London based metal superstars DRAGONFORCE have revealed details of their forthcoming new album. Entitled “The Power Within”, the ten track monster is the bands fifth studio album, and first with new singer Marc Hudson in the fold.  DragonForce guitarist Herman Li said, “The last two years have been the most fun we ever had making an album. Through writing, jamming and touring together, we have built this incredible energy and it has been fully captured on the new album.  This time around we’ve really brought our metal side to the surface and made some of the best music of our career. From the fastest song we’ve ever recorded to the slower songs, and some things you would never expect from us, this is by far the most diverse DragonForce album yet.  “The Power Within” will be released in the UK on April 15th via the band’s own Electric Generation Recordings, distributed by Essential Music.  Li added, “This is an exciting new era for DragonForce with Marc joining the band, so we figured this was an ideal time to take full control of our own destiny and establish our own record label for Europe. It’s all hands on deck running it, but a great buzz”!

French death /black metal band SVART CROWN will hit the road accross Europe this February with  ULCERATE on “The burning Winter Tour 2012”. See the dates below:
 
THU 02 FRA: Reims / Centre culturel du Crous
FRI 03 HOL: Nijmegen / Merleyn
SAT 04 BEL: Ghent / Frontline
SUN 05 UK: London / Purple Turtle
MON 06 UK: Edinburgh / Bannermans
TUE 07 UK: Liverpool / Lomax
WEN 08 UK: Birmingham / Asylum 2
THU 09 FR: Nancy / T.O.T.E.M
FRI 10 GER: Halle / Marktwirtschaft
SAT 11 GER: Berlin/ K17
SUN 12 POL: Krakow / Kazamaty Club
MON 13 CZ: Praha / Black Pes Club
TUE 14 CZ: Ostrava / Barrak Musik Klub

Originating from Wroclaw, Poland's The Sixpounder after the successfull 2011, releasing debut album „Going To Hell? Permission Granted”, reaching final round of national TV talent show (where The Sixpounder's singer Frantic Phil was trained by Nergal, leader of mighty Behemoth), playing Wacken 2010 and touring intensively - has inked a deal with Universal Music. First outcome of this cooperation will be re-release of „Going To Hell? Permission Granted” at the end of February.  Soon after, since March 10th, The Sixpounder will take part in Blitzkrieg VI tour, headlined by VADER. Both bands will be joined by Resistance (BEL), Calm Hatchery and Eris Is My Homegirl.

Berlin-based Industrial shooting stars FORMALIN paint a dark picture of a post-apocalyptic world on their latest outing „Wasteland Manifesto“. Effectively matured, the duo conjures up a massive, electronic blue print for a modern day Industrial-sound! 2012 … the year of the apocalypse - quite a few people believe that ancient Mayan prophecies point toward the end of the world being near. Berliners FORMALIN have created an album that fits hand in glove. “Wasteland Manifesto” conjures up a dark, aggressive and highly emotional scenario for a planet that has been hit with the biggest possible catastrophe. Taking the classic Industrial sound of the late Eighties and early Nineties and spicing it up with modern beats, gigantic mountains of electronica and an all-permeating atmosphere of doom, the duo catapults the listener into the barren, dilapidated and deeply misanthropic world of their wasteland. Instead of just riding the wave of their highly successful debut, FORMALIN have succeeded at further developing their sound with impressive results and prove that they are so much more than a “one album wonder.”Welcome to the Wasteland”. “Wasteland Manifesto” is released on March 05 via Out Of Line Music.

www.formalin-music.com | http://www.facebook.com/formalin.music

Berlin-based Dark-Alternative-group SCREAM SILENCE return with their most versatile album to date. Simply titled “Scream Silence”, it is a mesmerizing and catchy mix of Gothic, Indie Pop, Metal and Electronica. The gloomy, cinematic and melodic pomp of the quintet’s previous releases is used as a point of departure for a versatile and mesmerizing sonic epos that fuses elements of Gothic Rock, Indie Pop to create a cohesive work of Pop art. SCREAM SILENCE are displaying a cunning hand for catchy yet deeply moving tunes that draw the listener into the group’s sonic cosmos… The Berlin-based institution has outdone itself. “Scream Silence” is released on February 27 via Out Of Line Music. http://www.screamsilence.de | https://www.facebook.com/ScreamSilenceMusic

