Las Vegas metal band Guttural Secrete has issued the following update:

"It's been a long time since we've had any kind of updates. First of all we have been working very hard on new material for our next release which will come out on Brutal Bands. The songs are taking some time but are coming along nicely. Things should start to progress a lot better now though as we would like to welcome back Randy to the band who previously played with us on the last CD, Reek of Pubescent Despoilment, as well as recorded it. Our main focus currently is to get Randy up to date on the newest material so we can prepare to record a 3 song promo that we can hopefully get out for you guys sometime soon. We'll keep you guys all up to date on everything we're up to. We are certain that this new material will not disappoint and we appreciate everyone's patience and support."

Norwegian Gothic metal act Theatre of Tragedy has issued the following announcement about officially calling it a day:

"After nearly 17 years in existence Theatre of Tragedy has decided to call it a day and close down. This has not been an easy decision to make and we have thought about this for a long long time. We finally agreed to this during the production of our latest album 'Forever is the world.' Theatre of Tragedy will come to an end on October 2nd 2010, exactly 17 years after we started making music together. Over the years all of us have strived to combine the Theatre with everyday life but in the end it has proven more and more difficult. We have come to appreciate our family lives and jobs, which makes it very hard to continue this life of rock'n'roll on the road.

"We know that some of you will probably be very disappointed, but we also hope you will continue to listen to our music, which all of you learned to appreciate and love so much. We want to thank everyone of you for all your support over the past 17 years! Theatre of Tragedy wouldn't have been possible without you! Be sure to catch us on the last Theatre of Tragedy shows ever this year! The final gig will take place on October 2nd in Stavanger, where it all began. Our music will live on... and forever is the world."

Theatre of Tragedy's upcoming "Forever Is The World" tour dates are as follows:

06.03.2010 Stavanger, Folken (Nor)
12.03.2010 Berlin, K17 (GER)
13.03.2010 Sittard, Fenix (NL)
14.03.2010 London, Underworld (UK)
15.03.2010 Paris, La Scene Bastille (F)
16.03.2010 Frankfurt, Batschkapp (GER)
17.03.2010 Marseille, Le Poste À Galene (F)
18.03.2010 Barcelona, Salamandra (E)
19.03.2010 Bilbao, Rock Star (E)
20.03.2010 Lisbon, Cine Teatro Corroios (PT)

Jason Barriskill, the original bass player of Irish folk metal outfit Waylander and later founder of the band Epoch, was found dead in his home in Co. Armagh yesterday morning (February 22nd). This happened only three days after he had a heart attack on Friday the 19th. He was only 34 years of age. A message from his old bandmates reads as follows:

"Jason was a once off, a true individual in the truest sense of the word. Almost 15 years after he left Waylander we still talk about him at rehearsal. That is the mark of the man, he left a lasting impression on everyone he met.

"Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his friends and family.

"I hope you have found what you were looking for brother.

"You will never be forgotten."

San Francisco Bay Area metal veterans DEATH ANGEL recently entered Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, AUGUST BURNS RED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, ALL THAT REMAINS, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER) to begin recording their new album for a tentative September release via Nuclear Blast Records.

The first in a series of video updates from the studio can be viewed below.

DEATH ANGEL vocalist Mark Osegueda recently stated about the band's decision to work with Suecof, "The new material is the most aggressive and technical music we have written in years. So we needed a producer that was capable of unleashing the tones that match and complement the overall vibe of the songs. With Jason's experience in producing some of the most brutal contemporary metal artists and albums of today, I know we made the right choice! I think the collaboration between the two of us will prove to be venomous and infectious!"

DEATH ANGEL debuted two brand new songs — "River" and "Into The Arms Of Righteous Anger" — during its appearance at last year's Speedfest, which was held November 28, 2009 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The concert marked the group's first appearance with bassist Damien Sisson (SCARECROW, POTENTIAL THREAT) following the departure of Sammy Diosdado (THE SICK, ALL TIME HIGHS).

DEATH ANGEL's longtime drummer and original member Andrew Galeon left the band in April 2009 and has since been replaced by Will Carroll, formerly of SCARECROW, OLD GRANDAD and VICIOUS RUMORS.

