CRYSTAL VIPER is recording an album, called Possession, due on December 13th through AFM Records.

Eagle Rock has announced August 26th as the release date for RAINBOW's Black Masquerade CD and DVD, featuring footage of the band's 1995 concert in Dusseldorf, Germany that was originally aired on WDR's TV series Rockpalast.

HELLION is recording new music with producer Ken Scott who has worked with David Bowie in the past. The band and producer had worked with each other in the past, although no recording was released.

LITA FORD has picked The Bitch Is Back... Live as the title for a live album, which is due on October 28th through SPV/Steamhammer.

GREAT WHITE and former singer Jack Russell have announced that they have reached an agreement settling their litigation over the GREAT WHITE name. T band calling itself GREAT WHITE will continue to use the name GREAT WHITE, while Russell will perform under the name JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE.

Former DEATH ANGEL drummer Andy Galeon has joined the San Francisco Bay Area punk rock band THE NERV.

After a five-year hiatus HUMAN FORTRESS has returned and signed a deal with AFM Records. The band has a 2013 record ready featuring new Brazilian singer Gus Monsanto (ex-REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE and ADAGIO).

AEROSMITH bassist Tom Hamilton has a line of ‘beanie babies’ with names like Robin Redbreasts. The product line is called Obscenies.

Oxford, England-based quartet PROSPEKT has signed with Sensory Records. The band’s The Colourless Sunrise album is due this October.

German doom metal band OBELYSKKH will issue Hymn To Pan through Mainstream Records this month.

Death Becomes Us, the third album by SUPERHORRORFUCK, will be released on September 13th, 2013, through logic(il)logic Records. The band’s previous EP Gore-Geous Dead was issued last December.

IRON MAN will release an album called South Of The Earth for a September 30th release through Rise Above.

Martin Walkyier's Viking Funeral is the monicker for three shows in the UK that include performance of SKYCLAD songs for the final time. The man has members of ELVENKING serving as musicians. DEVILMENT, a new project of CRADLE OF FILTH vocalist Dani Filth, is opening.

CHEAP THRILL, a band featuring CINDERELLA guitarist Jeff LaBar and bassist Eric Brittingham, as well as singer/guitarist Brandon Gibbs and drummer Troy Patrick Farrell (WHITE LION and GILBY CLARKE) is playing shows.

Inspired by KEEL? Frontiers Records will release Four, the return album from Canada’s CONEY HATCH, on September 24th.

Varg Vikernes (a.k.a. Count Grishnackh) of BURZUM was arrested on July 16th outside Salon-la-Tour in central France on suspicion of planning a massacre. He was released two days later. He was in prison in Norway for the murder of MAYHEM guitarist Oystein Aarseth (a.k.a. Euronymous). The racist man is married to a French woman who had purchased four rifles.

RAVEN and GIRLSCHOOL will tour Europe together using the British Classic monicker this November and December.

Axel Rudi Pell has recruited Bobby Rondinelli formerly of BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, etc. as its drummer.

Metal Blade Records has signed Swedish epic doom metal band BELOW. An album is expected in 2014.

Horizons is the name of the next album from ANUBIS GATE. It will be issued this autumn through Nightmare Records. Morten Gade Sørensen of PYRAMAZE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS is on drums.

Former HELLION bassist Teddy Days died on July 10th. He was 48-years old.

The reformed METAL CHURCH has picked Generation Nothing as the title for its next album, which will be issued through guitarist Kurdt's label Body Of Work Recordings.

One-time CHASTAIN band-mates Leather Leone (vocals) and David T. Chastain (guitar) have been working together all year on new material. The two worked together most famously in the 1980s. Drummer Stian Kristoffersen of PAGAN'S MIND and FIREWIND is part of the line-up.

RUNNING WILD will release a new album, Resilient, on October 4th through Steamhammer/SPV.

German progressive metallers ASSIGNMENT has announced October 11th as the release date for Inside Of The Machine album through Mausoleum Records. The new album is a conceptual one including Robin Beck, Michael Bormann (ex-JADED HEART and BONFIRE), Mats Leven (ex-MALMSTEEN and ADDAGIO) and Carsten Kaiser (ex-ANGEL DUST) on vocals.

