictate where things will go, but you can't. It won't let you! The more you try, the more it goes, 'Fuck you.' It's going some other way!" Regarding whether the songwriting process comes more easily after more than two decades as a band, Flynn said: "I just try and do my thing. With this record in particular, I've tried to discipline myself more with routine, writing a little bit every day, but for months I was in a riff rut. Every riff I wrote fuckin' sucked! Then we took a two-week break and I was writing my Facebook journals about the 'Through The Ashes Of Empires' [MACHINE HEAD's 2003 album] story, and that cleared my head. At the end of those two weeks, the floodgates opened and all hell of riffs poured out. I was so stoked! This torrent of riffs, this molten hot lava, was at my fingertips. It's such a good feeling." Flynn also revealed that MACHINE HEAD has "definitely got some ideas" for the artwork and imagery for the band's new album, but added: "It's weird, though, because who the fuck even buys albums anymore? "An album cover is a necessary thing but for so many people it's justa little one-and-a-half-inch square on an iPhone. "We're going to have a lot of worldwide special editions, so for the people who are still into that stuff, we'll have some next-level shit. Especially with our new label, Nuclear Blast, they can do all of that stuff. They're not afraid to do all these crazy, over-the-top special-edition things and big two-foot metal cases and all that. "I'm a super-nerd collector and that shit rules to me!" MACHINE HEAD's most recent studio release, 2011's "Unto The Locust", entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 22 — putting them in the Top 25 for the first time in the band's history.

OPETH Mainman On Next Album: ‘It’s A Metal Record And A Progressive Record And Something Else Too’

Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH spoke to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2011's "Heritage". "I have eight songs written and the direction is going straight into the territory of 'all over the place!'" he laughed. "I think that's our strength, that we can do all these different things. We have a couple of calm songs, a couple of really heavy songs, one proper heavy metal song and I have one epic old-school OPETH song that reminds me of the first two records, with lots of riffs stacked up! I'm really happy with it all. I think we have something big on our hands this time." The last OPETH album, "Heritage", received mixed reactions, with some fans claiming that the group had detached itself from its death metal past and gone for a more experimental approach, changing its sound in various new ways. As always, Mikael is not at all bothered about how his band's new material will be received. "I can't say if 'Heritage' haters will love or hate this album," he told Metal Hammer. "I don't want to accommodate anyone, Like, 'Oh, sorry guys! We made a mistake! We'll make a proper record for you this time so you're all happy!' I don't think along those lines. This isn't going to be a death metal record. If you know me and what I like, it won't be such a big surprise. It's a metal record and a progressive record and something else too. Each song is representative of OPETH. It's what I want to listen to, so it's business as usual." Åkerfeldt revealed to Decibel magazine in a separate interview that he plans to enrich at least a few of the new OPETH tracks with strings. "Some of these things could easily be done with synthetic sounds or effects," he said, "but recording the STORM CORROSION LP with Steven Wilson made me realize what a massive difference it can mean to incorporate the real shit. I'm semi-pretentious in my songwriting and sometimes I go all in. I think it's time for 'all in' with strings and the full monty. Hopefully it won't be a mess." One of the songs that will appear on OPETH's forthcoming album was previously described by Åkerfeldt as a "crazy rip-off" of Italian prog outfit GOBLIN, which formed in 1972 and ran for ten years before splitting (the band has since reformed). "It's a jam I came up with during the MASTODON/GHOST tour," he told Decibel, "that we ended up soundchecking. After a few days, you'd hear people in the corridors humming it. It's a fucking hit! But basically it's a not-so-subtle headbanging-type nod in GOBLIN's direction. And to avoid confusion, the song is even called 'Goblin'. My rip-off deteriorates mid-song and becomes fusion-esque darkened prog rock like MAHAVISHNU or ELP (yikes!). But it swings! It really does." Speaking to the Swedish newspaper Expressen in September, Åkerfeldt stated about OPETH's plans for the upcoming CD: "We've been looking at [tracking the next album at] Rockfield Studios in Wales where QUEEN recorded 'Bohemian Rhapsody', but we haven't made a decision yet. But it will be an expensive album. There's a lot going on, lots of string arrangements that we haven't had in the past." Asked if the forthcoming effort will be heavier or softer than 2011's "Heritage", Mikael said: "Maybe a little bit heavier. Not death metal heavy, but hard rock/heavy metal heavy. There's also lots of progressive elements and acoustic guitars, but also more sinister-sounding riffs." Åkerfeldt also revealed that he was going to produce the new OPETH album himself, explaining: "I love the way DIO's 'Holy Diver' sounds, this early-'80s sound where you can still hear the '70s, but the production is heavier. Right now I'm into having a similar production that isn't retro but it still sounds like real instruments and it's heavier than 'Heritage'." "Heritage" sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous studio CD, 2008's "Watershed", opened with more than 19,000 units to land at No. 23.

