Mark Eglinton of The Quietus conducted an interview with SLAYER vocalist/bassist Tom Araya on Tuesday, September 1. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Quietus: Isn't it difficult being a responsible father while singing about some of that challenging subject matter?

Araya: No, my kids are fans of the band — they've seen the band live. Our album covers, they've seen all that and know all that, and, you know, they're two separate worlds. It's like you when you've got your daytime job and you do your work, then you go home and you're with the kids. It's no different for me. Even when I'm out on the road, they come with me; it's no different. They know that the minute I'm on stage I'm in SLAYER and I'm playing and singing. But I come off the stage and I'm Dad. They kind of have a grasp of what's going on or the extent of the popularity of the band but they know me as Dad and don't know me as anything else.

The Quietus: How did the tour with MEGADETH go? And was there any evidence of a rift between SLAYER and Dave Mustaine?

Araya: You know, I ran into him on two occasions, but when you see someone, and if you're a human being, you respect them and treat them as human beings — they're another living person. Other than that, the only thing we shared was that we did those four shows together. You know what I mean?! Nothing's really changed for me about him; I'm just waiting for him to open his mouth. [Laughs]

The Quietus: What is the burning issue between MEGADETH and SLAYER?

Araya: There isn't really a burning issue. The thing is he talks a lot of shit — then he apologizes for it, then he continues [talking shit]. Did you see [METALLICA's documentary] "Some Kind of Monster" [which features Mustaine in a scene with METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich and "performance enhancement coach" Phil Towle]? That should give you some kind of idea how he is!

The Quietus: In hindsight, would you have ever radically compromised your style for commercial gain? It must have been discussed?

Araya: We've never discussed it and it's something we'd never do. And we haven't. Let's put it this way: when we did "Divine Intervention", this was the last conference we ever had with a record label where they sat us down and sold us the idea of how they wanted to do "Divine", and how they were going to do this with the cover... and all these different ideas for the album. Then one guy looked at us and said, "But we need a hit song." And we said, "But you've got eleven songs, and if you can't find a hit in one of them than you're shit out of luck because that's what we're giving you." So we're like saying to them, "Right, you write the fucking hit song and we'll record it." That shut the guy up and that was the last time we had any kind of meetings like that! [Laughs]

The Quietus: So monetary success is not a driving force?

Araya: No, it's not really. Well, it would be nice to have monetary success, but we're not going to go out of our way to try to achieve that — we're going to be SLAYER and you're going to like us for what we do. We're going to make you buy a million records!
The Quietus: Is the controversy spotlight off SLAYER nowadays given some bands have taken things somewhat further and appear to mean it, too?

Araya: I don't really think about it and I don't really care. Even if we were getting the attention and now we're not, it doesn't really matter. If we've got protesters, I don't care. Someone says they don't like it, I don't care. No one has to like us and they're more than welcome to hate us.

The Quietus: How do you replace the huge adrenaline that SLAYER must give you when you're at home and away from the band?

Araya: Home's a sanctuary. Peace and quiet is what I want there. You know it doesn't take much to get the adrenaline going— we're in SLAYER! You start playing the music and you get a rush so there's no shortage of adrenaline. You recharge the batteries and I enjoy that kind of tranquility. I don't realize how much noise goes on around me until I get home and sit outside listening to the trees. Silence... just quiet.

Read the entire interview from The Quietus.

A trailer for "Der Geistertreiber", the new video from Austrian blackened death metal outfit BELPHEGOR, can be viewed below. The clip was shot in Abtenau, Austria with director Walter Fanninger and will make its online debut on September 30.

"Der Geistertreiber" comes off BELPHEGOR's eighth full-length studio album, "Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn", which is scheduled for release on October 9 in Europe and October 20 in North American via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2008's "Bondage Goat Zombie" was recorded at Andy Classen's (LEGION OF THE DAMNED, DEW-SCENTED, NEAERA, ASPHYX) Stage One Studios in Kassel, Germany.

"Walpurgis Rites Hexenwahn" track listing:

01. Walpurgis Rites
02. Veneratio Diaboli - I Am Sin
03. Hail The New Flesh
04. Reichswehr In Blood
05. The Crosses Made Of Bone
06. Der Geistertreiber
07. Destroyer Hekate
08. Enthralled Toxic Sabbath
09. Hexenwahn - Totenkult

Check out the cover artwork below.

The digipack version will include the video for the track "Der Geistertreiber" as well as making-of material.

Commented frontman Helmuth: "With these nine compositions/arrangements, we continue to piss on the damn mainstream. It's BELPHEGOR to the highest; the hymns are extremely varied, more intense and epic than ever, [and] there are new elements and structures added. Also, we used some haunting samples here and there, to give the album a cold and ritualistic feel."

