“13” is proving to be a lucky number for BLACK SABBATH.

OZZY OSBOURNE, TONY IOMMI and GEEZER BUTLER have scored their first-ever U.S. #1 release in the legendary band’s 45-year career with their album, 13.  Produced by Rick Rubin and released June 11 on Vertigo/Republic, the album sold more than 155,000 copies in its first week, 100,000 more units than the #2 album on the Billboard album charts.  The album also topped the charts in the U.K., Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and Switzerland.  Here are additional Top Five global chart positions, with more to come as international charts are finalized: Australia (#4), Austria (#2), Belgium (#5), and Ireland (#5).

“The news is absolutely amazing–we couldn’t have imagined this would happen,” says TONY IOMMI.  “We have the greatest fans.”

“There have been so many amazing highlights in our long career,” says OZZY OSBOURNE.  “To finally have our first #1 album in the U.S. is another incredible milestone for Black Sabbath.  Thank you to all of our fans for their support and loyalty.”

GEEZER BUTLER says, “I’m absolutely stunned. Thank you all world wide for being the best, and most patient, fans ever.”

BLACK SABBATH will launch a much-anticipated 20-city North American concert tour in support of 13.  Kicking off July 25 in Houston, TX, the tour will include shows in Holmdel, NJ (NY-area), Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Tinley Park (Chicago), San Francisco, Seattle and Toronto, ON before wrapping up September 3.  The Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will then head to South America and Mexico this fall, with tour dates in the U.K. and Europe to follow this winter.

For more than three decades, rock fans have hoped for the return of the original BLACK SABBATH, but few could have predicted the forceful return-to-form of 13, which was produced by seven-time Grammy-Award winning producer Rick Rubin.  The band that defined the heavy metal rock genre pick up immediately where they left off, delivering eight sprawling songs (five of them are over eight minutes) that possess every ounce of the maniacal vitality of their trailblazing work in the ’70s.  On 13, BLACK SABBATH are joined by drummer Brad Wilk (Rage Against The Machine) on such epic songs like “God Is Dead?” (the album’s first hit single) and “End of the Beginning” (the new single). 13 is a testament to the enduring relevance of BLACK SABBATH’s long-running reign.

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Warner Music Canada opens its vaults today with the first of a series of digital releases from classic Canadian artists ranging from Honeymoon Suite to Streetheart to Messenjah and the Rheostatics.  The label has gone back to the original master tapes of albums that have not been in circulation in over a decade in order to make them available through all Digital Service Providers.  A full list of titles is posted below.

Commenting on the announcement, Warner Music Canada President Steve Kane states: “In today’s increasingly active and robust digital marketplace, we wanted to undertake an aggressive campaign to make sure many of Canada’s important heritage artists are available in high digital quality. Warner Music Canada is proud of our contributions to the Canadian music scene over the past 45 years and these records are a part of that rich history.”

Arnold Lanni, founding member of Frozen Ghost, says: “I just got word that Warner Music is making my Frozen Ghost catalogue available digitally and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me feel! I’m happy for the thousands of fans who supported me and the Frozen Ghost project that will now be able to enjoy these songs on their favorite device.”

Gerry McGhee, frontman of Brighton Rock, says: “Seems a little like déjà vu to finally have Take A Deep Breath for the first time ever available in its true completed form with all the songs from the sessions. And to be working on a new album 24 years later, I guess what’s old is new again.”

More titles will be released from the Warner Music Canada vaults later in the year.

Titles to be made available:

Brighton Rock                    Take A Deep Breath
Frozen Ghost                     Frozen Ghost
Frozen Ghost                     Shake Your Spirit
George Fox                        With All My Might
Glen Stace                          Road To Damascus
Glen Stace                          Buddha Hotel
Harem Scarem                  Voice Of Reason
Honeymoon Suite           Racing After Midnight
Honeymoon Suite        Monsters Under The Bed
Messenjah                         Sessions
Moxy Fruvous                   You Will Go To The Moon
One Ton                               Abnormal Pleasures
The Skydiggers                  Road Radio
Wide Mouth Mason       Stew
Wide Mouth Mason       Wide Mouth Mason
Streetheart                        Meanwhile Back In Paris
Streetheart                        Under Heaven Over Hell
Streetheart                        Action: The Best Of Streetheart
Rheostatics                         Whale Music
Rheostatics                         Music From The Motion Picture Whale Music
Rheostatics                         Introducing Happiness
Eddie Schwartz                  Public Life

“As Sabaton we normally write about history, but today those tables are turned and we can proudly say that we ourselves have now become a part of history!

We have just received the amazing news that our album Carolus Rex has now reached platinum sales in Sweden and that we are the only Swedish heavy metal band ever to have done this. So that makes Carolus Rex the most successful Swedish heavy metal album ever!

