Cradle of Filth guitarist Paul Allender had this to say about the band's new album, "I'm about half way through writing the material [for the new CRADLE OF FILTH album] and it's turning out just the way I wanted it. I've mentioned to a few people that it's a lot faster and heavier than [2008's 'Godspeed On The Devil's Thunder']. Well, to be honest, the new material has been taken up quite a few gears."



I've never been a huge fan, but I thought their last album 'Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder' (2008), seemed quite a bit faster than what I remember hearing before so it'll be interesting to see how this turns out. On a side note, I just saw that the PRS SE Paul Allender Model guitar is now available in a pretty sweet looking Emerald Green... just in case you wanted to buy me an early Christmas present. Check it out here.

Atreyu is currently on tour with Hollywood Undead in support of their new album 'Congregation of the Damned', and Bloody Disgusting caught up with the band for a quick interivew...


1. To promote your new album, Congregation of the Damned, you launched a cool, zombie-killing web game. Are you fans of horror video games? What are some of your favorites?

We're all fans of video games, some more than others. I've always been fond of the Resident Evil games. Dead Space kept my butt pretty puckered too.

2. You've said that "the feel of [Congregation of the Damned] is darker, heavier...". What inspired you to go in that direction, both musically and lyrically? Is there a limit to how dark you're willing to go?

I think each album is a representation of where we're at as individuals and musicians at that given time. Also, each album is a stepping stone to the next one. This album wouldn't sound like it does if it weren't for our previous album, Lead Sails Paper Anchor. We had to make Lead Sails in order to make Congregation of the Damned.

3. Although you've omitted any cover songs to focus on your original material for this album, Atreyu has been known to do some amazing cover songs from bands like Bon Jovi, Faith No More, and The Descendants. If the whole band, as a group, had to start a band that covered only ONE artist or band, who would it be and why?

This question is impossible to answer. You'd get 5 different answers. Personally, I'd cover Christopher Cross songs...because Sailing DOES take me away.

4. You're currently touring with Escape the Fate and Hollywood Undead. What's been your favorite show of the tour? Do you have any good road stories you can share with us?

This tour has been a lot of fun. The Chicago show was great..as well as Orlando, Dallas, Toronto, etc. Nothing too crazy has happened on the tour really. Just a lot of drunken bro-down sessions. George and Dillon from HU came up on our bus wasted yesterday morning and made sexual advances toward our drummer and bass player while they were sleeping in their bunks. Great way to start the day if you ask me.

5. What does the future hold for Atreyu? Do you have any future touring planned? Can we expect to see any more singles or soundtrack songs released?

A lot of opportunities have popped up over the past few weeks so it's all kind of up in the air. We finish up this tour in a couple of days and are relaxing at home for the holidays. We'll be going to Japan with Killswitch Engage and CKY in January, which we're super excited about. It's been a few years since we've last been to Japan, and to go over there with those bands will be amazing.

6. ON A SERIOUS NOTE: What is your favorite bar to drink at on the road?

We've always enjoyed the BBQ Bar in Orlando. I always remember arriving to the bar, but I never remember leaving...always a sign of a good time.

'Congregation of the Damned' is in stores now, or you can pick it up from iTunes

Slayer is back, three years after "Christ Illusion" and almost 25 years after one of their masterpieces, "Reign in Blood". Considering that these guys have been going strong for almost 30 years, it's impressive that they are still putting out solid material. "World Painted Blood" is a testament to that statement.

The album starts with the title track, "World Painted Blood". The song is a blast into frenzied, familiar Slayer territory. Lyrically dark and violent, this song is a mix of thrash and mid-tempo speeds, making for a very fun headbanger. The rest of the album, with the exception of a few songs (see below), follows this pattern. A great thing about each song is that there is no f**king around. Once the song starts, there is no let up and the majority of each song doesn't go past four minutes.

The production for the album is overall of very high quality. The drums sound articulate with each kick drum hit having a solid thump behind it. Cymbals are mixed in nicely and have a crisp top end. The guitars are very defined and noticeably different sounding yet complimenting each other perfectly. The bass could stand to be a bit more present but the overall album has a solid low end. The vocals are obviously clearly recorded but could stand to be just a little bit more in the mix. I found myself straining to understand what Araya was saying. Little things here and there throughout the songs give the album a nice "raw" feeling (hearing the drum sticks set down on a drum at the end of "World Painted Blood" is an example).

If you like previous Slayer releases, you are going to like "World Painted Blood". The songs have a frenzied "grab you by your throat" feel. The solo trade offs between Hanneman and King have airs of Kirk Hammett and Dimebag Darrell. Some of the most interesting songs on this album are also the ones that fit the least. "Human Strain" has a very Gothenburg sound while "Americon" sounds like it would fit rather neatly onto a Static-X album. "Playing With Dolls" has the feel of a black metal song and sports some rather gruesome lyrics.