He continued, "On 'Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn', you will hear my most fucked up vocals to date; also the lyrical content is offensive and insane. The witch/devil concept is amazing to work with and we used alot of original chants/ incantations from archaic scripts."

BELPHEGOR has tapped Brazilian artist Marcelo Hvc to handle the graphics for the new album.

Added Serpenth: "The idea is to capture the okkultic orgiastic processions from the Broken Mountain, the Walpurgis night in the images."

Check out photos from the recording sessions at this location.

"Bondage Goat Zombie" entered the Austrian album chart at position No. 42 upon its release in early 2008. The CD also landed on the German chart at No. 81.

Germany thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION have tapped EVILE guitarist Ol Drake as the temporary replacement for Mike Sifringer for their September 13 appearance at the Caos Emergente festival in Portugal.

According to a posting on DESTRUCTION's web site, the middle finger on Sifringer's left hand was broken and the ring finger was cracked "when an aggressive fan jumped out of the moshpit into the crowd with a kick jump" during a hardcore show at the Vlamrock festival in Belgium. Mike, who was watching the concert, "did not see [the mosher] coming and [the fan] hit [Mike's] left hand with full power."

DESTRUCTION stated about Ol Drake, "He's the perfect match: young, wild, talented and a DESTRUCTION fan to the bone. The kids will love him!"

Ol added: 'I was gutted to hear about Mike's injury. I wish all the best to him and hope he heals fast!

"I got a mail from Schmier asking if I could step in on guitar. It was an obvious yes. I absolutely love DESTRUCTION so this is a huge honor and privilege for me. Can't wait! It's gonna kick ass. Luckily I can already play a lot of the set being a fan.

"A huge thank you to Schmier, Mike and Marc for this dream gig!"

"The Curse Of The Antichrist - Live In Agony", the new double live album from DESTRUCTION, will be released in North America on October 13. The CD will be issued in Europe on September 25 via AFM Records.

The song "The Butcher Strikes Back" from "The Curse Of The Antichrist - Live In Agony" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

DESTRUCTION recently completed the "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. - 25 Years Of Total Destruction" North American trek with KRISIUN and MANTIC RITUAL.

"D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.", the latest studio album from DESTRUCTION, last year entered the Media Control chart in the band's home country at position No. 65. The CD was released on August 22, 2008 via AFM Records and features guest appearances by Gary Holt (EXODUS), Jeff Waters (ANNIHILATOR) and Vinnie Moore (UFO).

"Thank You, Pain", the new video from Montreal, Quebec, Canada's THE AGONIST, can be viewed below. The clip was directed by David Brodsky, who has previously worked with ALL THAT REMAINS, KITTIE and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, among many others.

Commented vocalist Alissa White-Gluz: "We are very happy to finally be finished with our summer touring, and look forward to lots more in the fall. We really appreciate the awesome fans we have met throughout the USA and cannot wait to meet everyone in South America and Mexico!

"The video for 'Thank You, Pain' is a long time coming. [It was] once again created by the great David Brodsky and MyGoodEye and we tried to really represent the lyrical presence of the song without distracting from the music itself.

"Since the song is dominated by two speakers (represented by my dual vocals), we needed a strong yet subtle way to let the lyrics carry the narrative and emotion of the song, and we accomplished this with different locations within the beautiful old courthouse in New Jersey.

"'Thank You, Pain' was an instant favorite for many THE AGONIST fans, new and old, so we hope they will appreciate the new visuals accompanying the song.

"I am also very honored to have PETA2 exclusively premiere our video. Since PETA fights for a lot of the same things I do in my songs, it's great to be able to partner up again. I look forward to working with them on future campaigns as well. They are perceived as a daring organization that pushes the boundaries in order to expose what people normally turn a blind eye to.

"We have noticed that a lot of our fans are extremely intelligent, interesting people so we think they will be excited about this video debut as well."

"Thank You, Pain" comes off "Lullabies For A Dormant Mind", the sophomore album from THE AGONIST, which debuted at No. 105 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Produced by Christian Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY, MYTHOSIS), "Lullabies for the Dormant Mind" exposes new facets of the band and touches upon classical, jazz, opera, grindcore, thrash and black metal influences in a complete metal opus. The CD features guest violins by Avi Ludmer (MAHOGANY RUSH), orchestrations by classical pianists Melina Soochan and Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc (BLACKGUARD) along with many other Montreal-based contributors.