This is an amazing achievement, a milestone and proof that all the long tours, hard work and difficult choices we have had to make have been the right ones. Our biggest thanks from the deepest of our hearts to all the people who have supported us on this journey. No words are enough for what you have done for us or what we feel today.”

/Sabaton

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Get ready for TURISAS to paint your town red and black again! The band has now revealed the first details about their upcoming album: Turisas2013 is scheduled to be released on September 3rd in North America (August 26th in Europe) via Century Media Records.

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Legendary heavy metal drummer GENE ”THE ATOMIC CLOCK” HOGLAN joined DOWN on stage this past Saturday in Denmark at the COPENHELL METAL FESTIVAL 2013 while on tour with TESTAMENT in Europe. During a performance of their classic track ”Bury Me In Smoke” HOGLAN stepped behind the kit to help PHIL ANSELMO and the rest of DOWN bring their set to a close. Back stage pictures and drum cam footage of the performance can be seen here.

Manowar

MANOWAR will release highlights of their Lord Of Steel World Tour 2012/2013 on a live EP, featuring performances from the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia and Sweden.

“From the first show in Zaragoza/Spain to the last show in Yekaterinburg/Russia, The Lord Of Steel World Tour was a terrific experience,” said Joey DeMaio. “Performing new songs for the first time in front of your audience is the ultimate test of the power of the songs to connect to the only people that matter. Our fans were totally brutalized and went wild as you will hear on this new EP,” he continued. “‘The Lord Of Steel Live’ is a thank you to our amazing fans; it will forever immortalize this tour and those who attended it.”

The album will be mixed and mastered at MANOWAR’s own studios Hell and Haus Wahnfried by Joey DeMaio personally with long time MANOWAR engineer Dirk Kloiber.

‘The Lord Of Steel Live’ will be released digitally as an iTunes exclusive worldwide on July 9, 2013 and on CD in retail and through www.thekingdomofsteel.com on August 16, 2013.

Featured Tracks:

El Gringo

Expendable

Hail, Kill And Die

Manowarriors

The Lord Of Steel

Thunder In The Sky

SPIN Gallery of Jeff Hanneman/SLAYER Pics from “Murder in the Front Row” Book Now Online; 1984-Era Shots by D.R.I. Bassist Harald Oimoen Capture Energy of U.S. Thrash Metal Arrival

SPIN.com is honoring the life of SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman with a gallery of early photographs by D.R.I. bassist Harald Oimoen, from his book Murder in the Front Row: Shots from the Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter. The photos capture several live and candid moments from the rise of U.S. thrash metal circa 1984, including Hanneman and Slayer performing outdoors on a plywood stage; Slayer‘s very first face-to-face encounter with the members of Metallica; Oimoen’s classic sleeve photo from Slayer‘s Hell Awaits album; and a moving portrait of Hanneman and his eventual substitute in Slayer-Gary Holt of Exodus.

The gallery of photos from the book can be viewed at this location: http://www.spin.com/gallery/slayer-jeff-hanneman-metallica-early-years-bay-area-thrash/

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EXUMER to co-headline ‘Slaughterfest Tour 2013’ in Europe alongside ONSLAUGHT! Support comes from M-PIRE OF EVIL and MASTER!
American/German Thrashers EXUMER will return to Europe in the fall to co-headline the Slaughterfest tour alongside… ONSLAUGHT!
Comments EXUMER frontman Mem von Stein: “The Slaughterfest tour will be the most important step for us to re-establish EXUMER as a household name and finally promote our last album “Fire & Damnation” in the correct way, reaching fans Europe wide. We want to give fans the opportunity to check us out in an memorable event that people will talk about for some time to come.”

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Set to release the guitarist’s solo metal album recorded with Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen

Metal Blade Records is pleased to announce the signing of MONTE PITTMAN, the guitarist known for his work with metal legends Prong and the illustrious pop-star Madonna. A release date for the new solo album will be announced shortly so be sure to stay tuned to MetalBlade.com and MONTE PITTMAN’s website or Facebook page for updates.

Metal Blade Records founder and CEO comments; “We are so happy to welcome Monte Pittman to the Metal Blade Family. He is a tried and true metalhead and has recorded a crushing album! Metallica producer Flemming Rasmussen produced a devastating metal record with Monte and we could not be happier that we are working together on this!”

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DORO PESCH

INTERVIEW AND PICTURES BY MARKO SYRJALA

German vocalist Doro Pesch is one of the best-known female singers in heavy metal, and she has earned the designation of Metal Queen. At first, Doro became known as the lead singer of band Warlock with whom she released four albums including the classics TRUE AS STEEL (1986) and TRIUMPH AND AGONY (1987). The band disbanded in 1989 and Doro then started her successful solo career which includes, so far, twelve studio albums. The latest album titled RAISE YOUR FIST was released last October and this time the tour arrived to Finland. I met the always joyful Metal Queen in the backstage of Club Nosturi and here are the results of our nice conversation. Read on!

