Southern California’s KYNG is excited to announce that they will join the lineup for Metallica’s Orionfest. The two day festival, created and curated by Metallica themselves, takes place on June 23-24 in Atlantic City. Metallica created this festival to give each band member a chance to showcase their diverse musical interests and lifestyle under one stage. Metallica frontman James Hetfield recently sung the band’s praises after discovering them through Sirius XM program director Jose Mangin, who has championed KYNG since hearing early demos a few years ago.  

Guitarist/songwriter Tobias Carlsson  has issued an update about KATANA’s new album Storms of War to be released in May on Listenable records. “It was once again recorded, mixed and mastered at Sonic Train Studios by King Diamond guitarist Andy La Rocque. We were very focused and determined right from the beginning to create a sound that no one had heard on an album since the 80s. To accomplish this, we and Andy listened a lot to albums produced by Martin Birch when mixing and setting the sound.  

Stockholm-based progressive Swedeth extremists DESULTOR are set to unleash their full-length debut, Masters of Hate, on March 20th via cult US death metal label Abyss Records. Formed in 2007, the duo of guitarist/vocalist Markus Joha and drummer Michael Ibrahim rapidly evolved over the course of two demos into the boundary-pushing and deadly outfit they are today. Dubbed “Murder Metal” by the musicians who crafted the style, DESULTOR is unique as they are extreme. This is Swedish metal supreme. Masters of Hate was recorded and mastered by Sverker Widgren at Sweden’s Necromorbus Studios.  

With the pending release of the comic book movie event of the year, The Avengers, one thing continues to linger and kept in a shroud of secrecy…what is the alien race that Loki is using as the army that attacks Earth in the movie? Early speculation pointed towards the Skrulls. With these shape shifting aliens invading the Marvel universe the past several years, culminating in Marvels “Secret Invasion” story line, bets were it would be them.  

Marvel seems to be staying the course with the resurrection of characters. Next up…Captain Marvel. Marvel Comics will be making a full announcement at this years Wondercon. This actually seems to be a little coincidental as DC Comics recently announced that their “Captain Marvel” was returning to the pages of DC Comics in Justice League #7.  

Marvel has been taking SxSW by storm this year with several announcements. The latest at the SXSW Interactive Festival, Marvel Entertainment unveiled Marvel AR, the first major augmented reality app from a comic book company. As part of the recently announced Marvel ReEvolution, which brings the world of print and digital media together for a comics experience like never before, the Marvel AR app powered by Aurasma will be released on April 2 for iOS and Android devices. Fans can first discover the power of this new app in Avengers VS X-Men #1, arriving in comic stores on April 4 and kicking off the comic book event of the year in which the world’s most popular Super Heroes go to war!  

Arizona thrashers HEMOPTYSIS have been nominated for this year’s Independent Music Awards. This marks the band’s second consecutive year being nominated and this year HEMOPTYSIS holds the honor of receiving two nominations in two categories. The band’s critically acclaimed album,  

Looks like Marvel Comics is going to be adding digital copies to all their $3.99 books. This will definitely make fans happy and could work as a way of making people more willing to shell out the 4 bucks. Here’s what Marvel has to say! Marvel is proud to announce that, beginning June 2012, all Marvel super hero comics priced at $3.99 will include codes for free digital copies of those same issues on the Marvel Comics app for iOS and Android devices at no extra cost! That’s right, the most-talked-about comics in the industry—including Avengers, Captain America, Invincible Iron Man, Mighty Thor, Amazing Spider-Man. Wolverine & The X-Men and more—will come packed with a code to ensure fans have... 

Guitarist/songwriter Tobias Carlsson  has issued an update about KATANA’s new album Storms of War to be released in May on Listenable records. “It was once again recorded, mixed and mastered at Sonic Train Studios by King Diamond guitarist Andy La Rocque. We were very focused and determined right from the beginning to create a sound that no one had heard on an album since the 80s. To accomplish this, we and Andy listened a lot to albums produced by Martin Birch when mixing and setting the sound. Mostly Rainbow, Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath, Killers by Iron Maiden and Assault Attack by MSG. It became almost our motto in the studio to ask “How would Martin have done it?” whenever we had... 

Back in February, Marvel Comics began teasing that a Spidermen book would be coming in June. Today at the Metal Machine dungeon, we got a possible cover and some names to place with the creative team.  

Ferret Music recording group The Devil Wears Prada have unveiled the first glimpse of their upcoming live CD/DVD.  “Vengeance” will have its world premiere today on FEARnet TV, slated to air at 2 pm ET/11 am PT, while simultaneously debuting online via the popular cable channel’s official website, located at www.fearnet.com/news/b25636_exclusive_devil_wears_prada_premiere.html.  The as-yet-untitled CD/DVD will arrive in stores everywhere on June 26th.  

Fans of power rockers ALTER BRIDGE rushed to “beat the street” online this week and make LIVE AT WEMBLEY, the band’s second live CD/DVD – and the first live concert DVD from The Dude Films – hit #2 in the Top 100 on the Blu Ray Music Videos & Concerts chart at Amazon.com, just beneath Adele. For the seventh day in a row, LIVE AT WEMBLEY, with a street date of March 26, 2012, has been in the Top 10 of Amazon Bestsellers in the Blu Ray Music Videos & Concerts chart, ahead of video offerings from other music giants in the Top 10 such as Iron Maiden, Whitney Houston and Tony Bennett.