"World Painted Blood" has a very solid production but the songs tend to be somewhat indistinguishable from each other with a few exceptions ("Human Strain" and "Playing With Dolls"). Overall, a strong Slayer release.

The almighty GWAR have unleashed upon the unwitting populace of North America a special collection of classics from the GWARchives. America Must Be Destroyed, GWAR’s 1992 opus, can now be purchased in a special edition digipak that’s also crammed with a DVD that includes the seminal GWAR films Tour De Scum and Phallus In Wonderland. Never before have they all been available in one package for you to get your clammy human hands on!

The America Must Be Destroyed special edition is available everywhere now while GWAR continues to pummel audiences across North America on their headlining tour.



GWAR
Tour w/ Job For A Cowboy and The Red Chord
11/12 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
11/13 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
11/14 Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
11/15 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
11/16 Hollywood, CA - House Of Blues
11/18 Ventura, CA - Majestic Ventura Theatre
11/19 Chico, CA - Senator Theatre
11/20 Sparks, NV - New Oasis
11/21 Magna, UT - The Great Salt Air
11/23 Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
11/24 San Francisco, CA - Regency Center
11/25 Bend, OR - Midtown Music Hall
11/27 Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
11/28 Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
11/29 Seattle, WA - The King Cat Theatre
11/30 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
12/02 Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Events Centre
12/03 Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall Ballroom
12/04 Regina, SK - Riddell Centre
12/05 Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick Centre
12/07 Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
12/09 Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall
12/10 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
12/11 Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights
12/12 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
12/13 New York, NY - Irving Plaza

According to The Pulse of Radio, Slash took to Twitter to defend BLACK EYED PEAS singer Fergie's (a.k.a. Stacy Ann Ferguson) vocal performance on a new recording she did with Slash of the GUNS N' ROSES classic "Paradise City", also featuring CYPRESS HILL. A copy of the recording surfaced online last week (hear audio below), while Slash is contemplating whether to include it on his new solo album. The former GUNS guitarist tweeted, "Until now, not too many people have heard Fergie sing rock & roll but she sings it better (than) most dudes I know. She's a screamer at heart."



Slash told MusicRadar.com earlier this month that he got almost every special guest he wanted to appear on his upcoming solo album, except for one: WHITE STRIPES singer/guitarist and DEAD WEATHER drummer Jack White. Slash revealed, "I wanted to get Jack White to sing on something, but he didn't want to sing. He said I'll play drums, I'll play guitar, but I don't wanna sing. He was one guy that I wanted to work with. Pretty much everyone else that I went after I managed to get."

Thirty Seconds To Mars premiered the Short Film for "Kings + Queens" on MySpace Music which features cyclists riding around downtown LA at night. "Kings + Queens" is off their upcoming album "This is War", out December 8 and you can pre-order the album now on iTunes.



Also available is the trailer for Dragon Age: Origins using the title track from the album "This is War."

No better way to let people down than to hype them up first, Bullet For My Valentine is promising their 'finest album to date' which is expected to see a release first half of 2010.

“We are almost in the final stages of recording. It has been another long road but it’s been this long for a reason! There have been many obstacles along the way, lots of hard work and long hours in the studio. However, we think that we will produce Bullet For My Valentine’s finest album to date!!!"



“We have written lots of material and we have narrowed down these songs to what we think are the best of the bunch! There are eight tracks recorded and finished so far, from some of the best stuff we’ve ever written. They have all the qualities that you would expect from Bullet but with ’something’ else. A twist! We are all blown away so far with how everything is going. Don Gilmore is an incredible producer and has really helped us develop our sound.

“We do apologize for how long the album is taking but we need this to be right, and we certainly don’t want to rush things and spoil it for your guys. We will get the album out as soon as possible. We will hit the road as soon as possible, and we will see all you crazy fuckers as soon as possible!”

MetalSucks.net has the premiere for Protest the Hero's new music video, 'Limb From Limb'. The band had a viral hit on their hands when their van broke down last year on tour and decided to film an impromptu dance video. They impressed enough of us with their sweet dance moves that they decided to bring them back in this official music video.

Watch the video that started it all below, then head over to MetalSucks.net for the 'Limb From Limb' premiere.

Behemoth announced their return to North America via their myspace page, "The mighty Behemoth will once again be returning to North American soil in 2010! This is their first tour in the region since their massively successful summer with the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest. Following Mayhem, Behemoth’s Evangelion reached enormous heights, coming in at #56 on the Billboard Top 200, #61 on Canada’s Top 200, and three weeks straight at #1 in Poland before being certified gold in their home country."



Supporting Behemoth on the Evangelia Amerika tour will be Septic Flesh from Greece and Shining from Sweden.

01/07 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts
01/08 W. Springfield, VA Jaxx
01/09 Raleigh, NC Volume 11
01/10 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
01/11 Tampa, FL State Theatre
01/13 Austin, TX Emo’s
01/15 Tucson, AZ The Rock
01/16 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues
01/17 San Francisco, CA Slims
01/18 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater
01/19 Seattle, WA El Corazon
01/21 Calgary, AB Republik
01/22 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room
01/23 Regina, SK The District
01/24 Winnipeg, MB WECC
01/25 St. Paul, MN Station 4
01/26 Chicago, IL House of Blues
01/27 Cleveland, OH Peabody's
01/28 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls
01/30 New York, NY Gramercy Theatre

Lambgoat reports: "Misery Index has written roughly nine tracks for their fourth full-length. On January 2nd the band will enter Wrightway Studios in Baltimore, Maryland to begin tracking. According to the group, "These are the guys that mixed and mastered 'Traitors,' so we are excited to do the entire project there this time around."



In related news, Misery Index has issued an update regarding their forthcoming discography release:

"We are pleased to announce, at long last, our discography collection of splits and EPS, entitled 'Pulling Out The Nails' (after the first song the band wrote). It will feature 30 tracks, and include ALL non-album material from 2001-2008, including the Overthrow and Dissent EPs, as well as the splits with Structure of Lies, Commit Suicide, Mumakil, and Bathtub Shitter, the Hang em' High 7", live tracks, bonus covers etc. The compilation was remastered by Scott Hull this year, and will be available in January on CD through our own Anarchos Records imprint, and on double vinyl through Power It Up (Germany) soon after. This CD will also include an extensive 24 page booklet of details, notes, pictures, and an all-time list of all the shows we have performed. We hope its the final representation of the various incarnations of the band in the past 8 years."

If anything I'm excited to see the new cover art, this band always delivers some of the coolest artwork and merch I've seen in a while. Check some of it out on their myspace page.

crustcake reports "Pig Destroyer have finally finished work on their new home studio (after recording in the basement of one of their parents' houses for the last few years) and are writing material for a new album, which will (hopefully) be recorded this winter and released next fall. We don't have any more information than that because there isn't any, but for now we can certainly speculate on how good the album is going to be."



I'm speculating, and the speculating is good.

The guys over at Metal Hammer posted some cool SLAYER wallpapers, seems Tom Araya has bigger things to worry about than a sore back. Get more of these gruesome images and the complete story behind SLAYER’s 'World Painted Blood' in the new issue of Metal Hammer – on sale Wednesday!



Head over to Metal Hammer to grab wallpapers of the rest of the band.

ZAO gave a small update on their new album via Twitter... "it's been awhile. Writing is happening. At least 11 songs have been demo'd more on the way." Still no news on a planned release date or when recording will be begin.

It seems like only yesterday when I picked up an album called "Viva Emptiness" by a Swedish melancholy dark metal band called KATATONIA. Honestly, I bought it because the cover looked bleak, dirty and creepy and as a burgeoning metal head, it seemed like a good choice. It was one of the best purchases I could have ever made as it had a very defining aspect as to what I was looking for in bands. Melody. Heaviness. Intricate playing. But probably most important were the emotions that it conjured up. Melancholy, anger, yearning. This album didn't leave my CD player for a long time.

Now, KATATONIA is back with their latest effort, "Night is the New Day". It’s been three years since their last album, "The Great Cold Distance" and six since "Viva Emptiness" and fans have been eagerly awaiting this new release. And they have been rewarded greatly for their wait. "Night is the New Day" is nothing shy of a metal masterpiece.

The album opens up with "Forsaker" and we immediately hear how tight and focused this album sounds. Lush ambience haunts the background, creeping out every once in a while to show itself before going back into the shadows. Massive and thick guitar tones ring out while pristine keys add sparkle to the high-end. The drums are wonderfully mixed with snare ghost notes easily noticeable and cymbals having a wonderful "hiss" to them without being shrill or piercing. The bass is thick and stands out at appropriate places, enveloping the low-end for but a moment before sliding back into the mix. And Jonas sounds as tight as ever. The unending vocal harmonies are spot on and beautifully mixed. Should you want to listen to one over another, it only takes a second to train your ear and then you're set. This is a beautiful production that still manages to give the illusion of dirt and grit.


Each song has haunting and beautiful melodies. "Idle Blood" has a beautiful acoustic intro and a chorus that is nothing short of heart wrenching. "Nephilim" has a chorus melody that, combined with the lyrics (Loving mother/he has come/to take your/son), is outright creepy and unsettling. "The Promise of Deceit" has strong overtones of a Depeche Mode song, this being said in the best way possible.

Casual listeners can easily take each song for it's face value but musicians and more in-depth listeners will take great joy digging for the intricate ways the musicians play off of each other. This is an album that is best listened to with a good pair of headphones, the lights dim and a rainy day to watch out the window.

ISIS recently made the new video for "20 minutes/ 40 Years" from the album "Wavering Radiant" available in crisp HD on Vimeo. It was directed by Matthew Santoro. Main character by James Reinhardt.

Enjoy this epic video from an epic band,