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Aerosmith’s latest concert film, Rock for the Rising Sun, will be released via Eagle Rock Entertainment on July 23rd. The group’s connection with Japan began in 1977, when the band first played to capacity crowds in the Far East. And as evidenced by Rock for the Rising Sun, the band-fan bond remains strong to this day. The director behind the release, Casey Patrick Tebo, is well-versed in not only his ‘smith (he directed their music video for “Legendary Child”), but has also worked with such renowned acts as Mötley Crüe, Judas Priest, Stevie Nicks, Lady Antebellum, The Avett Brothers, and Run-DMC, among countless others.

Tebo first began working with Aerosmith in 2006, when Steven Tyler and Tebo met through a colleague, and the singer invited the up-and-coming director (who was in film school at the time) to shoot a few of the band’s shows — for just the band’s personal viewing. Soon after, the band was so impressed with Tebo’s work that they hired him to start directing their live shows.

Fast forward to 2011, and Aerosmith was hard at work on their 15th studio album, Music from Another Dimension!, but took a break from recording to play shows in Latin America and Japan. Sadly, the Japanese dates occurred not long after tragedy struck the region, as the country experienced a massive earthquake, a monstrous tsunami, and the subsequent meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Despite warnings about possibly being exposed to radiation, Aerosmith and crew, including Tebo braved the risks and followed through with their visit to Japan. “I shot all this stuff and interviewed all these fans, and realized there is a love affair between Aerosmith and the Japanese fans that was like nothing I’d ever seen, states Tebo. “It was almost like Aerosmith was there helping people heal.”

What Tebo was able to create is a film that not only captures Aerosmith at their rocking best, but also, shows the group’s human side away from the spotlight. “I captured all this stuff, and when I got home to the States, I was like, ‘I know I can make something of this, I’m just going to start putting something together.’ While Steven and Joe were in LA, making an album with Jack Douglas, I rented out a theater, and emailed Steven and Joe, saying, ‘I need you guys to come to this theater. I’ve got to show you something.’ I played them the whole movie, and when the movie was over, Joe stood up, walked over to me, hugged me, and was like, ‘That was f-ing amazing, unbelievable.’ And Steven was really emotional as well.”

Tebo is confident that Rock for the Rising Sun matches up well to Aerosmith’s earlier classic home video releases. “There was a part of me – as a fan – loving these guys and seeing them live, that said, ‘Man, I would love other people to see this as well.’” Soon, fans will get to experience the legendary Aerosmith through the revealing lens of Casey Patrick Tebo.

“Steven and Joe once taught me a great lesson in life, it’s called “Dare to Suck” – it means, if you don’t have the balls to just go and do something then you’ll never know what great thing you might have missed out on. This movie was my ‘Dare to Suck’ moment.”

Tebo is currently in pre-production on his first narrative feature film, and has since directed other large-scale television productions, most recently CMT’s “Crossroads.”

Website: http://www.caseytebo.com/

Interview with WITCHES MARK

by Carlos M. Llanas

Video courtesy of Sandra Torres

Witches Mark’s 2009 debut album “A Grim Apparition” was a hard hitting release, quickly gaining popularity, and the attention of fans all over the U.S, and overseas. Now, a new, and extremely anticipated album is on the horizon…”Witching Metal Ritual” is due to release on July 15th, 2013 after four years without a new album, and the tension is rising. This is going to be no ordinary album, but a fuckfull of dark, fast, and even doom filled songs. You don’t think that’s enough? Ok, try having Ross The Boss Friedman, Martin Debourge, Jack Starr, and Jason McMaster all in one album…that’s right, they all made guest appearances on this upcoming Witches Mark release. Bottomline, these guys do not disappoint, on stage, or in the studio. I had the great pleasure of doing an in-person interview with the whole band, after a well played gig here in Austin, Texas. So grab a beer, sit your ass down, and watch the video interview and some added live footage.

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METAL CHURCH released the following update:

“Ok, the new album has been recorded and now the mixing process begins!! This could be the best MC record of the Metal Church MK3 era!! Woohooo!!”

Metal Church are working on their 10th studio album and fourth with singer Ronny Munroe. The band had formally announced in 2009 that they were calling it quits but reunited last fall for the aforementioned cruise 70000 Tons Of Metal. Metal Church’s last album was 2008′s This Present Wasteland.

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Vivian Campbell

The original Dio guitarist posted an announcement saying that the surgical biopsy we underwent in March confirmed that he has Hodgkin’s lymphoma. However, Campbell is determined not to let the cancer and chemotherapy get in the way of his career, as he will still embark on a summer tour with the band.

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