WATAIN will release a new album, The Wild Hunt, on August 19th through the group’s His Master's Noise, which is distributed through Century Media Records.

Refreshing honesty: PRAYING MANTIS has fired singer Mike Freeland and drummer Gary Mackenzie. The band had had several summer live shows planned.

Metal Nation Records, the follow-up to Neat Records, will issue BLITZKRIEG’s album, Back From Hell, on September 13th. Brian Ross's son, Alan Ross, is now on guitar. The band will tour Europe in the autumn.

JOE SATRIANI is completing his Canadian tour. Following several US shows he will perform the U.S. national anthem at Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Loopartists.com has issued Exotic Guitar for adding a live guitar sound to a variety of musical genres. The loops were recorded by guitarist Marty Friedman.

A new cover project has been formed. PARADISE CITY features PARADISE CITY is singer Tommy Vext of VEXT, SNOT and ex-DIVINE HERESY, guitarists Doc Coyle and Matt Wicklund of GOD FORBID, bassists Jennifer Arroyo (ex-KITTIE) and Acey Slade (ex-DOPE and MURDERDOLLS) and drummer Moe Watson.

GOD FORBID Guitarist Doc Coyle and singer Ravi of PHYLLOTAXIS have started a rock band with drummer Moe Watson and Aden Oxenreider.

PRAYING MANTIS has recruited vocalist Jaycee (John Cuijpers) and drummer Hans In ‘t Zandt. The new members will be featured at the forthcoming live shows. Jon and Hans have played in bands such as TOTO, VENGEANCE, JAN AKKERMAN, and STEVE LUKATHER.

Italian band KALEDON has recruited keyboardist Paolo Campitelli. The band just issued Altor: The King's Blacksmith through Scarlet Records.

Eye, the debut album by progressive metallers ASHES OF CHAOS, will be released on July 30th through logic(il)logic Records.

ALMAH has picked Unfold as the title for its next album, which is due later this year. The album is being recorded in São Paulo, Brazil's Do It! Studio owned by the new studio of Edu and Tito Falaschi.

Cities is the name of a solo album by drummer Michel "Away" Langevin of VOIVOD. It will be released on July 27th through Utech Records.

DEEP PURPLE’s Perfect Strangers Live DVD is out October 14th through Eagle Vision. The video captures the band in 1984.

FAMOUS UNDERGROUND - Same
Famous Underground is lead by none other than Nick Walsh of Slik Toxik. That Canadian band was doing the nasty back when it was hip. Implications? Prejudice as far as the band's sound. First glance, things look great. Walsh still has a rocking long mane as do two others (one lady and one gent) in the band. OK, what about the music then? Sadly, the biography name checks all the wrong bands. They are all mallcore no-talent and no-riff bands. How bad is Famous Underground? Not that bad. Phew, thank goodness. I knew long hair stands for something (good).
It sounds like FU is mingling the hard rock action of music's heyday with the new. Indeed, there is some Disturbed and mallcore here. Then there is Megadeth and Metallica. Thank metal god there is good old hard and heavy rock there too though. This band used to be called Revolver, which reminds me how the last Slik Toxik album was pushing grunge. Wasteland is a heavy tune and kicks in the album. Let me share with you the sound production that is nearly ideal and perfect. The sole standout is the artificial 'drum' bang. Overdive borrows from Metallica in the melody and Megadeth in the riff and vcoals department. This song is easily not one of my favourites. Forever And A Day has that acoustic Poison ballad feel. It is strange that Walsh sings of the "Lord Above" (as he does in Wasteland) when Necropolis points to the foolishness of singing of gods. Much more importantly, is the other borrowed riff that kicks this one off. The riff is the same exact one as Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit (no no no don't leave the website there is loads of good music here), which is disappointing for Nick and the boys (and girl) to use. From there it's more fertile territory and a touch of Guns N' Roses. There is some rocking happening here, but beware that hard rock is mixed with supposed modern riffery. The disc contains thirteen tracks, but the last two are alternate versions of Dead Weight and On Broken Wings the latter of which features more Metallica sadly. Still, get it for the good stuff like Guns of course. - Sheila Wes Det

