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.  

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,  

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... 

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.  

Abyss Records to Release DESULTOR’s Masters of Hate on March 20th 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.  

Next week Arizona death metal band JOB FOR A COWBOY is headed on a five & a half week tour of North America on this year’s Metal Alliance tour. The tour begins on March 15th in Austin, Texas as part of the South By Southwest 2012 event & will hit 35 more cities until April 21st. Also on the tour are Devildriver, The Faceless, Dying Fetus, 3 Inches of Blood, Impending Doom & Wretched. Job for a Cowboy is also headlining Metal Blade Records’ 30th Anniversary event at an unofficial SXSW day party on March 15th. The show begins at 11:30am & endds at 6:00pm at the MI Annex. The party is being presented by Musician’s Institute Annex & co-sponsored by ‘stache media.  

So, last month, Metallica made some noise with their announcement of a 2 day festival they will host out in the boonies of Atlantic City. Called the Orion Festival, the band announced an array of bands that they said was “music they like”. Avenged Sevenfold, The Sword, Modest Mouse, Hot Snakes and Gary Clark Jr. were all announced as part of this fest. (Not the heaviest line up ever…huh) So it seems the band took some slack and came back with an addition to the festival, A LITTLE MORE METAL PLEASE!!! It was just announced that a second stage “The Damage, Inc. Stage will now include Sepultura, Suicidal Tendencies, Red Fang and more. Read the official press release below..  

The war to save the Marvel Universe continues this June as the Avengers go head to head against the X-Men while the all-powerful Phoenix Force hurtles towards Earth!  

Norwegian black/thrash butchers AURA NOIR are preparing to deliver their fifth full-length contribution to the extreme metal underworld this month. Appropriately bearing the title Out To Die, the album unloads eight hell-bent songs in the crushing fashion fans should rightfully and ravenously expect from the self-proclaimed “ugliest trio in the world.” Out To Die now holds down a North American street date of March 27th by Norway’s Indie Recordings, via stateside distribution by Prosthetic Records.