UPCOMING RELEASE DATES
07.06.10 FATAL EMBRACE - ‘The Empires Of Inhumanity’ (CD)
07.06.10 ISTAPP - ‘Blekinge’ (CD)
07.06.10 WHITECHAPEL - ‘A New Era Of Corruption’ (CD)
05.07.10 HELSTAR - ‘Rising From The Grave’ (2 CD+1 DVD Boxset)
05.07.10 PRIMORDIAL - ‘Spirit The Earth Aflame’ (2 CD Re-issue)
19.07.10 ALLEGAEON - ‘Fragments Of Form And Function’ (CD)

AS I LAY DYING debut on Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart at #10 with “The Powerless Rise”; debut on German Media Control Charts at # 22, in Austria at # 21! More Chart entries revealed!
AS I LAY DYING - whose last four albums count combines sales in excess of one million copies - have entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at #10 with over 38,000 copies sold of their much anticipated THE POWERLESS RISE album. THE POWERLESS RISE also reached #2 on Billboard’s Independent Albums Chart and #3 on Billboard’s Hard Music Albums Chart.
THE POWERLESS RISE also entered the official German Media Control Charts at position 22, they entered the Austrian Charts at 21 and the Swiss Charts at position 39. All three Chart positions mark the highest chart entries AS I LAY DYING ever had in those countries! THE POWERLESS RISE entered the inhouse Charts of the two bigget German chains on even higher positions - # 12 in the Media Markt Charts and # 15 in the Müller Markt Charts.
In Canada, the new album debuted at #11 on the Top 200 Chart, #2 on the Indie Chart and #3 on the Hard Rock Chart. Additionally, the album reached the Top 40 in Japan and position 49 in the official Australian album charts.
Potent and provocative, THE POWERLESS RISE elevates the group well-beyond their previous work, the new album marks their fifth disc and fourth to be released on Metal Blade Records.
The Billboard chart debut comes on the heels of AS I LAY DYING’s acclaimed An Ocean Between Us. “Jordan and I started this band knowing we might be held back by the intensity of our music,” says lead singer TIM LAMBESIS. “Nine years later we’ve released our second record to make it into the Top 10! It’s an amazing testament to our diehard fan base, underground music and the heavy music listeners that truly know what they want despite what’s perceived to be more popular.”
AS I LAY DYING will head over to Europe next week to play a good bunch of festival and club shows.
04-06/06/10 – DE – Nürnberg – Rock im Park Festival
04-06/06/10 – DE – Nürburg – Rock am Ring Festival
07/06/10 – CH – Solothurn – Kofmehl (support: WHITECHAPEL)
08/06/10 – DE – München – Backstage Halle (support: WHITECHAPEL)
09/06/10 – DE – Frankfurt – Batschkapp (support: WHITCHAPEL)
11/06/10 – UK – Derby – Donington Park
13/06/10 – AT – Nickelsdorf – Nova Rock Festival
15/06/10 – HU – Budapest – Durer Kert
16/06/10 – AT – Salzburg - Rockhouse
18/06/10 – CH – Jonschwil – Sonisphere Festival
19/06/10 – FR – Clisson – Hellfest
20/06/10 – NL – Enschede – Atak
22/06/10 – RU – St. Petersburg – Glav Club
23/06/10 – RU – Moscow – Tochka Club
25/06/10 – IT – Torino – Gods Of Metal Festival
27/06/10 – BE – Dessel - Graspop
28/06/10 – DE – Bochum – Matrix (support: JOB FOR A COWBOY + Atreyu)
29/06/10 – DE – Hamburg – Grosse Freiheit 36 (support: JOB FOR A COWBOY + Atreyu)
01/07/10 – NO – Tromov – Hove Festival
02/07/10 – SE – Borlänge – Peace & Love Festival
04/07/10 – DE – Rojtzschjora – With Full Force Festival

http://www.AsILayDying.com
http://www.myspace.com/asilaydying
http://www.metalblade.com

StereoKiller.com to exclusively premier the title track off ALLEGAEON’s Metal Blade debut, Fragments of Form and Function!
Colorado’s ALLEGAEON are giving the metal site StereoKiller.com the exclusive premier of the first single and title track off their upcoming Metal Blade debut, Fragments of Form and Function. The track is currently live and streaming so be sure to check it out and leave a comment for the band. Fragments of Form and Function marks the band’s first full length release and was produced by Dave Otero (Cephalic Carnage) and recorded at Flatline Audio in January 2010.
Vocalist Ezra Haynes comments; “We just recently finished our debut album Fragments of Form and Function. Working with Dave Otero again was a blast. He was definitely able to capture the sound we were going for, since we’ve worked together in the past it was extremely comfortable and easy for us just to go in there and hammer it out. We’re glad he’s been a part of our Metal Blade debut and after hearing the end results we couldn’t be more pleased with the final product.”
ALLEGAEON’s Fragments of Form and Function will be available in Europe on July 16/19, 2010.
About the band: ALLEGAEON is an amalgamation of several incredibly talented individuals. This can be said of many, many metal bands, but not as many have the tangible achievements to stake their claims. Greg Burgess is a classically trained guitarist with a degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, he spent five years as the guitar instructor at the Music Institute of Lexington, and was the first instructor at the Denver branch of Paul Green’s School Of Rock. Drummer Jordon Belfast participated in Sick Drummer Magazine’s “Blast Off” competition in March of 2008 and was one of the top placed drummers by the competition’s end. He’s been a featured drummer on the site ever since. The group is rounded out by founding member and killer guitarist in his own right, Ryan Glisan, bassist Corey Archuleta, and vocalist/lyricist, Ezra Haynes.
With a genre stuffed to the brim with countless copy cats and pretenders, ALLEGAEON have come to the table with a dynamic, memorable and focused take on extreme melodic metal. You’ll find just as many slow grooves and hook-laden riffs as you will blast beats. This is a band that focuses on song writing and less on making music into an athletic speed competition. Their music is rounded with an intellectual edge that’s forged by the band’s collective musical prowess and polished by Ezra Haynes’ thought provoking lyrics.
ALLEGAEON is:
Ezra Haynes, Vocals
Ryan Glisan, Guitar
Greg Burgess, Guitar
Corey Archuleta, Bass
Jordon Belfast, Drums