BEHEMOTH: First ‘The Satanist’ Trailer

The first of four videos on the making of "The Satanist", the long-awaited new album from Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH, can be seen below. "The Satanist" will be released on February 3 in the U.K., February 4 in North America and Poland, February 5 in Japan, and February 7 in the rest of the world. Pre-order bundles, include: CD, LP, t-shirt, as well as the deluxe box set, and are available at metalblade.com/behemoth in North America, nuclearblast.de/behemoth in Europe, and on behemoth-store.com (digibook and box). BEHEMOTH's video for the new single "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" can be seen below. This visual masterpiece was produced by Grupa 13 and is one of BEHEMOTH's most unsettling and unique works to date. BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski states about the video: "Yes, we took all the time in the world to complete this project. And we did everything that was humanely possible to accurately express our vision. We crossed the Rubicon. "'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel' is an ecstatic manifest of our unrestrained artistic will, where we dare to reach out beyond the limitations of the heavy metal genre. And it's only the beginning." "The Satanist" deluxe box, which is available in North America as an European import, includes: CD/DVD digibook in silver mirror slipcase with a high-quality 44-page booklet (with gold foil, UV gloss lamination), supersize poster flag (approx. 3.5' x 5'), wooden black inverted rosary cross, metal pin, black envelope with black communion wafers. The DVD, "Live Barbarossa", includes a professionally filmed show in Ekaterinburg, Russia, as well as 30-minute documentary about the creative process behind "The Satanist". "The Satanist" was produced by BEHEMOTH, Wojtek and Slawek Wieslawscy and Daniel Bergstrand at Hertz Studio. The CD was mixed by Matt Hyde (SLAYER) and mastered by Ted Jensen (METALLICA, AC/DC) at Sterling Sound in New York City. The cover art for "The Satanist" was painted by renowned Russian painter and occultist Denis Forkas. The paint used included some of Nergal's own blood. Additional art and design was completed by Metastazis (PARADISE LOST) and Zbigniew Bielak (WATAIN, GHOST). "I wanted to incorporate some of my DNA into the art," Nergal told Australia's Heavy magazine about having his blood included in "The Satanist" artwork. "This album seems to be so defining of who we are now as people and as individuals, and considering all the instances in recent years, [we wanted] to make it more 'ours' than it is usually." In a recent interview with Revolver magazine, Darski described BEHEMOTH's new songs as "very atmospheric" and "very emotional." "Think BURZUM meets NEW ORDER meets KILLING JOKE," he added. But at the same time, fans shouldn't expect the album to sound too far removed from BEHEMOTH's past efforts. "Take SLAYER, for example," Darski said. "Whatever genre they deal with, they still end up sounding like SLAYER. Even when they were flirting with nu-metal, it was a SLAYER record. Same with BEHEMOTH." According to Darski, at least some of the inspiration for the new BEHEMOTH album came from his five-month bout of leukemia he overcame in January 2011, after receiving a bone-marrow transplant. "When I was in the hospital, I was collecting experiences and emotions," he said. "I'm pretty sure that it's coming out now. There are moments I catch myself thinking about how my state was back then. It was me versus life, me versus death. It definitely changed my thoughts a lot. It's 100 percent being reflected in the record and songs I'm writing nowadays. I'm way more radical than I used to be." "The Satanist" track listing: 01. Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel 02. Furor Divinus 03. Messe Noire 04. Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer 05. Amen 06. The Satanist 07. Ben Sahar 08. In the Absence ov Light 09. O Father O Satan O Sun!