New Zealand-based extreme metallers DAWN OF AZAZEL have scheduled the following dates:

Oct. 05 - Logan Campbell Center, Auckland, NZ (w/ SLAYER, MEGADETH)
Oct. 30 - Transmission Room, Auckland, NZ (w/ SUFFOCATION, WINDS OF PLAGUE)
Jan. 20 - The Studio, Auckland, NZ (w/ CHIMAIRA)

Commented the band: "Needless to say, it's an honor to play with two of the greatest names in metal that were largely responsible for us all picking up our instruments, as well as two major influences in SUFFOCATION and CHIMAIRA."

DAWN OF AZAZEL third album, "Relentless", is scheduled for release on October 13, with distribution through both Unique Leader and Prosthetic Records channels.

Two songs from the forthcoming CD — "I Relentless" and "The Flames of Failure" — are available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

DAWN OF AZAZEL's last album, "Sedition", was re-released in September 2006 with a video bonus track and distributed through RED/Megaforce Records/MIC via Ibex Moon Records.

DAWN OF AZAZEL created a stir in 2005 after a New Zealand newspaper published an exposé on Rigel Walshe's occupation as a police officer and the band's lyrical content (check previous BLABBERMOUTH.NET stories: Story#1, Story#2, Story#3).

Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN), Damian Wilson (THRESHOLD), Udo Dirkschneider (U.D.O., ACCEPT), Mats Levén (THERION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and Charlotte Wessels (DELAIN) are among the guest vocalists who will participate in the second "Christmas Metal Symphony" show, set to take place on Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 013, Tilburg, Holland. As was the case with last year's event, the singers will be backed by a six-piece band and a 30-piece classical orchestra as they perform some of the finest heavy metal and hard rock songs of all time. This unique show will contain songs from all metal genres — from prog-metal to rock, from death to speed and from industrial to symphonic.

More names will be announced soon.

A number of high-quality photos of last year "Christmas Metal Symphony" show, which was held on December 28, 2008 at 013, Tilburg, Holland, can be found at Metal-Experience.com.

Fan-filmed video footage from the gig is available below.

The concert included appearances by such renowned hard rock and heavy metal artists as Doro Pesch, Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT), Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), Mats Levén (THERION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), Johan Edlund (TIAMAT), Ian Parry (CONSORTIUM PROJECT, ELEGY), Marcela Bovio (STREAM OF PASSION, AYREON), Floor Jansen (AFTER FOREVER) and George Oosthoek (ORPHANAGE).

The backing band consisted of the following musicians:

Koen Herfst (EPICA) - Drums
Marcel Coenen (SUN CAGED) - Guitar
Johan Van Stratum (STREAM OF PASSION) - Bass
Frank Schiphorst (CONTROL HUMAN DELETE) - Guitar
Jeffrey Revet (STREAM OF PASSION) - Keyboards
Joost van den Broek (AFTER FOREVER) – Keyboards

The complete setlist was as follows:

01. Blood Of Kingu (THERION) (feat. Mats Levén, Marcela Bovio)
02. Victim Of Changes (JUDAS PRIEST) (feat. Mats Levén)
03. Son Of The Staves Of Time (THERION) (feat. Mats Levén, Marcela Bovio)
04. Passion (STREAM OF PASSION) (feat. Marcela Bovio)
05. Out In The Real World (STREAM OF PASSION) (feat. Marcela Bovio)
06. Enter Sandman (METALLICA) (feat. Ian Parry)
07. Paranoid (BLACK SABBATH) (feat. Ian Parry)
08. Breaking The Law (JUDAS PRIEST) (feat. Doro Pesch, Ian Parry)
09. All We Are (DORO) (feat. Doro Pesch, Floor Jansen)
10. I Rule The Ruins (DORO) (feat. Doro)
11. Souls Of Black (TESTAMENT) (feat. Chuck Billy)
12. Return To Serenity (TESTAMENT) (feat. Chuck Billy, Mats Levén)
13. More Than Meets The Eye (TESTAMENT) (feat. Chuck Billy, George Oosthoek)
14. Arise (SEPULTURA) (feat. George Oosthoek)
15. Mountains Of Madness (ORPHANAGE) (feat. George Oosthoek, Floor Jansen)
16. A New Level (PANTERA) (feat. George Oosthoek)
17. Cain (TIAMAT) (feat. Johan Edlund)
18. Brighter Than The Sun (TIAMAT) (feat. Johan Edlund, Marcela Bovio)
19. When The Smoke Is Going Down (SCORPIONS) (feat. Johan Edlund)
20. My Pledge Of Allegiance No. 1 (AFTER FOREVER) (feat. George Oosthoek, Floor Jansen)
21. Equally Destructive (AFTER FOREVER) (feat. Floor Jansen)
22. The Evil That Man Do (IRON MAIDEN) (feat. Floor Jansen)
23. Intro Based on "The Odyssey" (SYMPHONY X) (orchestra only)
24. Evolution (The Grand Design) (SYMPHONY X) (feat. Russell Allen)
25. Paradise Lost (SYMPHONY X) (feat. Russell Allen)
26. Dawn Of A Million Souls (AYREON) (feat. Russell Allen)
27. Phantom Of The Opera (NIGHTWISH version) (feat. Russell Allen, Floor Jansen)

"Return To Serenity" (TESTAMENT) (feat. Chuck Billy, Mats Levén) (video by Mark van Nierop):



"Phantom Of The Opera" (NIGHTWISH version) (feat. Russell Allen, Floor Jansen):



(Thanks: Metal-Experience.com)

Montreal extreme metallers DESPISED ICON recently filmed a video for the song "Day Of Mourning". Check out behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot below. Pictures are available at this location.

The clip will make its online debut on Monday, September 14.

"Day Of Mourning" is the title cut of DESPISED ICON's new album, which is scheduled for release on September 22 via Century Media Records. The CD was produced by Yannick St-Amand, while the mixing duties were handled by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, THE ACACIA STRAIN, WHITECHAPEL) in Massachusetts. The whole thing was mastered by Alan Douches (MASTODON, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, NILE).

DESPISED ICON earlier in the year released a DVD entitled "Montreal Assault Live". The disc features a "stellar" multi-camera shoot from the band's sold-out hometown show, alongside a new hour-long documentary and all of the band's promotional video clips.

Behind-the-scenes video footage from SLAYER's photo shoot for the November 2009 issue of Guitar World magazine can be viewed below.

SLAYER will release its new album, "World Painted Blood", in the U.S. on November 3 (one day earlier internationally) via American Recordings/Columbia Records.

The final track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. World Painted Blood
02. Unit 731
03. Snuff
04. Beauty Through Order
05. Hate Worldwide
06. Public Display Of Dismemberment
07. Human Strain
08. Americon
09. Psychopathy Red
10. Playing With Dolls
11. Not Of This God

"As we're so excited about 'World Painted Blood'," said the band's drummer, Dave Lombardo, "we wanted to do something special for the packaging, and have been working with some really cool ideas. They've taken time to get just right, and with our headlining the Mayhem tour for most of the summer, it's just taken that much longer to get all these great ideas exactly the way we want them."

There will be three different editions of "World Painted Blood" —a limited-edition CD with multiple CD covers, a deluxe edition CD/DVD, and a high-quality, 180-gram vinyl edition; specifics for all editions will be detailed shortly.

"We hope our fans will like everything about 'World Painted Blood' as much as we do," Lombardo continued. "Recording this new album has been one of the greatest experiences we've had as a band. We were together during the writing process more than we had been for past albums, we worked more collectively, everyone's suggestions and ideas were heard and considered, and that camaraderie is definitely heard in the new album."

Former Metal Edge editor-in-chief Phil Freeman has written the first track-by-track review of "World Painted Blood" for MSN Music's Heavy Metal Superfan site. After describing each of the album's 11 tracks in detail, he concludes: "A lot of people say SLAYER hasn't really been great since 'Seasons in the Abyss'. Those people are wrong. The Paul Bostaph years had a lot to recommend them ('Diabolus in Musica' is a seriously underrated album), and 'Christ Illusion' showed that SLAYER could experiment with dissonance and melody, and kick their own playing and songwriting up a notch when they wanted to. The bandmembers have given a lot of interviews talking about how a lot of this album was written in the studio. Listening to it, you can't tell. That's really impressive. Much the way METALLICA's 'Death Magnetic' combined the thrash of their early years with the hard-rock grooves of their 1990s work, 'World Painted Blood' builds on the success of every SLAYER album before it. It's not a legacy-polishing effort; it's the next step in a still-ongoing journey. Highly recommended."

Read the entire review at this location.

SLAYER recently made another track from "World Painted Blood" available for streaming at Hot Topic's ShockHound.com web site. The limited-edition single, a Kerry King composition, is titled "Hate Worldwide", and is available exclusively as a CD-single at Hot Topic stores.

"It's a really cool track, and Tom's voice sounds incredible on it," said King. "The last line in the song's chorus is '..spread a little hate worldwide,' and that's what we've been doing for 25 years."

"World Painted Blood" was recorded in Los Angeles over two time periods, during October 2008 and then between late January and March 2009. The CD was produced by Greg Fidelman, who's spent time in the studio with METALLICA, THE GOSSIP, THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY, SLIPKNOT and others, and executive-produced by longtime SLAYER colleague Rick Rubin, who suggested Fidelman for the project.

SLAYER — Araya, guitarists King and Jeff Hanneman, and Lombardo — recently co-headlined the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival with MARILYN MANSON, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, among others.

RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson has told Noisecreep that the trio would love to work again with Nick Raskulinecz, who co-produced the last studio album, "Snakes & Arrows", but Nick will have to hang on a bit longer.

"I think Nick calls the office once a week," laughs Lifeson, "just to make sure we're still planning on getting back to work at some point."

Lifeson, lead singer-bassist Geddy Lee and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart played 120 shows behind "Snakes & Arrows" and "were pretty beat by the end of it," says Lifeson. "We'd been working constantly for the last eight years or so, and really needed a break, and decided to take a year off. We're sort of coming to the end of that period."

Read the entire article from Noisecreep.

Boston's REVOCATION has posted the third in a series of brief videos taped during the recording sessions for the band's second full-length album, "Existence Is Futile". Check it out below.

"Existence Is Futile" is scheduled for release on September 29 in North America and October 5 internationally via Relapse Records. The follow-up to "Empire Of The Obscene" was recorded at Damage Studios in Southbridge, Massachusetts with engineer Pete Rutchko.

"Existence Is Futile" track listing:

01. Enter The Hall
02. Pestilence Reigns
03. Deathonomics
04. Existence Is Futile
05. The Brain Scramblers
06. Across Forests And Fjords
07. ReaniManiac
08. Dismantle The Dictator
09. Anthem Of The Betrayed
10. Leviathan Awaits
11. Tragedy Of Modern Ages

REVOCATION has announced two record-release shows in support of "Existence Is Futile" for later this month. The first will be in Providence, Rhode Island alongside VITAL REMAINS and DESTROYER 666, and will be followed by a hometown Boston show on September 30.

REVOCATION tour dates:

Sep. 06 - Worcester, MA - Ralph's Diner (w/ RAVAGE)
Sep. 29 - Providence, RI - Club Hell (w/ VITAL REMAINS, DESTROYER 666)
Sep. 30 - Boston, MA - The Church

ANTHRAX — featuring vocalist John Bush (ANTHRAX's singer from 1992 to 2005) — will perform at this year's installment of the Loud Park festival, set to take place October 17-18 at Makuhari Messe, a convention center in Japan located in the western region of Chiba Prefecture, close to Tokyo.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

Saturday, October 17:

JUDAS PRIEST
MEGADETH
ARCH ENEMY
ANTHRAX
DOKKEN
OUTRAGE
STEEL PANTHER
POISON THE WELL
LED ZEPAGAIN
HIROAKI TAGAWA
FADE

Sunday, October 18:

SLAYER
ROB ZOMBIE
FAIR WARNING
CHILDREN OF BODOM
PAPA ROACH
GOTTHARD
NAPALM DEATH
HATEBREED
STEADLUR
H.E.A.T
LAZARUS A.D.

For more information, visit www.loudpark.com.

Professionally filmed video footage of ANTHRAX performing the song "Safe Home" with John Bush at U.K.'s Sonisphere festival on August 1, 2009 can be viewed below.

In a recent interview with Kerrang! magazine, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian stated about the concert, "It went better than I even hoped it would go. I'd been waiting four years for that moment that we had on [August 1] to have John Bush back in the ranks, and it was an unbelievably, magnificently emotional hour of my life; it was really amazing."

When asked about the likelihood that John Bush will rejoin ANTHRAX on a permanent basis, Ian replied, "It's obviously what we want, and I think this is just hopefully the first of a couple of steps to make it happen. The show went great — we all had a great time; John had a fucking blast — and hopefully this is now... the foot's in the door to make this happen again. But it's absolutely what we want to happen. I don't really see any other possibility."

ANTHRAX parted ways with singer Dan Nelson in July due to what has been described as "personal differences." As a result, the band canceled 10 European shows and pulled out of a U.S. tour with SLIPKNOT which was scheduled to take place in August and September.

ANTHRAX's manager, Izvor Zivkovic of Split Media, told BLABBERMOUTH.NET on July 21 that the band's new album, "Worship Music", which was previously due in Europe on October 23 via Nuclear Blast Records, will now be "pushed back to a later date." According to Ian, Dan Nelson's tracks will most likely be erased from the CD, which was recently mixed at a New Orleans studio by Dave Fortman (a former member of UGLY KID JOE who has also worked with artists such as MUDVAYNE, EVANESCENCE).

"Cut Throat", the new video from the Canadian all-girl metal band KITTIE, can be viewed below. (Note: Video stream may not be available to some non-U.S. residents.). The clip will make its small-screen debut this Saturday night (September 5) on MTV2's "Headbanger's Ball".

Commented guitarist/vocalist Morgan Lander: "'Cut Throat' is about the harsh nature of humanity and how we can sometimes be so mean and unsympathetic to one another. It's about not realizing that our selfish actions not only can hurt others, but it ends up coming back around on us if we are not careful.

