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.  

Making waves in the digital realm today, superstar comic creator Jonathan Hickman (Fantastic Four, The Red Wing) announced the digital release of not only his new creator-owned Image Comics series The Manhattan Projects, but also the release of an exclusive digital collection of all his previously published creator-owned work through Image Comics. This digital exclusive collection, Test Pattern, is available only on the Comics by comiXology platform —including iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and the Web.  

HELL YEAH #1, the debut of a new Image Comics series by Joe Keatinge (GLORY) and Andre Szymanowicz has sold out ahead of its release today, March 7. The issue has immediately gone back to press and a second printing (JAN128123) will be in stores on April 4, the same day that HELL YEAH #2 (FEB120507) is released.  

“Year Of The Metal Tiger” is the second Ignitor album with Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, Watchtower, Evil United) on vocals. Influenced by 80s masters Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Ignitor’s music is a blend of classic true metal with the power of today’s greats like Primal Fear, Grave Digger and Brainstorm.  

Czech death metallers BRUTALLY DECEASED kick into 2012 with a vinyl release of debut album entitled Dead Lovers’ Guide. Originally released on CD via Lavadome 17 months ago, the album represents an immense death metal outburst in the best, old school Swedish tradition.  

In April 2012  Mexico’s INFINITUM OBSCURE will set sail towards European soil for their first time since the band’s inception 12 years ago. The ‘CONGREGATION OF THE OBSCURE – European Tour 2012’ , featuring Dead Congregation from Greece and INFINITUM OBSCURE, is presented by Germany’s Iron Bonehead Productions and will range across five European countries (Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium and Poland) for a total of seven shows. For more info, visit www.ironbonehead.de  

After being on the stands for barely a week, Batman Beyond Unlimited has gone back to press for a second printing!  

DC has launched a new website in the wake of their highly successful New 52 relaunch. Here’s what their official press release had to say.  

In April 2012 Mexico’s INFINITUM OBSCURE will set sail towards European soil for their first time since the band’s inception 12 years ago.  

Los Angeles Laker great Kobe Bryant, recently injured in the All – Star game by Dwayne Wade, has been sporting a protection mask in several games for the Lakers.