http://www.myspace.com/allegaeon
http://www.facebook.com/allegaeon

ISTAPP enlists StereoKiller.com in their war against the Sun!
Sweden’s ISTAPP, comprised of three warlords (Mordechai von Renvaktar, C. Ashuck von Renvaktar and Fjalar) who have set out on a campaign to destroy the sun and all of its followers, are giving the metal site StereoKiller.com the exclusive premier of the track I väntan på den Absoluta Nollpunkten off their upcoming Metal Blade debut, Blekinge. The new track I väntan på den Absoluta Nollpunkten is currently live and streaming HERE so be sure to check it out and leave a comment for the band. Blekinge marks the band’s fourth release and first for Metal Blade Records with cover art handled by none other than C. Ashuck von Renvaktar.
Warlord and vocalist Mordechai von Renvaktar comments; “‘I väntan på den Absoluta Nollpunkten’ will be the final warning you’ll hear from us before the unstoppable rage of Blekinge strikes down upon you with its full force. Heed the call and turn your backs to the Evil Star and you may die peacefully.”
ISTAPP’s Blekinge will be available in Europe on June 4/7, 2010.
Istapp is:
Mordechai von Renvaktar - Vocals
C. Ashuck von Renvaktar - Bass
Fjalar - Drums, Guitars

http://www.istappofficial.com
http://www.myspace.com/istapp

THE OCEAN to embark on European tour!
German masters of the Avantgarde THE OCEAN embark this week on their first European tour for their new album Heliocentric. THE OCEAN will present their critically acclaimed new album Heliocentric but will also play tunes from their previous records.
23.05.10 Poland Gdansk Wiele Twarzy
24.05.10 Latvia Riga Melna Piektdiena
25.05.10 Estonia Tallin Tapper
26.05.10 Finland Tampere Klubi
27.05.10 Finland Turku Klubi
28.05.10 Finland Helsinki Dantes Highlight
30.05.10 Denmark Copenhagen Lades Kaelder
31.05.10 Germany Bremen Tower
01.06.10 Belgium Bruxelles Magasin 4
05.06.10 Netherlands Haarlem Patronaat
06.06.10 Netherlands Eindhoven The Rambler
07.06.10 Germany Dortmund FZW
08.06.10 Germany München Feierwerk
09.06.10 Germany Dresden Beatpol
10.06.10 Czech Republic Prague Exit Chmelnice
11.06.10 Slovakia Kosice Tabacka Kulturfabrik
12.06.10 Hungary Budapest Wig Wam
13.06.10 Serbia Belgrade KC Grad
14.06.10 Slovakia Trnava Art Club
15.06.10 Austria Wien Arena w/ Coheed & CAmbria
16.06.10 Germany Frankfurt Nachtleben
18.06.10 Austria Dornbirn Transmitter Festival
14.07.10 Spain Madrid Ritmo Y Compas
15.07.10 Spain Barcelona Sala Be Cool
16.07.10 Spain Bilbao Sala Santana
17.07.10 Spain Foz Mareira Fest
18.07.10 Portugal Caos Emergente Festival
22.07.10 Italy (Sicily) Sikelian Hell Festival
30.07.10 Estonia Saldus Zvera Festival
For those who do not know, THE OCEAN is releasing two CD’s that are tied to one another. The first being Heliocentric is out since April and the second being Anthropocentric, due out in the fall 2010.
The concept at the base of both albums is a critique of Christianity from different philosophical and personal angles.
While the songs, art and lyrics of Heliocentric tell the story of the rise of the heliocentric world view and its effects on Christian belief from medieval times to Darwin and Dawkins, “Anthropocentric” challenges the views of creationists and other modern fundamentalists who still believe that the earth is at the center of the universe.

http://www.theoceancollective.com
http://www.myspace.com/theoceancollective

PRIMORDIAL to release 2-CD re-issue of ‘Spirit The Earth Aflame’ on July 2/5!
It’s hard to put the PRIMORDIAL experience into words. This Irish band has managed to establish their own territory, away from the cliches of the metal scene in general and the pagan scene in particular. PRIMORDIAL live and breathe the spirit of their ancestors, putting it into captivating creations full of sorrow and pain on the one hand and confidence and strength on the other. Perfectly balanced between slow, dragging anthems and pure metallic fury, they always manage to create a world full of enthralling myths, where mist engulfs wonderful landscapes, only to reveal them in all their glory just at the right time.
After the successful re-issues of ‘Imrama’ and ‘A Journey´s End’ it´s about time to bring on the third album in the PRIMORDIAL re-issue series! ‘Spirit The Earth Aflame’ was originally released in the year 2000 and will again be available as a 2-disc Digipak on the 2nd/5th of July 2010!
More information on the packaging will be announced shortly!

http://www.primordialweb.com
http://www.myspace.com/primordialofficial