Deliver Us, the first taste of the upcoming new In Flames album Sounds Of A Playground Fading, will be released as a digital single in May through Century Media Records on the following dates:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Australia, New Zealand: Friday, May 6th
UK: Sunday, May 8th
North America, Spain, Italy: Tuesday, May 10th
Finland, Hungary: Wednesday, May 11th
Rest Of Europe: Monday, May 9th

Sounds Of A Playground Fading will be out on the following dates: on June 15th in Sweden, on June 17th in Germany, on June 20th in the rest Of Europe and on June 21st in North America through Century Media Records.

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Source:	centurymedia.com
Band profile:	In Flames

German black metallers Secrets Of The Moon have enlisted Triptykon head honcho Thomas Gabriel Fischer (ex-Hellhammer, ex-Celtic Frost) and Triptykon guitarist Victor Santura (who was also the producer for Obscura, Pestilence, etc.) to mix their new upcoming album, Seven Bells, at Woodshed Studio in Bavaria, Germany.

Fischer posted the following update on his blog: "Back once again at V. Santura's Woodshed Studio in the Bavarian countryside near Landshut, Germany, this time to mix the new album by Secrets Of The Moon, Seven Bells, together with V.

These sessions easily rank among the most fascinating, enthralling, and constructive I have ever been a part of. The friendship with Secrets Of The Moon, which has begun in such a unique manner, shall hopefully persist for a very long time."

An official release date is still to be confirmed. Some more album details were previously reported over here.

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Source:	fischerisdead.blogspot.com
Band profile:	Secrets Of The Moon

According to a Facebook posting by former Manowar guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman, ex-Manowar drummer Scott Columbus passed away yesterday evening (Monday, April 4th) at the age of 54. A cause of death is still unknown at this time.

This information was later verified by Columbus' girlfriend Nancy who wrote: "For all you to know, this is Scott Columbus's girlfriend of over 3 1/3 years... and I cannot get the words out, but he died today... Please send your thoughts and prayers. I can't believe he is gone. He was the absolute love of my life."

Scott Columbus was a part of the band from 1983 until 1990, when he was eventually forced to leave the band when his son fell ill. He was replaced by Rhino for The Triumph of Steel album but returned for Louder Than Hell and remained with the band until the summer of 2008 when he was replaced once again by Rhino during Manowar's performances in Bulgaria and Magic Circle Festival.

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Manowar

Illud Divinum Insanus, the eagerly awaited forthcoming album of US death metal band Morbid Angel, will be released on June 6th in Europe and June 7th in North America through Season Of Mist.

The album will be released as a Wooden Foldout Box, Metal starpak CD (outside North America), Deluxe digipak CD (North America only), Double gatefold LP with download card, Jewel case CD, and digital download. For more format details click here.

A single for the song "Nevermore" will be out on May 16th as 7" vinyl and digital download. The B-side will be another song from the album, called "Destructos VS the Earth", remixed by Combichrist.

Illud Divinum Insanus tracklist:

01. Omni Potens
02. Too Extreme!
03. Existo Vulgoré
04. Blades For Baal
05. I Am Morbid
06. 10 More Dead
07. Destructos VS The Earth / Attack
08. Nevermore
09. Beauty Meets Beast
10. Radikult
11. Profundis - Mea Culpa

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Source:	season-of-mist.com
Band profile:	Morbid Angel

"Dirty Woman", a brand-new track from Swedish industrial metal band Pain, has been made available for streaming over at Facebook, or for free download (well, technically at the price of your e-mail address) over at this location.

"Dirty Woman" comes off the band's upcoming new album You Only Live Twice, which will be released on June 3rd through Nuclear Blast Records. More album details were previously reported over here.

Studio trailer

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Pain

"Emptiness Crushes My Soul", a brand-new track from French thrash/death metal band Loudblast has been made available for streaming, exclusively at RadioMetal.

"Emptiness Crushes My Soul" comes off the band's upcoming new album Frozen Moments Between Life And Death, which will be released on April 18th through XIII Bis Records.

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Source:	radiometal.com
Band profile:	Loudblast

Armod, the new album from Swedish folk power metal band Falconer, will be released on June 3th in Europe through Metal Blade Records.

The CD features 11 songs completely sung in Swedish and four bonus tracks that are said to be English versions of the bandmembers' favorite new songs. Armod was once again recorded at King Diamond guitarist Andy La Rocque's Sonic Train Studios in Varberg, Sweden during December and January.

Armod tracklist:

01. Svarta Änkan
02. Dimmornas Drottning
03. Griftefrid
04. O, Tysta Ensamhet
05. Vid Rosornas Grav
06. Grimborg
07. Herr Peder Och Hans Syster
08. Eklundapolskan
09. Grimasch Om Morgonen
10. Fru Silfver
11. Gammal Fäbodpsalm

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Source:	falconermusic.com
Band profile:	Falconer

Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O'Brien will be filling in for Exodus guitarist Gary Holt who was filling in for Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman who is recovering from an emergency surgery on his right arm after contracting necrotizing fasciitis (commonly known as flesh-eating disease), possibly caused by a spider bite. Got all that?

The Slayer camp released the following message: "Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O'Brien will fill in for Exodus' Gary Holt when Holt leaves the Slayer European tour to play with his own band Exodus at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile on April 4. Holt has been filling in for Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman since the tour kicked off February 26 in Australia.