Upcoming DEATH ANGEL shows:

Apr. 03 - Inferno Fest - Oslo, Norway
Apr. 04 - The Engine Room - Brighton, UK
Apr. 05 - Sub 89 - Reading, UK
Apr. 06 - Rio’s - Leeds, UK
Apr. 07 - Central Station - Wrexham, Wales, UK
Apr. 08 - Sweden Rock Cruise - Stockholm, Sweden
May 13 - Metalfest Open Air - Pratteln, Switzerland
May 14 - Metalfest Open Air - Dessau, Germany
May 15 - Metalfest Open Air - Mining, Austria
May 16 - Biebob - Vasselaar, Belgium (w/ NEVERMORE)
May 18 - O2 Academy - London, UK (w/ NEVERMORE)
May 19 - De Pul - Uden, Holland (w/ NEVERMORE)
May 21 - Metalfest Open Air - Pilsen, Czech Republic
May 22 - United Titans Festival - Krakow, Poland
May 23 - Metalfest Open Air - Budapest, Hungary
Jun. 10 - Sweden Rock Fest - Solvesborg, Sweden
Jun. 11 - Sauna Open Air - Tampere, Finland

British extreme epic power metallers DRAGONFORCE have now officially confirmed the departure of lead singer ZP Theart.

"It is with great regret that DRAGONFORCE announce a parting of the ways with singer ZP Theart," the group writes in a statement. "This is due to insurmountable differences of musical opinion but the rest of the band sincerely wishes ZP great success with his future projects.

"While the creative core members have begun writing the fifth album, they have also started a worldwide search for a new vocalist."

"We are looking for a powerful, melodic singer to write a new chapter of DRAGONFORCE with us," added guitarist Herman Li.

Anyone wishing to audition for the vacant position should apply by following the instructions at this location.

DRAGONFORCE's latest album, 2008's "Ultra Beatdown", sold 24,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 18 on The Billboard 200 chart.

DRAGONFORCE had its first two studio albums — "Valley Of The Damned" and "Sonic Firestorm" — reissued on February 22, 2010 via Spinefarm Records U.K. Both titles were made available with updated packaging and bonus audio/DVD content, some of it exclusive to these releases.

According to Interia.pl and GazetaPrawna.pl, vocalist/guitarist Adam "Nergal" Darski of Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH was formally charged on Monday (March 8) for insulting Roman Catholics.

Darski made headlines in his native country in September 2007 when he reportedly called the Catholic Church "the most murderous cult on the planet" during a BEHEMOTH performance in Gdynia and tore up a copy of the Bible onstage (see video below).

After the incident, Ryszard Nowak, head of the All-Polish Committee for Defense Against Sects sued BEHEMOTH for promoting Satanism. Although a court expert witness on religious matters said that the act of destroying the Holy Bible could offend somebody's religious feelings (a criminal offense under Polish law), the case was discontinued because no one except Nowak accused BEHEMOTH of insulting their religious beliefs. (Under Polish law, there must be at least two formal complaints before a charge is laid. The previous complaint was made in 2008, and recently an unspecified number of other complaints had been filed.)

Nergal is pleading not guilty to the charge.

According to Metal As Fuck, in the first hearing, under cross examination, Darski stated what he does on stage is part of artistic license and it wasn't supposed to offend religious feelings. However, an expert on religious history and studies from Jagellonian University in Krakow stated that every copy of a bible could be considered a religious icon.

There was no judgment ruled against Darski in the first hearing, but now that a second complaint has been filed, the matter will be heard by the courts.

If found guilty, Darski faces up to 2 years in prison.

In a 2009 interview with Decibel magazine, BEHEMOTH bassist Tomasz "Orion" Wróblewski explained that the Bible-tearing incident was by no means a spontaneous outburst. "We'd been doing that for two years on tour before it happened in Poland," he said. "So, we had discussed it many times before. A BEHEMOTH show is a BEHEMOTH show, and BEHEMOTH fans are coming to a BEHEMOTH show. BEHEMOTH fans know what BEHEMOTH is about, know what the lyrics are about, and know at least a little of the philosophy behind the band. So, it's kind of surprising that there are people coming to the shows and feeling offended with what we do onstage. If such a person comes to a show, he comes with the purpose of being offended, I guess, and it shouldn't be like that. We're not offending any particular person. We're just offending the religion that we've been raised in."

"Eparistera Daimones" — the debut album by TRIPTYKON, the group founded by former HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST singer and guitarist Tom Gabriel Warrior — will be released as deluxe mediabook CD edition (including a 28-page booklet and extensive liner notes) as well as gatefold double LP via Century Media Records under exclusive license from Prowling Death Records Ltd. on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy: March 19
Spain, U.S.: Tuesday, March 23
Sweden, Finland, Hungary: March 24
U.K., Benelux, France, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Rest Of Europe: March 22

Short audio samples of all nine songs that will appear on "Eparistera Daimones" are available for streaming on Amazon.com.

