CHILDREN OF BODOM: VIDEO EXCLUSIVE OF ‘WAS IT WORTH IT?’ STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON MICROSOFT ZUNE…

CHILDREN OF BODOM, the Finnish five-piece led into action by ‘Wildchild’ Alexi Laiho, have released the video for single ‘Was It Worth It?’ (taken from their forthcoming album ‘Relentless Reckless Forever’) exclusively through Microsoft Zune.

‘Was It Worth It?’ is released on the 21st February as a digital download with the album to follow on CD, CD/DVD & Ltd Edition Photobook shortly after on 7th March 2011 via Spinefarm Records.

IN ADDITION to Alexi, voted ‘Best Metal Guitarist’ by the readers of Guitar World, the COB line-up is completed by Roope Latvala (guitar), Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henkka Seppala (bass) and Janne Warman (keyboards).

Together, they will be heading out on the road in the UK and Ireland in April, playing headline shows under ‘The Ugly World Tour 2011’ banner; support comes from Amon Amaarth, Ensiferum & Machinae Supremacy, the latter pair both fellow Finns and fellow Spinefarm labelmates.

The full list of dates is as follows:-

APRIL:
1 – UEA, Norwich
2 – Academy 1, Manchester
3 – ABC, Glasgow
5 – Vicar Street, Dublin
7 – Rock City, Nottingham
8 – Academy, Birmingham
9 – Forum, London

Swedish melodic rockers prepare second studio album for Spring 2011 release via Spinefarm Records UK…

DEAD BY APRIL – the chart-topping five-piece from Gothenburg, Sweden – will release their new/second studio album through Spinefarm Records in May 2011, with an as yet unnamed single leading the way.

Produced in his own Big Island Studio in Stockholm by Swedish studio-meister Jacob Hellner, best known for his work with the mighty Rammstein, the album will be mixed by fellow Rammstein regular Stefan Glaumann and will feature the session guitar work of Pontus Hjelm, who left DBA last year to focus more on the writing & production side; his songs (including ‘More Than Yesterday’ – the demo track featured on the compilation mini-album ‘Stronger’, recently released via Spinefarm) will also feature, providing the all-important continuity with the self-titled debut, a Top 2 outing in Sweden.

Say DBA: “The new recordings are almost complete, and we’re delighted with the way they’re turning out – they are WAY beyond anything we’ve done before, smashing our debut! Jacob Hellner is now giving us the heaviness we’ve always craved… we are super-excited, and can’t wait for our fans, and everyone else, to hear the results!”

Having toured here late last year with UK outfit My Passion, and before that with Skindred, DBA are now finalising their live plans for 2011.

PROTEST THE HERO
Canadian rockers confirmed to appear at Sonisphere 2011
New album, ‘Scurrilous’, released March 21st via Spinefarm Records

PROTEST THE HERO, the Canadian five-piece whose quirky humour & virtuoso playing has gained them a fevered following worldwide, have been added to the line-up of the prestigious Sonisphere Festival in the UK.

Set to take place in the grounds of Knebworth House from July 8th – 10th 2011, the bands so
far announced for this annual event already include names such as Slipknot, Motörhead & In Flames, with the ‘Big 4’ – Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth & Anthrax – also confirmed to appear.

Protest The Hero – from Whitby, Ontario – have just concluded a European tour with Darkest Hour, and will shortly be heading off to Australia for a series of dates, including a run of appearances on the travelling Soundwave Festival.

Then, in mid-May, PTH guitarist Tim Millar will be representing Canada at the ‘World Beard & Moustache Championship’ in Trondheim, Norway. Tim and ‘Beard Team Canada’ competed for the first time back in 2009, when he entered his beard into the ‘Alaskan Whaler’ category!

The ‘Oriental Metallers’ from Taiwan play a headline show at the Underworld in London on March 18th 2011, with a Hammerfest 3 appearance to follow…

CHTHONIC, Taiwan’s premier metal outfit featuring bassist, model, ‘Gore-mate’ & band spokesperson Doris Yeh, will play a headline date at the Underworld in Camden Town, North London on Friday, March 18th.

