To get the free sample, all one has to do is click "like" on the Relapse Records Facebook page. 26 free tracks for the simple click of a mouse makes for a pretty decent New Year's offering!
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Norwegian metallers Tomorrow's Outlook have issued an update regarding their forthcoming album, 34613:
Melodic death metallers Will of the Ancients recently checked in with an announcement concerning the band's upcoming album:
Fear Factory's latest tour - the Fear Campaign Tour - was originally slated to kick off today, December 29, and run until January 8, 2011. However, for the time being, the industrialized cyber metal act has pulled the plug on the tour.
2010 proved to be a rough year for metal bands. The number of incidents involving illnesses, crimes, accidents, and even deaths could easily be detailed in an article all to itself. However, Metal Insider has decided to focus on what it deems "some of the most tangible and immediate consequences in the metal world - the breakup and hiatus announcements and completions of the past year." (Read More)
Metal Injection has posted a list of the top metal albums of 2010. The list was compiled after the website asked its readers to submit their own top ten lists. Those lists were then combined to create a single definitive list.
German melodic death metal act Suidakra has posted an in-studio video clip online. The clip was filmed during the band's recording of the new album, Book of Dowth, and can be streamed via MetalUnderground.com. In addition, the band has issued a comment on the footage:
American hardcore/metalcore act Hatebreed has now been confirmed as one of the participating acts at the 2011 edition of Summer Breeze Open Air in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. The festival is scheduled to take place from August 18th - 20th and more details can be found on the festival's official website. Festival organizers issued the following comment:
Bulgarian metallers Eufobia have issued the following announcement regarding the recording of a second album:
Swedish death metal act Blood Mortilized has checked in with the following update about releasing a new EP and working on a new album:
Michael Herb of Switzerland's Stringworks.ch web site recently conducted an interview with Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert. The chat can now be streamed at this location. (Click on player to launch audio.)
Gwar are back from the No Sleep Til... festival in Austrailia and New Zealand after having rocked the outback with acts such as Megadeth and NOFX. Now the band is set to finish 2010 with a string of east coast U.S. shows.
Brazilian power metal act Shadowside has issued a recap of recent tour dates as well as an announcement regarding entering the recording studio:
After previously discussing the delay of the band's new album, Shining's Niklas Kvarforth has issued an official statement clarifying the situation:
Anger as Art has checked in with an end-of-year band update:
Russian female-fronted black metal act Nocra has issued an announcement about finishing their latest album:
Recently, Megadeth bassist David Ellefson spoke to Ultimate-Guitar.com's Robert Gray about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next studio album which is tentatively due out in late 2011 via Roadrunner Records. A few excerpts from the chat can be found below.
American thrash metal act Warbringer is set to kick off a 3-date trek supporting Halford, which serves as Halford's follow-up to a recent tour with Ozzy Osbourne. Warbringer guitarist John Laux said the following:
Guitar legend Joe Satriani took part in an interview and live performance on December 14 whilst in the studios of WDHA-FM 105.5 FM (Dover and Morristown, New Jersey). The chat is available for streaming via Blabbermouth.net and the performance footage can be viewed here.
Finnish melodic metal act Sonata Arctica has released an official statement concerning the filming of its forthcoming live DVD:
British melodic death metallers The Soulless (who recently changed their name from Ignominious Incarceration) are set to enter the studio on Wednesday, December 15, in order to begin recording a new album. The band will be heading into Outhouse Studios in Reading, England, accompanied by producer John Mitchell. They are set to record until the middle of January 2011. The currently untitled new album is set for an April 2011 release via Earache Records. (Read More)
Danish heavy metal legend King Diamond recently underwent an open heart triple bypass surgery. Reports have confirmed that he is recovering and doing well. A message issued by his wife reads as follows:
Recently, it was announced that Christmas Metal Meeting 2010 with Disbelief and Six Feet Under has been cancelled. Now, Disbelief has issued an official statement concerning the cancellation:
Swiss industrial black metallers Samael are set to reveal the title of their up-coming album on December 21.
Swedish melodic thrash metal act Decadence has issued an official update concerning their parting ways with guitarist Niklas Skogqvist. The band also gave an update about their plans to enter the studio:
Judas Priest, perhaps one of the most influential and most popular heavy metal bands of all time, has announced that they will perform one more world tour before retiring as a band. The British metal legends will perform at several festivals in Europe next year - including Wacken, Graspop, and High Voltage - and will hit major cities all over the globe with their Epitaph tour. Further tour dates and statements from the band will be released shortly.
Norweign folk/death metallers Kampfar have lost their guitarist, Thomas. The single-named axeman posted an online statement detailing his departure from the band:
After a number of live performances, Greek doom metallers Sorrows Path have announced that Giannis Tziligkakis has been officially recruited as the band's new second guitarist.
Arch Enemy has issued a recap of their recent U.K. tour dates. The band also offered an update concerning work on a new album:
Revolver Magazine's Cody Thomas recently conducted an interview with guitarist Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy). Some excerpts from the interview can be viewed below:
Legendary heavy metal act Rainbow, featuring Ritchie Blackmore, is set to release an expanded, two-disc deluxe edition of the classic album, Down to Earth (1979).
Finland's Amorphis has issued an update regarding the streaming of their new DVD, Forging the Land of the Thousand Lakes, via Nuclear Blast Records on Friday, December 3: