Relapse Records: Ring in the New Year with Free Music

Relapse Records is offering listeners the chance to ring in the New Year with a few free tracks. The metal label is now offering a 26-track sampler that features an array of bands from the labels own roster. Artists featured on the freebie include: Death, Dying Fetus, Revocation, Kingdom of Sorrow, Misery Index, and Cephalic Carnage (as well as newer acts like Cough, Titan, and Mose Giganticus).

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!

Tomorrow's Outlook Releases Update on Forthcoming Album

Norwegian metallers Tomorrow's Outlook have issued an update regarding their forthcoming album, 34613:

"We have now been listening through the Master a couple of times and there is nothing we would like to change. It all sounds killer! We would like to thank our engineer for being patient with us and for doing such a great job. We didn't expect the recordings to turn out as great as they did. Colin Davis is a true magician, and I have been wondering lately why he ain't up there with the best metal/hard rock producers of today!

"Well, a few days ago I started to shop for labels. I shipped out 13 promo packs. 7 of them to Germany: Century Media Records, Limb Music, Nuclear Blast, Massacre Records, Pure Steel Records, Avenue Of Allies and Rock N Growl. The rest to: Lion Music (Finland), Spinefarm Records (Finland), Mascot Records (Holland), Inferno Records (France) and last but not least Rockadrome Records (USA).

"The more interest the better! And if we still can't secure a good deal we will release the album ourselves. This way we'll get more money and there's a bigger chance for a follow-up sometime soon. Wish us luck, friends... and have a great remaining Christmas and forthcoming new year. All the best from Sörvik 'Rock' City and Northern Norway." (Read More)

Will of the Ancients Issues Album Update

Melodic death metallers Will of the Ancients recently checked in with an announcement concerning the band's upcoming album:

"Hi All. Its been a while since we last had an update, so I figure, this is a pretty good time to take a look at what we've been doing in the WotA camp for the past little while. This past August we started re-recording the new album, To Our Glorious Dead. I know a lot of you have been bugging us to get it out soon, but we wanted to (and still do!) want to release a real ass-kicker of an album, and the stuff we had done previously was not up to that standard.

"Dave [Black] finished tracking the drums in October, and then we went on an Ontario mini-tour with our good friends in Battlesoul, Bolero and Strings of Ares. It was sorta like the sequel to Get Folked (if you remember that from last year). When we got back we started working on the guitar parts. Right now we're about a third of the way done those, and we are hoping to be done early in 2011." (Read More)

Fear Factory Postpone Fear Campaign Tour

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.

The band didn't go unnoticed in 2010, a fact mostly due to the release of their seventh studio album, Mechanize. The success of the album has been attributed to the reconciliation between original guitarist (and founding member) Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell. (Read More)

The Breakups of 2010: A Retrospect

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)

The Top Albums of 2010 (As Decided By Metal Injection Readers)

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.

1. Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis : 133 votes
2. Cephalic Carnage - Misled by Certainty : 114 votes
3. Ihsahn - After : 94 votes
4. Decrepit Birth - Polarity : 86 votes
5. Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier : 85 votes (Read More)

Suidakra Posts Studio Footage

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:

"It’s time for the last update of 2010! We’re back home from the Gernhart Studio where the recordings for Book Of Dowth went even better than expected. We shit you not! Never before have recordings gone as smooth as this time, because all people involved were well prepared and very focused. Check out a clip from the studio with some background information below. Do not forget to leave a comment." (Read More)