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ARTILLERY Signs With METAL BLADE RECORDS

Danish thrash metal veterans ARTILLERY have inked a deal with Metal Blade Records. The band's new album has already been recorded and in the process of being mixed and mastered. The CD was tracked at Medley Studios in Copenhagen with producer Søren Andersen and will include such songs as "Anno Requirem", "Dies Irae", "Define Your Sins" and"Wardrum Heartbeat". A late 2013 release is expected. Comments ARTILLERY on the signing: "ARTILLERY is very proud to have signed with legendary Metal Blade Records! "Metal Blade is the company who released METALLICA's first song,SLAYER's and TROUBLE's debut records and who in their lineup have our fellow Danes MERCYFUL FATE/KING DIAMOND signed. With their over 30 years of experience in the business, this is a big step forward forARTILLERY.

CATTLE DECAPITATION To Release ‘Your Disposal’ 7″ Single

San Diego-based deathgrind masters CATTLE DECAPITATION will release a seven-inch single this summer. "Your Disposal" features the B-side "An Exposition of Insides", which was previously available only as a Japanese bonus track on the band's most recent album, "Monolith Of Inhumanity". The single is available (both black and clear vinyl) for order on-line onIndieMerchStore.com for $5.50, as well as in a bundle with a t-shirt for $18.99. Fans attending this year's Summer Slaughter Tour can grab their copy at the band's merch booth throughout the tour. Vocalist Travis Ryan comments: "We noticed a lot of people were dismayed to find out there was a track available out there on a Japanese version of 'Monolith Of Inhumanity' that nobody outside of Japan had ever heard before. When it hit YouTube, that's when we started getting emails from fans. We noticed the lyrics weren't inside that version or available anywhere at all so that gave us the idea of throwing it on a B-side and releasing a 7" vinyl single for 'Your Disposal' with the song 'An Exposition Of Insides'! We feel that 'Monolith' is the mother of all of our releases so far and I thought it'd be funny to make it look like she just squirted out a baby and that's what this little guy looks like. Just in time for Summer Slaughter!" The most extreme tour of the year has returned with its most devastating and anticipated lineup yet. The seventh annual Summer Slaughter Tour, presented by Indie Merch Store, ESP and Guitar World, is now officially slated to run from July 19 through August 24. It features such heavyweights as THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, ANIMALS AS LEADERS,PERIPHERY, NORMA JEAN, CATTLE

MIKE PORTNOY: ‘I Think I Am One Of The Most Misunderstood Artists In The World’

Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently conducted an interview with drummer Mike Portnoy (ADRENALINE MOB, FLYING COLORS, THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Icon Vs. Icon: Do you feel there are a lot of misconceptions circulating about you? Portnoy: I think I am one of the most misunderstood artists in the world! [laughs] Any time I go on the Internet and I see these web sites with an article with a quote for shock value as the headline, I realize the misconceptions about me that are out there by the fans and non-fans as well. I think the biggest one is that I am band-jumping or opportunity-jumping and jumping from band to band. That is not the case. Like I just said to you, it is me following my heart. I spent 25 years in one band and was so unbelievably dedicated to one band. I don't think you will find more dedication than I do for what I did for DREAM THEATER for 25 years. I mean, I literally oversaw every single step, every minute of the day. You won't find a more committed artist than me. I did that for 25 years, so I think the biggest misconception is that I am not committed. That is so far from the truth. I am just doing lots of different things. I am enjoying having this musical freedom right now. Every one of the bands and projects I am involved with are so different from each other. THE WINERY DOGS is one thing, TRANSATLANTIC is another, ADRENALINE MOB is something else. There are each so different from the other and I give all I can to each of them. The biggest problem is when you give 100% to five different things, inevitably there are going to be schedule clashes and it is not always going to be easy to juggle so many things. That is one of the difficulties I have been having lately and I am trying to make it all work. I am doing my best and I don't think you are going to find an artist with a stronger work ethic than I have. I am a total workaholic and passionate about everything I do. It is hard to always juggle it all without a scheduling conflict here or there! That has been the only problem, trying to solve that and make it all work.