"There are no true winners in this game we call life. This existence is one where only the strong survive and we of all people have seemingly become experts on the subject.

"Regardless of the heavy nature of the song, we actually had an amazing and fairly relaxed time filming this video.

"The video was directed by David Brodsky [SUICIDE SILENCE, GWAR, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER] in an old abandoned department store in Brooklyn. No Lights. No air conditioning and no water — just a kick-ass live performance from the band! The atmosphere made for a really intense, gritty, nasty vibe for the video, one that perfectly captures what this band is all about. The make-up artist didn't really appreciate the fact that our make-up was sliding down our faces from the first note, but this isn't pretty or nice or dainty. This is metal and the 'Cut Throat' video perfectly embodies that."

"Cut Throat" comes off KITTIE's new album, "In The Black", which will be released on September 15 through E1 Music (formerly KOCH Records).

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Kingdom Come
02. My Plague
03. Cut Throat
04. Die My Darling
05. Sorrow I Know
06. Forgive And Forget
07. Now Or Never
08. Falling Down
09. Sleepwalking
10. Whiskey Love Song
11. Ready Aim Riot
12. The Truth

Check out the cover artwork below.

KITTIE last year parted ways with bassist Trish Doan and replaced her with Ivy Vujic of the Canadian band IN THE WAKE. According to a press release, Doan was diagnosed with the eating disorder anorexia-athletica-nervosa, which she developed during the recording of KITTIE's "Funeral for Yesterday", Doan's first and final release with the group.

NINE INCH NAILS has cancelled tonight's (Thursday, September 3) concert at Los Angeles' Henry Fonda Theatre due an unspecified illness suffered by the band's mainman, Trent Reznor. The show was to be NIN's second of four gigs in Los Angeles; the fourth show at the city's Echoplex will mark the final NIN concert ever. There is no word yet whether the Henry Fonda performance will be rescheduled or canceled.

"We're very sorry to announce that Trent is ill, and on his doctor’s orders we will not be able to perform tonight's show at the Henry Fonda Theater," reads a statement on the NIN web site. "This is the only information we have at this time, we're posting this early announcement as a convenience for those of you who had plans to attend. Reimbursement details will be posted as soon as we figure them out; likely within the next 24 hours. We wish this wasn't necessary and we're very sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for your understanding."

According to RollingStone.com, Reznor and NINE INCH NAILS performed last night as Los Angeles' Palladium, and as they did when they came to New York's Webster Hall last month, the band played their classic "The Downward Spiral" in its entirety. But there were more surprises in store for the Palladium crowd, Brooklyn Vegan reports: Gary Numan, whose music served as a major inspiration for Reznor, came out to perform two "The Pleasure Principle" tracks with NIN (see video footage below).

Read more from RollingStone.com.

ANGRA/ALMAH frontman Edu Falaschi will take part in an autograph session at Ace Music Center store in the city of Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil on Friday, September 4 at 16.00 hrs.

ALMAH is one of the headlining acts at the first Independência Rock Festival, which will be held September 6-8 at Space Rock in Santos. 11 bands will perform at the event, including MATANZA and LIPSTICK. ALMAH will hit the stage on Sunday, September 6 at 21.00 hrs.

Fan-filmed video footage of ALMAH's February 13, 2009 concert in Santo André, Brazil can be viewed below (clip uploaded by "leomarsousa").

ALMAH's sophomore album, "Fragile Equality", was released last October via AFM Records.

ALMAH's recording lineup for "Fragile Equality" was as follows:

Edu Falaschi - Vocals
Felipe Andreoli - Bass
Marcelo Barbosa - Gutar
Paulo Schroeber - Guitar
Marcelo Moreira - Drums

ALMAH released its debut CD in the U.S. in July 2007 via Candlelight.

Istanbul, Turkey's nihilistic death metallers HERETIC SOUL have inked a deal with Rotting Corpse Records. The group's recently completed new album, "Born Into This Plague", is tentatively due in early 2010.

"Born Into This Plague" track listing:

01. The Truth Dwells in Your Head
02. Deadliest Enemy
03. Mental Decay
04. Suffering from Existence
05. Faceless
06. Worship Me
07. Beyond Hatred
08. Life Becomes Our Grave
09. 21 Grams

HERETIC SOUL is:

Sarp Keski: Vocals/Guitar
Orçun Kocakoc: Guitar
Burak Hundur: Bass
Erhan Karaca: Drums

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/hereticsoul1.

HELSTAR, CIRCLE II CIRCLE and former METAL CHURCH singer Ronny Munroe will join forces for the Texas Meltdown Tour in October.

