2014 has brought and continues to bring some pretty oddball releases to the shelves, and frankly this makes for good reading. But if you had told me that in 2014 we’d be seeing the return of the Rock comic? If 2014 can bring us books like Afterlife with Archie and Groo vs Conan, fantastic titles that exist to prove how awesome their concept can be executed, who am I to doubt the return of rock to the scene? Now if you told me that not only were we getting a rock n’ roll on-going; but an ALICE COOPER on-going; you’d have my undivided attention. If that were all we were talking about, that’d be impressive. But would one comic suffice? Can we really say that we expect only one title to represent the king of shock... 

Spock’s Beard will be performing at the B.B. King Blues Club and Grill on Monday, October 27th. This follows their Saturday evening appearance at the first annual Progtoberfest in Chicago, IL on October 25th.  

White Empress, the new band founded by former Cradle of Filth guitarist Paul Allender, has launched a video breakdown of the first five tracks off its new album Rise of the Empress on YouTube at: http://youtu.be/XXuHcYSCiXU.   Rise of the Empress, which released earlier this week on Peaceville Records, can be purchased now through the label’s web-store at: https://www.burningshed.com/store/peaceville/ and digitally through iTunes at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rise-of-the-empress/id914080798. “Rise of the Empress is what metal has been so desperately wanting for such a long time,” Allender told Revolver. “Something to wake it up from the mundane normal safe scene we are all in now. It’s... 

This October, peer into the mind of one of the Marvel Universe’s most vicious villains as he becomes…its greatest hero?! Today, Marvel is proud to present your first look at AXIS: CARNAGE #1, the new limited series spinning out of the highly anticipated Avengers & X-Men: AXIS!  

Hannover, Germany’s Cripper have debuted their brand new song, “Tourniquet,” along with the cover art for their upcoming album “Hyëna,” at metalblade.com/cripper. The album will be released on CD and digitally in North America on November 25th. In Europe, “Hyëna” will be available as a limited CD+DVD Digipak as well as on vinyl in different colours. The bonus DVD features the entire Cripper show from Metaldays Open Air 2014, plus a lot more. More details on the bonus DVD will be revealed shortly!  

Sacramento progressive death metal titans ALTERBEAST will kick off a month-long North American run of live takeovers tomorrow supporting The Black Dahlia Murder and Suicide Silence. Presented by Blackcraft, the tour will commence in Chicago at the Bottom Lounge and coil its way through two-dozen cities, coming to a close in Denver at The Summit Music Hall. Additional support will come from Chelsea Grin.  

David Lapham’s rich, influential crime series STRAY BULLETS returned to comic book stands in March 2014, with the launch of its first new story arc in nine years, “Killers.” Whether newly-hipped to STRAY BULLETS or longtime fans, readers can now get new editions of the classic story arcs from Image Comics, beginning in October with STRAY BULLETS VOLUME 1: INNOCENCE OF NIHILISM.  

Michigan-based melodic death metal behemoths, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, are ready to quake stages on a Blackcraft-sponsored heavy metal campaign across North America with co-headliners SUICIDE SILENCE. Set to embark tomorrow in Chicago, the tour will rampage its way through twenty-four cities and includes a Knot Fest pre-party performance. Additional support will come from Alterbeast and Chelsea Grin.  

U.S. Doomsters APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE have released a new song from upcoming album Of Woe and Wounds. You can stream “Whore’s Wings” now  

French extreme music label Kaotoxin Records has announced the first ever Kaotoxin Fest, an annual showcase of the label’s diversified roster.  

Legendary sludge ragebeasts EYEHATEGOD, having released their newest self titled, Eyehategod, have been on weeks of touring in support of this massive slab of pure dirty metal. Hailing from New Orleans, the crown of the swampy south, EYEHATEGOD have been terrorizing venues and fans for a couple of heavy, hard decades. The album, dubbed ‘the record that EHG fans have been waiting for; a stomping and venomous set of eleven tracks that reignite the band’s amazing propensity for down-trodden, electric blues and with their late drummer LaCaze behind the kit,” by Vice Magazine, has already grabbed everyone by the throat, and held them down whilst it pummeled them into submission! EYEHATEGOD is now kicking off... 

After a busy year with intense studio sessions as well as incessant international touring activities, UK Grindcore legends NAPALM DEATH have checked in with an update in regards to their much anticipated next album release. Vocalist Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway had the following to say: