New Jersey death metal group Abacinate has issued the following statement in the wake of vocalist Jason Sica’s death:  

  The masters of musical mayhem have paired up yet again to embark on a three week tour of debauchery. Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper have returned to destroy a city near you on The Halloween Hootenanny Tour with special guests Murderdolls.   

Eternal Descent and ESP Guitars have once again joined forces to sponsor a contest to win a guitar – an LTD Wayne Static Signature Series Static-600 ESP guitar. This menacing guitar is in ESP’s famous EX shape, with a black nickel diamond plate cover, Seymour Duncan pickup, ebony fretboard with 24 XJ frets, Grover tuners, and more. Contest entries are accepted from now until November 30, 2010 at  

Play Yard Blues,” the latest solo album from Europe guitarist John Norum, is now available on Mascot Records. The long-awaited album takes a different approach than Norum’s past releases, showcasing a more bluesy side of his soulful style. “Play Yard Blues” consists of 10 tracks, recorded in Norum’s hometown of Stockholm, Sweden.  

Every metal fan knows that Black Metal found its raw, dark, low budget origins in the vast cold of the Scandinavian peninsula of Northern Europe. Somewhere along the lines, that harsh brutality found its way across the Atlantic, took up residence in the Windy City of Chicago, and bore Ezurate and their brand of “Pure Armafuckingeddon Soulraping Black Metal” to unsuspecting ears. Their newest release, “Eve of Desecration” rightfully out on Rotting Corpse records, is an hour of ear splitting black metal that is squarely derived from is Scandinavian ancestors and contemporaries.  

    Last night at the Paramount Lot in Los Angeles, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), UMe and gaming publisher Activision Publishing, Inc. awarded Soundgarden with a platinum plaque acknowledging the innovative partnership and distribution behind Soundgarden’s newest album in 13 years, Telephantasm (A&M/UMe).    

Extreme metal’s most infamous act, Cradle Of Filth, has teamed up with America’s horror magazine, Fangoria, to premiere the band’s latest music video for the new track, “Forgive Me Father (I Have Sinned)”.  The video was directed by Dani Jacobs, and the song comes from the forthcoming full-length, Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa, to be released on Nuclear Blast Records on November 9th.   

Motel 6 and Primary Wave Music, one of the largest music publishing and marketing companies in the United States , announce the third round of their wildly popular “Rock Yourself to Sleep” campaign.  Initially launched in August 2009, the campaign offers free rooms to touring bands.   

   Bassist extraordinaire Marco Mendoza has unveiled his second solo album, “Casa Mendoza,” on Mascot Records. “Casa Mendoza” is a Latin-flavored melodic rock record with a commercial edge that is sure to appeal to fans of any of Mendoza’s work.  

  “Shred guitar” and “neo classical metal” are two phrases that have been commonplace in the world of heavy metal for decades by this point, but both can be attributed to the unmistakable work by Yngwie Malmsteen.  

  “… you won’t find a better live band on the planet today.” – Metal Hammer   “The music was perfectly executed and more sophisticated than is often credited … this show is surely one of the wonders of rock.”  – The Times (London), 5 Stars     September 27, 2010 – RAMMSTEIN announced today their only U.S. live performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City is scheduled for Saturday, December 11, 2010.    

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Hulk #26, from the sensational hit creative team of Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman. It’s Thor versus the Red Hulk and this time it’s the Odinson who layeth the smackdown! But unless the Red Hulk can make amends with Thor, MODOK’s Scorched Earth protocol will consume the Earth.