Holt's last show with Slayer will be April 4 in Padova, Italy;, O'Brien will join the band for the April 6 show in Croatia, and will finish the European dates with Slayer that wrap up on April 14 in Holland.

Hanneman has amazed his doctors with his speedy recovery from an infection thought to have been caused by a spider bite. Following surgery on his right arm, he continues his physical therapy and has already been practicing with his guitar."

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Source:	slayer.net
Band profile:	Slayer

Sodom are forced to cancel their appearance at the Silesian Massacre Festival in Katowice, Poland this weekend, after guitarist, Bernd "Bernemann" Kost, was rushed to the hospital today.

Sodom's booking agency, Fleisch, issued the following statement: "A few minutes ago I received an upsetting phone call from Tom and Makka as Bernemann has been rushed to hospital. We do not know what exactly has happened as I write this e-mail, he is currently under medical observation in the emergency section to discover exactly what the problem is.

We feel very sorry, but unfortunately and obviously because of the situation as it stands at the moment the band cannot travel to Katowice on Saturday. I know it is not the best time and it is short notice, but the situation as it is with Bernemann leaves the band no choice. I hope for your understanding and I regret that this situation has come about, the band were looking forward to playing at your festival."

More news on Bernemann's condition as we get it.

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Source:	myspace.com
Band profile:	Sodom
Event:	Silesian Massacre Festival Vol. 3

Disfear bass player and long-time member Henrik Frykman has passed away last Friday after a long battle with cancer.

The surviving band members released the following statement: "It is with heavy hearts we inform you that on Friday the 25th of March, Henrik Frykman passed away in his home after a long battle with cancer. Henrik will be greatly missed by family and friends."

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Source:

puregrainaudio.com

A one-minute snippet of "Leatherhead", the brand-new single from German heavy metal band U.D.O., has been made available for streaming over at this location.

"Leatherhead" comes off the band's upcoming new album Rev-Raptor, which will be released on May 20th through AFM Records. More album details can be found at this location.

Leatherhead (single) tracklist:

01. Leatherhead
02. Rock n Roll Soldiers
03. Free Or Rebellion
04. Run!
05. Leatherhead
06. Jingle Balls

966 for the tip!]

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Source:	afm-records.de
Band profile:	U.D.O.

Condate Records are set to release the aptly named Split Roast on May 23rd bringing together 5 of the UK's grimmest bands.

Featuring brand new tracks from Northern black-meets-death assassins Colonel Blast, Leeds-based extreme tech metallers Diascorium, Leeds-based grind manksters Magpyes, Edinburgh death merchants Cancerous Womb and finally Manchester's most brutal death/tech/grind warriors Dyscaphia.

With 20 punishing tracks clocking in at over 60 minutes for only £5, Split Roast is a pocket friendly introduction to the sounds of the current underground metal scene within the UK. The split will be available in digital format from all the major digital outlets, in physical format from the Condate webstore and from the bands themselves at gigs.

Each of the bands plan to release a preview track across their social media sites and have made an introductory video for the occasion to unleash upon an unsuspecting public, containing only behaviour which Charlie Sheen himself would endorse.

Condate Records Director Ben Whitfield comments: "The underground scene thrives on the community between bands. It survives year after year because people do it for the passion and for little reward. Split EP's are the norm throughout metal and punk bands. You hit up several fan bases at once and split costs allowing you to achieve better results than you might trying to do it alone. You also give the people who support underground music a bargain in the process, 5 bands, 20 tracks, over 50 minutes of extreme music. Hopefully people will be as excited about it as we have been. Being the kind of label that we are, DIY and trying to do anything we can to tell people about the music we love, it was always an obvious choice to do a split. Having 5 bands on it was just the icing on the fucking cake. And it's a big hairy cake packed full of grim!"

Split Roast tracklist:

Colonel Blast:
01. Power by Proxy
02. The Crime is Passion

Cancerous Womb:
03. Torn from Gunt to Cunt
04. Tepid Decrepit
05. Austrian Basement (Live)

Magpyes:
06. Lord Ov Swords
07. Warning
08. The Creeping Hand
09. Willem Fucking Defoe
10. Sir, You Forget Yourself
11. Wolf Bukkake
12. North West Smash Test

Dyscaphia:
13. Impious Conflagration
14. Altars to the Wretched
15. Enshrined in Pestilence

Diascorium:
16. My Own Exegesis
17. The Mechanics of Serenity
18. Interjection...
19. Reduction to the Absurd
20. Self Modifying Game (Incandescence Remix)

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Source:

condaterecords.greedbag.com

Swedish metalcore act Worth A King's Ransom are set to release their upcoming EP, The Kraken Awaits. The new EP will be released through Spotify and iTunes any time soon. A short teaser of the upcoming effort is available below.

More info on the band on MySpace.

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Source:

facebook.com

"One More Time", the brand-new single from Swedish power metal band Hammerfall, has been made available for streaming over at Facebook ("liking" the band is not required).

"One More Time" comes off the band's upcoming new album Infected, which will be released on May 20th through Nuclear Blast Records. More album details were previously reported over here.

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Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	HammerFall

"Haunting Abound", a brand-new track from Florida-based extreme metallers Hate Eternal, has been made available for streaming over at this location.

"Haunting Abound" comes off the band's upcoming new album Phoenix Amongst The Ashes, which will be released on May 10th through Metal Blade Records.

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Source:	metalblade.com
Band profile:	Hate Eternal