PARADISE LOST are now unveiling the cover artwork for their much anticipated new studio album “Tragic Idol” set to be released on April 23rd, 2012 in Europe via Century Media Records. The album's artwork was designed by Parisian designer Valnoir (www.metastazis.com), who has not only worked on this band's release, but also with artists such as Morbid Angel, Laibach, Ulver, Watain and more than 150 others. Furthermore the band will be touring the UK this April performing tracks from their forthcoming album “Tragic Idol”. To celebrate the event PARADISE LOST will have a very limited number of VIP tickets available (10 per show) which you can purchase online on Wed 1st February 2012 from the band’s website www.paradiselost.co.uk  Nick Holmes comments on the tour as follows: "This is a pretty extensive UK tour for us, I'm speechless and excited. It's nice to know there's a WH Smith in every town we play"

Following on from recent comments made by Black Sabbath's drummer Bill Ward regarding issues with contract negotiations for the bands reunion (see here for the full story), it appears that Ozzy, Geezer and Tony plan to continue with the Black Sabbath reunion without him. In an official statement they said:
“We were saddened to hear yesterday via Facebook that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans,” say the band in a statement. “We have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open… We are still in the UK with Tony. Writing and recording the new album and on a roll… See you at Download!!! – Tony, Ozzy and Geezer”
 

Bloodstock Open Air festival have announced that both Sepultura and Iced Earth will be making UK exclusive appearances at this years festival. Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth comments: "We are looking forward to returning to Bloodstock in 2012, our second time after 2008. The UK shows we played on our World Dystopia Tour last fall were some of the best on the tour and we cannot wait to bang our heads with the UK minions again!"
BOA 2012 takes place at Catton Hall, Derby on August 9th - 12th. Current lineup:
ALICE COOPER - BEHEMOTH - ANVIL – WATAIN - PARADISE LOST - DIMMU BORGIR - HATEBREED - CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - SANCTUARY - GRAND MAGUS - THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER - DEICIDE - NILE - MAYHEM - ICED EARTH - SEPULTURA - ORANGE GOBLIN - ANAAL NATHRAKH

Hellfest have announced a bumper crop of new additions to this years festival in France. And what an announcement it is! The new additions run down like this:
GUNS N' ROSES, MEGADETH, MOTLEY CRUE, REFUSED, DROPKICK MURPHYS, BIOHAZARD, TURBONEGRO, WITHIN TEMPTATION, ABYSSE, ALL SHALL PERISH, ARSON ANTHEM, ASCENSION, BEHEMOTH, BELENOS, BENIGHTED, BIG BUSINESS, BLACK BOMB A, BUKOWSKI, CANCER BATS, CELESTE, D-A-D, DISCHARGE, DOOMRIDERS, EDGUY, ENTOMBED, GOTTHARD, HANK III, HAMLET, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, IHSAHN, INSOMNIUM, JESUS CROST, KORITNI, LASTING VALUES, LITURGY, LOCK UP, MOONSORROW, NECROPHAGIA, OBITUARY, OCTOBER FILE, SATYRICON, SEBASTIAN BACH, SHINING, SUBLIME CADAVERIC DECOMPOSITION, SUFFOCATION, SUNNO))), THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX, THE BRONX, THE OBSESSED, THE RODEO IDOT ENGINE, TRAGEDY, TREPALIUM, UNEARTH, UNSANE, URIAH HEEP, VITAMIN X plus a further 10 bands still to be confirmed!

Not too shabby eh? To check out the full lineup head over to http://www.hellfest.fr/artistes

Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward has released a statement that could put the Black Sabbath original lineup reunion in jeopardy. Posting a new blog, Ward has stated that his status in the reunion is uncertain due to “unsignable” contract negotiations. The full blog reads as follows:

"Dear Sabbath Fans, Fellow Musicians and Interested Parties,
At this time, I would love nothing more than to be able to proceed with the Black Sabbath album and tour. However, I am unable to continue unless a “signable” contract is drawn up; a contract that reflects some dignity and respect toward me as an original member of the band. Last year, I worked diligently in good faith with Tony, Ozzy and Geezer. And on 11/11/11, again in good faith, I participated in the L.A. press conference. Several days ago, after nearly a year of trying to negotiate, another “unsignable” contract was handed to me. Let me say that although this has put me in some kind of holding pattern, I am packed and ready to leave the U.S. for England. More importantly, I definitely want to play on the album, and I definitely want to tour with Black Sabbath. Since the news of Tony’s