The dates are as follows:

Oct. 15 - The Warehouse Music Venue - San Antonio, TX
Oct. 16 - Ayers Event Center - Corpus Christi, TX
Oct. 17 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX
Oct. 18 - The Ridglea Theater - Fort Worth, TX

For more information, go to this location.

"Pain Will Be Thy Name", the new video from HELSTAR, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "The King of Hell", which received a North American release on January 13 via Locomotive Records. The CD was issued in Europe on September 26, 2008 on AFM Records.

SLIPKNOT has announced a string of fall tour dates, including some special appearances. The band will embark on a three-week run in October, hitting mostly West Coast markets, before ending the tour at the first annual Trinity of Terrors at The Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Halloween. This run of dates will also include two previously postponed shows from last month. Sacramento's DEFTONES will provide support beginning in Portland, Oregon through San Bernardino, California.

The dates are as follows:

Oct. 10 - White River Amphitheater - Auburn, WA
Oct. 11 - Toyota Center - Kennewick, WA
Oct. 13 - Memorial Coliseum - Portland *
Oct. 15 - Pacific Coliseum - Vancouver, BC *
Oct. 16 - Save On Foods Center - Victoria, BC *
Oct. 18 - Shaw Conference Centre - Edmonton, AB *
Oct. 20 - Calgary Corral - Calgary, AB *
Oct. 21 - Star Theater - Spokane, WA *
Oct. 23 - Event Center at San Jose - San Jose, CA *
Oct. 24 - San Manuel Amphitheater - San Bernardino, CA *
Oct. 29 - The Palladium - Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 31 - Pearl Concert Theater - Las Vegas, NV

* With DEFTONES

9/9/09 marks the special edition release on Roadrunner Records of SLIPKNOT's seminal self-titled debut album. This special CD/DVD will commemorate the 10th anniversary of "Slipknot", released in 1999. The CD features 25 tracks, including the original album as well as rare demos, remixes, rare b-sides and more. A companion documentary, entitled "of the (sic): Your Nightmares, Our Dreams", is packed with behind the scenes footage of SLIPKNOT from 1999. This inside look features both live and backstage footage from around the world. The DVD also features a never-before-seen concert and all the music videos from their debut cycle, as well as other surprises.

In the decade since the release of "Slipknot", the band has amassed accolades that changed the face of metal. SLIPKNOT has gone on to sell over 10 million albums worldwide, win a Grammy, headline Madison Square Garden and Download festival, have numerous #1 and top 5 rock tracks and videos, as well as debut at #1 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Metalville, the band and label pool launched by the Cologne, Germany-based company Flying Dolphin Entertainment Group UG, has signed a worldwide contract with the distribution company Intergroove from Offenbach.

Metalville's "unique concept" allows the company to work with artists and labels who want to retain control of their product and do not want to transfer their rights to other parties.

Metalville offers its artists and labels a variety of services, including promotion, marketing, product management, graphic arts, image consultation and distribution via Intergroove's worldwide network.

The first releases to be made available via Metalville's new arrangement with Intergroove will be a special GRAVE DIGGER box set (due in the fall), the "Anuk" movie (featuring Doro Pesch and KROKUS' Marc Storace), and the new ASTRAL DOORS CD, "Requiem Of Time" (scheduled for January 2010).

In the U.S., Metalville is distributed through ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance).

Metalville has partnered with the Frankfurt-based interactive music TV channel iMusic1 for a television program called "Rockville TV".

Photo from September 1 contract signing (left to right): Uwe Lerch (senior vice president marketing, iMusic1, and cooperation partner, Metalville), Chris Boltendahl (Metalville), Michael Weigandt (distribution manager, Intergroove), Ralf Reichert (president, Intergroove), Holger Koch (Metalville)

ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET, the Swedish band featuring former THE CROWN vocalist Johan Lindstrand, has announced the addition of guitarist Jonas Blom to the group's ranks. The band states, "[Jonas is a] great guy that will fit perfectly in this band. He has a great personality, awesome skills and he is very hungry and motivated. All the things we need right now to build up the machine once more."

Jonas will make his live debut with ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET at the Metal Invasion festival in Ruhstorf, Germany on September 19.

A photo of ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET's new lineup can be viewed below.

Longtime ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET guitarist Mikael Lagerblad quit the band on April 1.

Lagerblad said in a statement: "After three albums and almost five years in the band, I have decided to quit. It has been a great time and I'm proud of the music that we have created. Even though ONE MAN ARMY has been a big part of my life, I feel I'm ready to move on. During the last couple of months my motivation and inspiration has not been at the high level it used to be. It might sound like a cliché, but there's no bad blood between us and I'm comfortable with my decision."

ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET's third album, "Grim Tales", was released on October 24, 2008 via Massacre Records. The CD was made available as a limited-edition digipack containing a bonus DVD. It was recorded at the Black Lounge Studios in Avesta, Sweden with producer Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY).