MINDWORK – ETEREA
It is easy to mistake Eterea for a death metal band. The cover artwork reminds one of a cruder Dan Seagrave illustration or an Axel Hermann work.
Mindwork is a Czech progressive metal band.
The music is schizophrenic in that it can both soft and soulful and hard and aggressive. On the one hand the band goes extreme prog rock, with all the complexities that goes with it. The tight time changes are technical and the guitar doodling typical of the genre. The leads are exceptionally proficient. On the other hand, the band can kick into aggressive mode and go where early Cynic would go. Speaking of which, the vocals are understated and emotional one minute and growling the next. .
Don’t be misled however. This isn’t Meshuggah. This is early Cynic, Pain Of Salvation, the representative sounds of the sub-genre and much of the accomplished band’s own sounds. This being progressive music instrumentals are par for the course. The sound is above average and clearly well-budgeted. The record demo CD was completed at Studio Sopa. Inside Out is an obvious label for this kind of music, which is why it is interesting that the lyrics to Mind Renewal repeat “Inside out and outside in…”. – Ali “The Metallian”

FATALITY - PSYCHONAUT
This Toronto area thrashing quartet are apparently well known for their party like shows and attitude. Looking at the Psychonaut CD the impression is not one of partying. The cover art work looks serious and the songs longer (eight songs totalling 46 minutes) than one might expect from the said style. A quick look at an older video, for Thrash Fuck Eat Sleep, however confirms some of the wild punk-ish party ways. Perhaps this third (officially second plus one demo in between) release is a so-called maturing process?
Enter Purgatory opens promisingly and for at least a moment or two shows off a technical thrash feel, the song overall is not too dissimilar to (the Canadian) Sacrifice. Thoughts Collide features a strong bass rhythm by Adam Zlotnik and the vocals of Spencer Le Von, the 80's era clear thrashy kind, help establish the band's style. Monstrous is wilder, faster and thrashier. Before The Collapse feels more dated, in fact it is a dated song. Towards Disaster is more of the thrash punk style, complete with screaming backing vocals and chorus. The title track is no different from the one before it, obligatory solo or two included. Satan's Shepherd takes a more heavier approach and does sound like Venom in a few spots. Thrashterpiece II closes this release and is probably the highlight of the album, a solid seven minute instrumental that would make the likes of Metal Church (re: Merciless Onslaught) proud.
The bio calls these guys modern thrash monsters, however most listeners would agree that the modern characterization is a bit of an exaggeration. Contact the band via ashermedia@gmail.com. - Anna Tergel

ANTONELLO GILIBERTO - THE MANSION OF LOST SOULS
This Sicilian, and classically trained and Johann Sebastian Bach disciple, guitarist discovered the heavier side of things via Yngwie Malmsteen. He was nudged to find out even more and the likes of Vinnie Moore and Tony MacAlpine strengthened his rock and metal resolve. Equinox, the opening song, is certainly lively, heavy and showcases Giliberto's expertise well. Lotus Effect continues to stay on the heavy side with no sign of any long acoustic passages, yet. If anything this is, so far, much more heavy metal than one might expect of solo and instrumental guitar albums. The title track, much like most of the rest, doesn't exactly hide the Yngwie influence. The first acoustic segment makes it appearance on the aptly titled Sorrow. Flight Of The Sleeper begs for vocals (a 'full' song as it were) or perhaps it is best left in its enjoyable instrumental glory. Entr'act is short, unsurprisingly. The Power Of The Whip is pacy and makes the listener reach for the (air) guitar. Dream Of The Dead Tree is acoustic and introspective. Rise Of The Titans seems to insist on staying heavy. Ballade No.3 is a toned down version of the rest. The Ride is the speed metal song of The Mansion Of Lost Souls, sometimes sounding like German heavy metal. Commiato is a minute long back to the silence type closing outro. Contact the band at sgrezzman@hotmail.it. - Anna Tergel