We already shared with you 3 Inches Of Blood’s lyric video tribute to Ronnie James Dio. However, we still felt as though we needed to do more to honor the metal legend on the second anniversary of his death.

That’s when we remembered A Special From The Spectrum. Originally released on VHS in 1984 and then repackaged on the We Rock DVD, this special features Dio performing at the height of his solo career with his original lineup (which guitarist Vivian Campbell is actually trying to reform). However, Dio always possessed amazing skill as a vocalist, even in his last years. Case in point: 2006’s Holy Diver- Live, recorded at the London Astoria in London.

So in honor of the late great Ronnie James Dio, watch A Special From The Spectrum above and Holy Diver – Live after the jump, both in their entirety (at least until they get taken down from YouTube). (more…)

Why should major label bands be the only ones who get love?Unsigned & Streamed is a column where we stream a song from an unsigned band we at Metal Insider really dig.

This week, we’re happy to present Lithuania’s Awakening Sun. Formed in the Spring of 2011 by guitarist/singer Ernestas Skripkiūnas, this four piece band made quite an impression during a local metal music festival, Giedfest, that same Summer. Awakening Sun continued to turn heads following the release of their debut album Sold Out. Recently, the group took part in the Lithuanian Wacken Metal Battle 2012 and reached the final concert. Awakening Sun’s sound combines Arch Enemy’s melodic edge with Six Feet Under’s brutality. So without further ado, take a listen to the song “Chimera” in the stream below.

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With a new lineup intact, Awakening Sun are in the works of booking more shows for this coming Summer and Fall. The band will also start working on material for a new album in the near future as well. Their debut album Sold Out can be purchased on iTunes and Amazon, while more about Awakening Sun can be found via their website and Facebook page.

If you’re in an unsigned band and would like to participate in Unsigned & Streamed, email a link to your band’s music and a brief bio to tips [at] metalinsider.com for consideration.

As you all know by now, today (May 16) marks the two year anniversary of Ronnie James Dio’s death. While his legacy will always live on, it’s without a doubt that Dio’s presence is still missed. However, rather than putting together a tribute that wouldn’t do his influence justice, we’re letting 3 Inches Of Blood do that.

The Canadian metal group have released a new lyric video for the song “Look Out” in honor of the late metal legend. Vocalist Cam Pipes had the following to say about the song and Dio’s influence:

“It was hard to find the right words for a song honoring Ronnie James Dio, but I hope it is regarded as a fitting tribute to a legendary figure. His impact on the metal community will last forever, and though he may have been small in stature, his contribution to the music scene is larger than most will ever achieve.”

So raise your devil horns up high and check out 3 Inches Of Blood’s Dio tribute lyric video for “Look Out” above.

Dark Funeral went through their fair share of changes last year, namely with the additions of new singer Nachtgarm and bassist Zornheym. And this year finds the Swedish black metal group changing switching label homes, as it was announced earlier today that Dark Funeral have signed a worldwide deal for their next three albums with Century Media Records.

Guitarist and founder Lord Ahriman had the following to say about Dark Funeral’s new label home:

“Our bad luck with labels in the past has for sure been very frustrating. So it is with great pleasure to finally be able to turn the page, move on and start a new dark chapter in the Dark Funeral saga, as we join the great Century Media family. Century Media has more than enough proven to be a stable and highly professional label. And we are totally looking forward to this new cooperation, which I’m sure will prove to be very satisfying and successful for both parts. Hail the goat!”

Head of A&R in Europe Jens Prueter (as pictured above with Dark Funeral, third from the left) had the following to say about Century Media’s new signing:

“I always respected Dark Funeral for their endurance and integrity. They’ve gone through some hard times, but never gave up and also never gave in to compromise on their musical and aesthetic vision. Almost 20 years after their formation it’s still the same powerhouse of unmerciful black metal and the new line-up is stronger and more focused than in the past. Thanks to Lord Ahriman and the whole band! Looking forward to their 20th anniversary in 2013 with a new album In The Sign Of The Horns!”

An exact release date for Dark Funeral’s sixth full length album has yet to be revealed. But as Prueter hints, it’s very likely that the black metal group will have something special in store for the 20^th anniversary next year.

Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.

This week, the charts are jam packed with thirteen metal and hard rock debuts, four of which made their way into the top 200. However, the top debut comes from Storm Corrosion, the collaboration between Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt and Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson. A project that at one time featured Mike Portnoy, it’s an album many prog fans have been waiting quite a while to hear. You’d think that a project with ties to Opeth and Porcupine Tree might have sold more than 9,400 copies in its first week, but then again, both Akerfeldt and Wilson have made it clear that Storm Corrosion sounds different than either of their other bands. So with that in mind, Storm Corrosion’s top 50 debut is pretty impressive.

Notable Debuts:

Storm Corrosion, Storm Corrosion (Roadrunner) #44, 9,400 sold
Also making this debut impressive is the fact that Akerfeldt and Wilson have not done any touring in support of their collaboration. And considering how Opeth will be kept busy on the road for the foreseeable future, we doubt Storm Corrosion will be playing live shows  any time soon.

OFF!, OFF! (Vice) #89, 4,920 sold
This is certainly an impressive top 100 debut for the punk supergroup (featuring members of the Circle Jerks, Earthless, Hot Snakes and others). And chances are their opening stint for Refused this Summer will further help sales out.

Otherwise, True Love Never Dies (Century Media) #110, 3,960 sold
Looks like the hard rock group’s opening stint on Lacuna Coil’s tour last month paid off. (more…)