The MetalReviews staff would like to take this opportunity to wish our readership a Merry Christmas.

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Candlelight Records has set a February 28, 2012 North American release date for the self-titled new album from CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. Recorded at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California, the CD was produced by the band in cooperation with longtime collaborator John Custer. It was mixed by John Lousteau (FOO FIGHTERS) and features artwork by Seldon Hunt (MELVINS, HIGH ON FIRE).

"Corrosion Of Conformity" will be available on standard CD, deluxe digipak, and two exclusive vinyl formats.

Featuring the esteemed "Animosity" lineup of vocalist/bassist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman, and drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's album closes a ...

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Australia's extreme metal unit THE AMENTA is working on material for their third album for a 2012 release. Vocalist Cain Cressal states, "All arrangements and lyrics are 90% complete. I'll be flying over to Sydney soon to finetune vocal patterns/lyrics after much demoing over the last few months. We intend to start tracking the album in January."

Tentatively titled "Flesh Is Heir", the follow-up to 2008's "n0n" is a crystallization of THE AMENTA's methods. Featuring the expansive, aggressive riffing of the "Occasus" album and the ambient electronic destruction of "n0n", "Flesh Is Heir" also introduces a new eeriness courtesy of Cressall and the unique musical and visual element h ...

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The Smoot family and Slave Pit Inc. released a statement regarding the official cause of death of guitarist Cory Smoot. Cory had played the character of Flattus Maximus for over ten years, and was discovered dead on the band's tour bus on Nov. 3rd of this year. He was 34.

Stated North Dakota coroner William Masselo, MD:

"We have finalized the autopsy report and death certificate. I have determined that Cory died from a coronary artery thrombosis brought about by his pre-existing coronary artery disease."

The band, which will continue as a four-piece until the current tour schedule is complete, has officially retired the character of Flattus ...

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"Ghost Walking", a brand new song from Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD, can be streamed at MetalSucks.net. The track comes off the band's new album, "Resolution", which will be released in North America on January 24, 2012 via Epic Records (one day earlier internationally through Roadrunner Records). The CD was recorded at various studios in Virginia and New York with producer Josh Wilbur, who worked on the band's last effort, 2009's "Wrath".

"Resolution" will feature 14 songs and will come in a digipack with artwork by longtime art director Ken ...

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South Carolina-based extreme technical death metallers NILE have finished recording the drums for their new album for an early 2012 release. Guitarist/vocalist Karl Sanders states, George [Kollias, drums], Dallas [Toler-Wade, guitar/vocals], [producer] Neil Kernon and I spent a week with Bob Moore at the Soundlab in Columbia, South Carolina tracking drums. We were expecting a long grueling session — some of this material is very compositionally challenging and technically demanding — but George knocked it out, finishing a full week ahead of schedule.

"Oh my God. Some of the drumming on this record will be boggling people's minds for years to come.

"At the moment we ...

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British/American grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH are putting the finishing touches on their 14th studio album (excluding the cover album "Leaders Not Followers"). This new piece of brutality is entitled "Utilitarian", and it will hit stores on February 27 in Europe and February 28 in North America via the band's longtime partner, Century Media Records. The cover artwork (see below) perfectly fits the album's theme and was created by the Danish artist Frode Sylthe, who is also responsible for THE HAUNTED's "rEVOLVEr" artwork.

Singer Mark "Barney" Greenway explains the album title and concept: "After some deliberation, we have decided on 'Utilitarian' as the album title. We general ...

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GWAR frontman Dave Brockie (a.k.a. Oderus Urungus) has released the following statement to MetalSucks:

"It is with a sense of profound loss and tragedy that the members of GWAR must announce the passing of their longtime guitarist and beloved friend Cory Smoot, also known to thousands of metal fans worldwide as Flattus Maximus. Cory was found deceased this morning as the band prepared for a border crossing. There is no word as to the cause of death and the members of GWAR are completely shocked and devastated that this has occurred. At this point there ...

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Former GORGOROTH/GOD SEED frontman Gaahl (real name: Kristian Eivind Espedal) will star in a new Norwegian film called "Flukt" (English: "Escape"). An action picture set in the remote Norwegian countryside during the 1300s, it is being helmed by "Cold Prey" director Roar Uthaug and will feature Norwegian actress Ingrid Bolsø Berdal in the role of the leader of a group of outlaws living in the mountains.

Synopsis: "The film takes place in the year 1363. Black Death has killed half the population. Many travel from death and misery in search of a better life elsewhere. But the country is sparsely populated, and in the mountains, raging outlaw gangs and a life is worth little."
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Earlier this week, Andy Greene of RollingStone.com conducted an interview with bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee of Canadian rock legends RUSH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

RollingStone.com: What's the status of the next album?

Geddy: We're almost finished writing. We wound the machine back up about three weeks ago. After a sluggish start, we've had a very fruitful couple of weeks in terms of writing. I'm very pleased with the direction that the material has taken. And I think we have one or two more songs that we'd like to write, and then we'll start recording in earnest. Hopefully we'll have all of the recording done before Christmas. Then we'll mix it so ...

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