British heavy metal icons Judas Priest have announced that KK Downing, one of the founding members of the band, has decided to retire from the band and as a result, will not be taking part in the group’s forthcoming, Epitath tour. A press release from the band reads as follows:  

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Silver Surfer #4 (of 5), from writer Greg Pak and artists Harvey Tolibao & Iban Coello!  

Last night in Chicago I was privileged to spend my night with three amazing bands and a crowded house.  The opening band was the Atlas Moth.  I had heard of these guys and missed them at the Metaliance in Joliet, I did see their awesome merchandise though.  Everything was really psychedelic, t-shirts with drop acid not bombs sticks out to me, so I was really intrigued.  At the bar all I  heard were good things about them and a real positive buzz.  As soon as they broke into the first song I was hooked.   

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Alpha Flight #0.1, from New York Times bestselling writers Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente and acclaimed artist Ben Oliver! As Fear Itself approaches, The fan-favorite super hero team returns in this special POINT ONE issue, a great starting point for new readers!  

TORNADO are gearing up for the release of their debut album Amsterdamn Hellsinki, which has been postponed to a mid-June release date in Europe.  

LISTENABLE RECORDS has announed the signing of genuine Swedish death metal band TORMENTED featuring members of SCAR SYMMETRY, ex-MARDUK and DEVIAN. TORMENTED started playing 2008 with no other intentions than creating Death Metal that they themselves wanted to hear. Although TORMENTED may sound old-school it is not deliberately so, this is pure Death Metal!  

W.B. has announced the digital release of Mortal Kombat, the original movie that inspired a generation of video game movies.  

Following up on the success of last year’s reissue of the classic Winter Of Sin, Abyss Records is proud to unearth yet another treasure from Norwegian black/death metal warlocks FESTER. Abyss has reincarnated FESTER’s 1994 masterpiece Silence on digi-CD. The reissue comes completely remixed, remastered and repackaged and features all nine original tracks and a live version of the song “Persecution” recorded in 1991.  

Poland’s blackened death metal brigade HATE have been touring the US and Canada for the past month in support of their newly released opus EREBOS!    Here is a comment from HATE frontman ATF Sinner:   

As recently announced Metal Mind Productions will release the debut album of a young but very promising Polish band J.D. Overdrive. The album entitled “Sex, Whiskey & Southern Blood” consists of ten tracks (plus a fancy intro) filled with American dirt, including their own interpretation of Jimi Hendrix’ classic – “Purple Haze”.  

 Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Machinima.com today announced the original digital media series “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” premiered to over five million views since its debut last Tuesday making it one of the most watched films on YouTube over the past week.    

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at X-Men #12, chapter two in the First To Last X-epic from the superstar creative team of, Chris Yost, Paco Medina and Dalibor Talijic. The mysterious Evolutionaries have arrived on the shores of Utopia and only Cyclops and the X-Men can put an end to their plans of relentless destruction.