PHILIP ANSELMO’s ‘Technicians Of Distortion’ Solo Tour: Promotional Clip Posted Online

Philip Anselmo, legendary frontman of PANTERA and DOWN, will take to the road for his first-ever solo tour, dubbed "Technicians Of Distortion", which will kick off July 31 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On this trek, Anselmo will be joined by his backup band THE ILLEGALS — guitarist Marzi Montazeri(ex-SUPERJOINT RITUAL), drummer José Manuel Gonzales(WARBEAST) and bassist Steve Taylor. A three-minute promotional clip for the tour can be seen below. Anselmo will release his career-first solo album, "Walk Through Exits Only", on July 16 via his own Housecore Records (MRI/Megaforce)."Walk Through Exits Only" will be available digitally, on CD and on vinyl.

CARCASS: ‘Surgical Steel’ Cover Artwork Unveiled

The cover artwork for "Surgical Steel", the comeback album from reactivated British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS, can be seen below. "We went back to working with Ian Tilton, who is an iconic English photographer famous for working with THE STONE ROSES," statedCARCASS bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker. "He actually did the front cover for [1991's] 'Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious' as well. We've deliberately tried to evoke the feeling of that album and [1993's]'Heartwork'." "Surgical Steel" will be released on September 16 in the U.K., September 13 in the rest of Europe and September 17 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was produced by Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY,

KAMELOT: ‘My Confession’ Video Released

"My Confession", the new video from American / German / Swedish symphonic metallers KAMELOT, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "Silverthorn", which sold 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 79 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Poetry For The Poisoned", opened with around 6,100 units in September 2010 to enter the chart at No. 74. "Silverthorn" was released on October 30, 2012 in North America, October 26, 2012 in Germany and October 29, 2012 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD marks the band's first release withTommy Karevik, the Swedish vocalist who previously fronted SEVENTH WONDER (a group that he is still a member of).

SEPULTURA Completes Recording New Album

Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA have completed recording their new album for a tentative October release via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was tracked over a 40-day period at producer Ross Robinson's (KORN, LIMP BIZKIT, SLIPKNOT) studio in Venice, California and will be mixed and mastered by co-producer Steve Evetts, who previously worked with SEPULTURA on the "Nation" (2001), "Revolusongs" (2002) and"Roorback" (2003) albums, in addition to having collaborated with Rosson a number of other projects in the past. The follow-up to 2011's "Kairos" will contain nine songs, including "The Age Of The Atheist", "Tsunami", "The Vatican" and "Trauma Of War", and two bonus tracks (covers of DEATH's "Zombie Ritual" and a track from the

D.R.I.: European Tour Canceled

Spike Cassidy (guitar) of hardcore/metal crossover pioneers D.R.I.(DIRTY ROTTEN IMBECILES) is reportedly suffering from tendinitis, forcing the cancelation of the band's previously announced European tour. A statement from D.R.I.'s European booking agency, M.A.D. Tourbooking, reads as follows: "We are really sorry that we have to tell you that another tour has been canceled. The guitar player of D.R.I. has huge problems with his finger, he can't bend it anymore, so he's unable to play guitar. Seems like it's from an injury moth ago. We wish him all the best and hope that he gets well soon!" Cassidy underwent emergency surgery in September 2012 for a severe blockage caused by the reversal surgery he had just three weeks earlier.

RUNNING WILD: New Album Title Revealed

German power metallers RUNNING WILD will release their new album,"Resilient", on October 4 in Germany and October 7 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The North American release date will be revealed soon, but the CD will definitely arrive in the U.S. this October. Says RUNNING WILD mainman Rolf "Rock'n'Rolf" Kasparek : "I really love working at the moment and am currently getting down to business on the overdubs. I can hardly wait to present the new material to the manyRUNNING WILD fans worldwide." According to a press release, RUNNING WILD fans "can look forward to a total of twelve brand-new numbers, ten of which will feature on the regular CD, and twelve on the limited edition. The album's opener will be called 'Soldiers Of Fortune', and the title track, 'The Drift' and 'Run Riot' will be three typical RUNNING WILD numbers. The most outstanding song on the album, however, will be called 'Bloody Island', with almost ten minutes playing time one of the longest tracks in RUNNING WILD's career to date."

AMON AMARTH: ‘Deceiver Of The Gods’ Track-By-Track Breakdown (Video)

Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH have provided an exclusive track-by-track breakdown of "Deceiver Of The Gods", their ninth studio album, to Sweden's Access: Rock. Check it out in two parts below. "Deceiver Of The Gods" sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 25 via Metal Blade Records. AMON AMARTH's 2011 CD, "Surtur Rising", opened with around 15,000 units to debut at No. 34. The band's 2008 album, "Twilight Of The Thunder God", registered a first-week tally of more than 11,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 48.