"Eparistera Daimones" is not only musically a leviathan. Remarkably, the album will also feature the epic artwork by renowned Swiss artist H.R. Giger and New York-based surrealist Vincent Castiglia.

In an exceptionally rare gesture, H.R. Giger has granted TRIPTYKON the use of his dramatic painting "Vlad Tepes" (work no. 412, 200 x 140 cm, acrylic on paper on wood, 1978). It is the artist's first authorized appearance on an album cover in 17 years, and the second time he collaborates with Warrior (following CELTIC FROST's "To Mega Therion" album in 1985).

Vincent Castiglia contributes "Triptykon", a specially created portrait of the members of the group, painted in the artist's own blood (86 x 86 cm, blood/iron oxide on archival paper, 2009). As Castiglia aptly put it, the amalgamation of works by H.R. Giger, Vincent Castiglia, and TRIPTYKON on "Eparistera Daimones" forms a creative triptych in itself.

Comments H.R. Giger: "I am very proud to work with TRIPTYKON. My art hasn't appeared on an album cover for quite some time, and I feel honored to have been approached by Tom about such a collaboration for TRIPTYKON's very first release."

Adds Vincent Castiglia: "It's been a tremendous honor to work with both TRIPTYKON and H.R. Giger on the forthcoming release of 'Eparistera Daimones'. It was a project of enormous depth for me, conceptually as well as visually. I think the resonance between TRIPTYKON's music, Giger's art, and my work is extremely powerful, and it coalesces in quite an amazing, and singular way."

States Tom Gabriel Warrior: "We feel deeply privileged to be able to adorn our very first album with the work of two artists we respect enormously. To us, their astonishing contributions convey significant symbolism both with respect to our personal frame of mind as well as for this particular album and its history.

"It is an immense pleasure to be able to work with H.R. Giger again. He was one of our most significant mentors during the days of HELLHAMMER and early CELTIC FROST, and he is an extraordinary human being and an artist without equal.

"Vincent Castiglia has become a close friend in recent years, and we both sensed that the time had come to create something truly unique together. I am infinitely grateful that he has lent us his incredible talent, not least because I know he incorporates as much passion, darkness, and pain into his work as I do, too."

"Eparistera Daimones" will also feature detailed credits, full lyrics and extensive liner notes to all songs and will be released via Century Media Records under exclusive license from Prowling Death Records Ltd. on March 22, 2010 (Europe) and March 23, 2010 (North America).

"Eparistera Daimones" will feature the following nine songs, at a playing time of around 70 minutes:

01. Goetia
02. Abyss Within My Soul
03. In Shrouds Decayed
04. Shrine
05. A Thousand Lies
06. Descendant
07. Myopic Empire
08. My Pain
09. The Prolonging

Upcoming TRIPTYKON shows:

April 13 - Rostock (D) - Alte Zuckerfabrik
April 14 - Essen (D) - Zeche Carl
April 16 - Tilburg (NL) – 013 / Roadburn Festival
April 30 - Barroselas (PT) - SWR Barroselas Metalfest

TRIPTYKON consists of V. Santura (guitar, vocals), Norman Lonhard (drums, percussion), Vanja Slajh (bass), and Tom Gabriel Warrior (voice, guitars). The group has unambiguously stated that it pursues the continuation and further development of the path Warrior began in HELLHAMMER and CELTIC FROST.

For further information, visit www.triptykon.net.

Resurrected late '80s/early '90s death metallers PESTILENCE will embark on their first U.S. tour in over 16 years in May/June. The 17-date trek will kick off in Baltimore as part of the Maryland Deathfest on May 30 and will close at the Gramercy Theater in New York City on June 17. Support on the tour will come from WARBRINGER, VITAL REMAINS, ENFOLD DARKNESS and SACRIFICIAL SLAUGHTER.

The dates are as follows:

May 30 - Sonar - Baltimore, MD (Maryland Deathfest) *
May 31 - Club Mosaic - Chattanooga, TN **
Jun. 01 - The Bar - New Orleans, LA **
Jun. 02 - Emo's - Austin, TX
Jun. 03 - Ridglea Theater - Ft. Worth, TX
Jun. 04 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
Jun. 05 - Club Red - Tempe, AZ
Jun. 06 - Ramona Mainstage - Ramona, CA
Jun. 07 - Ultra Violet - Los Angeles, CA
Jun. 08 - DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
Jun. 09 - Satyricon - Portland, OR
Jun. 10 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
Jun. 13 - Station 4 - St Paul, MN
Jun. 14 - Reggie's - Chicago, IL
Jun. 15 - Mod Club Theater - Toronto, ON **
Jun. 16 - Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC **
Jun. 17 - Gramercy Theater - New York, NY

* PESTILENCE only
** No WARBRINGER

Tickets can be purchased via EnterTheVault.com.

