Melodic Metallers FIREWIND have announced Kelly Sundown Carpenter (Darkology, Outworld, Adagio, Beyond Twilight etc.) as new vocalist for their upcoming North American touring activities, after longterm vocalist Apollo Papathanasio parted ways with the band. Even though Papathanasio has been temporarily replaced for some touring activities in the past, he has appeared on all FIREWIND releases since 2006’s “Allegiance” album and the band’s upcoming live-album will feature recordings from his recent final shows with the group. 

 

FIREWIND have checked in to comment the news as follows:

A while ago, restless Finnish folk metal pioneers KORPIKLAANI announced the first dates of their upcoming “Manala European Tour 2013”, starting end of January, with support coming from Estonian fellow folk metallers METSATÖLL.

 

Now it’s time to unveil more cities that will get the chance to follow the sextet to the wondrous realms of Manala, the underworld in Finnish mythology – on the second tour leg in April! Check out the dates below. 

 

The Cult is Alive… and Chilean Mega-cult PENTAGRAM CHILE have at least almost completed work on their FIRST EVER album with the title "The Malefice" to be released sometime later this spring via CYCLONE EMPIRE!!!

 

PENTAGRAM CHILE are nearing completion of their first-ever studio album, which will be titled "The Malefice". Drums for the album were tracked at Sade Studios in Santiago, Chile, while all guitars and vocals were recorded at HVR Studios in Suffolk, UK, where the album is currently being mixed by vocalist/guitarist Anton Reisenegger with long-time friend, collaborator , co-producer and studio owner Daniel Biggin.

After their successful and highly acclaimed 2010 album “Pandemonium”, Danish melodic Hard Rockers, Pretty Maids celebrated their 30th anniversary with their debut visual release “It Comes Alive (Maid in Switzerland)”.

 

Founded in early 1982 by guitarist Ken Hammer and singer Ronnie Atkins, Pretty Maids soon established themselves as a band to be taken seriously in the early eighties, having their breakthrough with the release - in April 1987 - of the album “Future World”. This record soon gathered a universal recognition as a “Classic”, which endures to date. 

The beginning: in mid 2007 Gold Coast, Australia based guitarist Casey Jones, who had been uploading solo guitar performance videos successfully for several years on Myspace and Youtube, crossed paths with reputable Auckland, New Zealand based hard-rock vocalist Roxxi Catalano. 

 

Poland's Progressive Rock shooting stars RIVERSIDE are now launching the first video-clip for the first single "Celebrity Touch", off their much their much anticipated fifth studio album "Shrine Of New Generation Slaves".

 

The video clip was directed by Mateusz Winkiel of Mania Studio and it can be wathced below.

 

"Shrine Of New Generation Slaves" will be released via InsideOutMusic internationally on the following dates:

Frontiers Records is proud to announce the signing of iconic Christian rockers Stryper to a multi-album deal. The first release due out will be a new re-recorded collection; "Second Coming" will hit streets on March 22nd in Europe and March 26th in North America.  

 

The album features sixteen tracks, including new recordings of fourteen songs from the band’s early years as well as two brand new songs recorded especially for SECOND COMING, and is produced by Stryper frontman Michael Sweet.