Following this, the band will make an appearance at ‘Hammerfest 3’ in Prestatyn, North Wales – an event that is set to run from March 17th – 19th.

Chthonic, who recently toured the UK with Arch Enemy, are currently preparing material for their next studio album; the follow-up to the well-received ‘Mirror Of Retribution’ (Spinefarm), the record is due to be released in the summer.

Prior to this, the band’s 2005 album, ‘Seediq Bale’, will be re-released via  Spinefarm complete with bonus material.

MACHINAE SUPREMACY
SWEDISH MODERN ROCKERS CONFIRM RELEASE OF UK-ONLY COMPILATION ALBUM
‘THE BEAT OF OUR DECAY’ VIA SPINEFARM RECORDS ON MARCH 28th 2011 PRIOR TO JOINING CHILDREN OF BODOM ON UK TOUR…

MACHINAE SUPREMACY, the five-piece from Lulea in Sweden whose particular take on metal also reflects the influence of video games on contemporary culture, will release a career-spannin’ collection of their material on March 28th 2011 via Spinefarm Records UK.

Titled ‘The Beat Of Our Decay’ and put together by the band themselves, this 16-song compilation features tracks from the last three studio albums – ‘Redeemer’ (2006), ‘Overworld’ (2008) & ‘A View From The End Of The World’ (2010), all available on the Spinefarm label in their own right.

In addition, ‘The Beat…’ includes a previously unreleased cover of ‘Paparazzi’ by Lady Gaga,
plus a song recorded for the ‘Redeemer’ album (‘Fury’) that was eventually offered as a free download to fans via the official site.

The full track-listing is as follows:-
1)      Through The Looking Glass
2)      Rogue World Asylum
3)      I Know The Reaper
4)      Oki Kumas Adventure
5)      Fury
6)      Overworld
7)      Need For Steve
8)      Edge And Pearl
9)      Radio Future
10)   Skin
11)   Dark City
12)   Rocket Dragon (radio edit)
13)   Nova Prospekt
14)   The Greatest Show On Earth
15)   Force Feedback
16)   Paparazzi

Machinae Supremacy are one of three guest acts set to play with Children Of Bodom on their ‘Ugly World Tour’, the others being Amon Amarth & Ensiferum. The UK dates run from
April 1st  – 9th .

AMARANTHE
Rising Swedish/Danish melodic metallers confirm the release of debut studio album for April 2011 via Spinefarm Records

AMARANTHE is the Swedish/Danish power/melodic death metal band formed by Jake E. Lundberg & Olof Morck; however, it was when singers Elize Ryd & Andy Solvestrom entered the picture, followed by drummer Morten Lowe, that things truly started to take shape.

Originally called Avalanche, the band first came to public attention via a four-song
demo (2008)… and now that demo has developed into a debut album – called simply ‘Amaranthe’, produced by Jacob Hansen and due for release on April 13th via Spinefarm Records, preceded by the single/video ‘Hunger’.

To support the release of the album, Amaranthe will be Special Guesting with Kamelot on two UK dates in April. Of course, Swedish vocalist Elize is no stranger to Kamelot’s music, having performed live with the band throughout 2010…

The April dates are:-

27th Sheffield, Corporation
28th London, KoKo

HOUSTON
Swedish AOR masters confirmed for first-ever appearance at Firefest 2011

HOUSTON, the young Swedish duo whose debut self-titled outing on the Spinefarm label was voted ‘AOR Album Of 2010’ by Classic Rock magazine, have been added to the bill for Firefest 2011 – the annual event designed to showcase the very best in international melodic rock & metal.

The event will take place at Trent University in Nottingham on Friday 21st October, with the rest of the bill on that day being completed by Jimi Jamison & Terry Brock.

Prior to this, on March 4th, Houston (Hank Erix & Freddie Allen) will headline the Borderline in London’s West End with a full band line-up, supported by top UK AOR-sters Serpentine & Vega.