PESTILENCE 2010 is:

Patrick Mameli - Guitar/Vocals
Jeroen Paul Thesseling - Bass
Patrick Uterwijk - Guitar
Yuma Van Eekelen - Drums

PESTILENCE is working on material for a new album, tentatively due before the end of the year. Guitarist/vocalist Patrick Mameli states, "The new material will sound, again, way different from the previous albums, and is going to top all previous PESTILENCE material, stated by insiders already.

"The new songs have the rawness of [1989's] 'Consuming Impulse', the theatrical [quality] of 1991's 'Testimony Of The Ancients' and the brutallity of [2009's comeback effort] 'Resurrection Macabre'. But this time we will try to top all our material by using the RG2228-GK [Ibanez guitar].

"Now we have eight strings to maim (y)our ears and brains.

"The RG2228-GK allowes us to come up with the most technical riffing, sick Holdsworth-like chords and mind-boggling solos.

"To complete this new material, we have the mighty Jeroen P. Thesseling with amazing six[-string] fretless mayhem and Yuma with his ultra-brutal and fast, off-beat technical drumming.

"So be prepared for low, chunky and a-tonal morbidity!!!"

PESTILENCE's latest album, "Resurrection Macabre", was released on March 13, 2009 in Europe (April 14, 2009 in the U.S.) via Holland's Mascot Records. The band recorded a total of 14 songs during the session at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark — 11 new tracks and three classic PESTILENCE cuts (as chosen by the fans) that were included on the limited-edition first pressing: "Out Of The Body", "Chemo Therapy" and "Lost Souls". Patrick previously described the material as a modern fusion of "Testimony of the Ancients" (1991) and "Spheres" (1993), but even more technical and brutal.

Joining Mameli in PESTILENCE's most recent recording/touring lineup were Tony Choy (ATHEIST, CYNIC) on bass, Peter Wildoer (DARKANE, NON-HUMAN LEVEL) on drums and Patrick Uterwijk on guitar.

Check out audio samples on the band's MySpace page.
 

According to the New York Post, a Manhattan federal judge ruled yesterday (Thursday, February 25) that Ozzy Osbourne can proceed with his lawsuit against guitarist Tony Iommi over use of the BLACK SABBATH name.

Ozzy filed a lawsuit against Iommi in May 2009, claiming that Iommi illegally took sole ownership of the band's name in a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Osbourne is suing Iommi for a 50 percent interest in the "Black Sabbath" trademark, along with a portion of Iommi's profits from use of the name.

The Manhattan federal court suit also charges that Osbourne's "signature lead vocals" are largely responsible for the band's "extraordinary success," noting that its popularity plummeted during his absence from 1980 through 1996.

Lawyer Andrew DeVore argued yesterday that Osbourne signed away all his rights to the BLACK SABBATH trademark after he quit the band in 1979.

Osbourne's lawyer, Howard Shire, called that agreement a "red herring" that was "repudiated" when the singer rejoined in 1997 and took over "quality control" of the band's merchandise, tours and recordings.

In a statement released on May 29, 2009, Ozzy said about his decision to sue Iommi, "It is with great regret that I had to resort to legal action against my long-term partner Tony Iommi, but after three years of trying to resolve this issue amicably, I feel I have no other recourse.

"As of the mid-1990s, after constant and numerous changes in band members, the brand of 'BLACK SABBATH' was literally in the toilet and Tony Iommi (touring under the name BLACK SABBATH) was reduced to performing in clubs. Since 1997, when Geezer [Butler, bass], Bill [Ward, drums] and myself rejoined the band, BLACK SABBATH has returned to its former glory as we headlined sold-out arenas and amphitheatres playing to upwards of 50,000 people at each show around the world. We worked collectively to restore credibility and bring dignity back to the name 'BLACK SABBATH,' which led to the band being inducted into the U.K. and U.S. Rock And Roll Hall of Fames in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

"Throughout the last 12 years, it was my management representatives who oversaw the marketing and quality control of the 'BLACK SABBATH' brand through Ozzfest, touring, merchandising and album reissues. The name 'BLACK SABBATH' now has a worldwide prestige and merchandising value that it would not have had by continuing on the road it was on prior to the 1997 reunion tour.

