Undisputed masters of the crossover genre, Richmond, Virginia’s MUNICIPAL WASTE are proud to announce their new worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Records. On their way to devastate the Mainstage 02 at Hellfest Open Air in France this Saturday, June 18th, WASTE members check in about their big announcement:  

PITCH BLACK RECORDS announces the addition of Greek melodic black metal outfit CHAINED AND DESPERATE into its roster of artists with the band’s sophomore release, “Divine Authority Abolishment” scheduled for release on July 29th, 2011.  

The Dwarves are currently touring Europe, but will soon be back in the states to celebrate 25 years of pure punk rock insanity. There remains a great deal of unknown stories and anecdotes regarding the most bizarre and misunderstood band of all time…   

Universal Republic’s Volbeat has announced a Summer tour across North America that brings the band coast to coast, and in to Canada for multiple dates. Following a near sold-out run in March and April of this year, the Danish metal band continues to sell-out larger venues with each tour of North America. Performances in Sayreville, NJ, Allentown, PA, Flint, MI, and Boise, ID have been added to the previously announced itinerary.  

Arch Enemy and Skullsnbones.com have teamed up for an exclusive giveaway of the band’s latest opus Khaos Legions. One lucky winner will receive a deluxe copy of the critically acclaimed release, coupled with an autographed 5X9 postcard from the band. Head over to: http://snblnk.com/4s for complete details.  

DIR EN GREY will release their 8th studio album DUM SPIRO SPERO 2 years and 10 months after UROBOROS which garnered overwhelming support as the strongest and the maddest record resonating across the globe. In our time when heavy rock music has become diversified, the band’s deep and extensive, unique perspective is once again borderless, uncategorized.  

Chicago bruisers TRIALS has set August 1st as the release date for Witness to the Downfall, its debut album of brawny modern thrash and muscular melodic metal.  

After a fifteen year hiatus from recording together, original Morbid Angel members Trey Azagthoth and David Vincent have returned with Illud Divinum Insanus.  

Bazillion Points Books has posted a preview video of the upcoming “METALION: The Slayer Mag Diaries” 744-page hardcover history/anthology by Jon Kristiansen, the “godfather of Norwegian black metal.”  

U.S. Heavy Metal powerhouse BENEDICTUM will take the stage on Saturday, June 18th at the Warriors of Metal Open Air Festival IV. The two-day (June 17-18) festival will be held at the Frontier Ranch in Kirksville, OH (about 30 miles east Columbus) and also feature Vindicator, Aska, Widow, Sacred Dawn, Shock Paris, and many others.    

Over the past three years, Tech-9 Music has staged well over a hundred shows under the branded monikers Gotham Rocks and No Mercy Metal. On Thursday, July 21, the company will celebrate its third anniversary with a gala event at Irving Plaza featuring seven bands from the New York area. The complete line-up features The August Infinity, Killcode, Charetta, Bound By Substance, Sweet Fix, Woods of Arden and Crush of Empires. The August Infinity and Charetta, alongside Sweet Fix, will be releasing CDs that week.  

Today, Warner Bros. Records releases the album to the hotly anticipated motion picture Transformers: Dark of the Moon – the third film in the Oscar-nominated summer blockbuster Transformers series, which hits theaters nationwide on June 29th.