"Tony, I am so sorry it's had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you. I don't have the right to speak for Geezer and Bill, but I feel that morally and ethically the trademark should be owned by the four of us equally. I hope that by me taking this first step that it will ultimately end up that way. We've all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old BLACK SABBATH album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright.

"We're all in our 60s now. The BLACK SABBATH legacy should live on long after we have all gone.

"Please do the right thing."

Osbourne added in a separate online post, "I am very saddened that I've had to take legal action against Tony. This is something that I've tried to avoid for years. I am not Geezer or Bill's voice. However, 'till the day I die I will not change my mind on this issue. The BLACK SABBATH trademark should be equally owned by Geezer, Bill, Tony and I as the true BLACK SABBATH lineup is Tony, Geezer, Bill and I. We've all been mates since school. I've always said there is an invisible thread that holds us together.

"Tony, let's get this ridiculous issue sorted and move on with our lives. You're 61, I'm 60. I hope that we've got a good 20 years left in us. But if not, God forbid something happens to you. What's going to happen to the BLACK SABBATH trademark? Who's going to oversee it? Don't you think after we're long gone the rights should stay in your family, my family, Bill's family and Geezer's family?"

Ozzy's suit follows one filed by Iommi in December 2008 against Live Nation. In that filing, Iommi claims the concert giant sold merchandise bearing the band's logo, despite the 2006 expiration of a merchandising deal, reportedly worth nearly $80 million. Soon after that agreement concluded, Iommi reclaimed the band's trademark.

Iommi's suit argues Live Nation continued to sell more than 100 items of merchandise featuring the band's likeness, name and logo, despite the receipt of cease-and-desist orders from the guitarist's camp. Iommi's suit seeks damages in the amount of three times the profits from the merchandise sales, plus a halt to the BLACK SABBATH product sales.

Iommi and SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler both said some less than kind things about working with Osbourne in a spring 2009 interview with Decibel magazine. The pair released a new studio album as HEAVEN & HELL, the post-Ozzy version of SABBATH featuring vocalist Ronnie James Dio, and Butler said that working with Dio was much easier than Osbourne. He explained, "Ronnie's a songwriter in his own right — he's got tons of ideas. Whereas Ozzy . . . in the old days, he'd come up with a vocal line and I'd write the lyrics. Ronnie is 100 percent involved in both the musical side and the vocal side, and he writes his own lyrics as well."

Butler added that Osbourne didn't take him seriously as a songwriter, saying, "If we were with Ozzy and I came in with the killer riff of all time, Ozzy wouldn't even think of doing it because I'm not the guitarist and that's the way he thinks . . . That's why it was so bloody hard to write anything."

Butler said about HEAVEN & HELL's debut CD, "The Devil You Know", "If we'd written this album with Ozzy, we'd still be working on the first track."

Iommi added that there was a sharp difference between the singers live as well, saying, "It was great being with Ozzy on the road . . . but with Ronnie it's a lot different, because we go out and we know exactly what we're gonna be doing. With Ozzy, we didn't really know. It was touch and go sometimes on some of those early shows, whether he was gonna turn up, if he'd be able to sing, if his voice was gone, or what. We'd have to cancel shows, which Geezer and myself really hated. But with Ronnie, we've never canceled a show."

British heavy metal legends SAXON have been confirmed for the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which is set to sail from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico on January 24, 2011 and return four days later. SAXON will play two unique shows. One night they will perform the "Wheels Of Steel" LP in its entirety and on a different night, for the second show, they will play "Strong Arm Of The Law" from start to finish.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

AMON AMARTH
EPICA
FINNTROLL
RAVEN
SAXON
SODOM
SONATA ARCTICA
STRATOVARIUS
TROUBLE
ULI JON ROTH
WITCHBURNER

70000 Tons Of Metal will sail Monday, January 24, 2011 aboard the Royal Caribbean "Majesty of the Seas" from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico and will not return you to the real world for four days until Friday, January 28, 2011.

Make no mistake, 70000 Tons Of Metal is not your grandma's cruise. It's also not one of the cruises that share the ship with normal cruise guests. This is an all-ship heavy metal cruise! Can you imagine that? A whole luxury cruise ship full of metalheads? And since there is no backstage area you will have the opportunity to mingle side-by-side with the artists in this incredibly fan-friendly scenario that has no comparison. It's like everyone has a backstage pass and you might even need a vacation from this vacation when all is said and done!

Ticket prices start at US$666 plus US$249 taxes and fees per person and include all on-board entertainment, all meals and non-alcoholic and non-carbonated drinks at the on-board restaurants and 24-hour room service!

For more information, go to www.70000tons.com.