Video footage of ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET's May 16, 2009 performance at the Rehvolution Festival in Lahr, Germany can be viewed below.

Swedish metallers ASTRAL DOORS have issued the following update:

"The upcoming ASTRAL DOORS album will be called 'Requiem Of Time' and it'll be released in Europe January 15 and in North America February 16 through the brand new German bandpool/label Metalville, created by some of the best people in the metal business.

"'Requiem Of Time' is a mixture of classic hard rock, like on the debut, 'Of The Son And The Father', and more modern metal like on the previous disc, 'New Revelation'. Call it what you want; it contains the best songs the band has ever written.

"Release date for Japan will be announced soon.

"Another headline story is that Mika Itaranta has left the band due to personal reasons. We wanna thank Mika for all the fun we've had. Cheers mate and good luck with everything.

"We also wanna introduce you to our new bass maniac, Ulf Lagerström. Ulf is a close friend to the band and was our first choice; a great bass player and a damn good songwriter. He has been in bands like LUNATIC PARADE (with Patrik [Johansson, vocals]) and BARFLY (with Johan [Lindstedt, drums] and Patrik)."

ASTRAL DOORS' latest album, "New Revelation", was released in September 2007 via Locomotive Music. The CD was recorded at Big Turn Studio and at The Darkside in Borlänge, Sweden and was mixed at the Abyss Studios in Sweden by Peter Tägtgren and ASTRAL DOORS.

ASTRAL DOORS' third CD, "Astralism", was re-released in August 2006 as a digipack, featuring a newly written bonus track, entitled "21st Century Medieval".

Behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of "My Destiny", the new video from LEAVES' EYES — the German/Norwegian band formed by ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY singer Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull and members of ATROCITY — can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Patric Ullaeus (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL) of Revolver Film Company in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Photos from the video shoot, as well as a German-language report from guitarist Thorsten "Tosso" Bauer, can be found on the Sounds2Move.de web site.

An audio sample of "My Destiny" is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

"My Destiny" will be released in the U.S. on September 22 via Napalm Records.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. My Destiny
02. The Battle of Maldon (non-album track)
03. Scarborough Fair (acoustic version; non-album track)
04. Northbound
05. Nine Wave Maidens (non-album track)
06. My Destiny (remix; non-album track)

According to a posting on the Napalm web site, "The sweeping title track begins with an emotive and mystic interlude that soon turns into sonorous ear candy — a true delicacy for all fans of symphonic rock music. The opulently produced orchestral and choir-filled compositions resonate with a fresh, powerful, and energy laden force. As always the case with LEAVES' EYES, expect the ensuing tempest with its impressive musical variety and dynamics to emphasize the band's world-class status, including 'The Battle of Maldon' and 'Northbound', two smashing tracks to be found on the EP. With the acoustic version of 'Scarborough Fair', familiar to some fans from past unplugged shows, and the atmospheric 'Nine Wave Maidens' the tone takes a more subdued turn. Liv Kristine once again bewitches the listener with her one-of-a-kind vocals and the package is completed with a remix of the title track."

LEAVES' EYES will release its new full-length album, "Njord", via Napalm Records on the following dates:

Finland, Spain: August 26
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Benelux, France, Italy: August 28
Rest Of Europe: August 31
Canada: September 1
USA: September 29

Behind the scenes:



"My Destiny" video:

GWAR continues media domination this Friday evening (September 4) at 10 p.m. EST with a live performance on Sirius XM's Fangoria Radio, hosted by legendary rocker Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER) and "Scream Queen" Debbie Rochon.

Hosted by Snider, Fangoria Radio is a live, three-hour weekly radio show from the creators of the world's most popular and longest running horror publication, Fangoria magazine. The show features interviews with celebrities and key people in the horror world, listener call-ins, updates on horror movies, and even on-location visits to the biggest horror films in production. In addition, Fangoria Radio highlights the latest horror gossip as well as reviews of movies, television shows and video games.

Being somewhat of a horror buff himself, GWAR's Oderus Urungus said the following about the upcoming performance: "We will be doing a special appearance on Fangoria Radio, and be playing some actual songs! All in continuing support of our massive 25th anniversary celebration and our new album, 'Lust in Space', out on Metal Blade Records!"

GWAR's performance on Fangoria Radio will be filmed and available for viewing pleasure for a future date on Fangoria.com.

"Lust In Space", the new album from GWAR, sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 96 on The Billboard 200 chart.

GWAR recently shot a music video for "Let Us Slay", the first single from "Lust In Space", which was released on August 18 via Metal Blade Records. The clip was shot in Richmond, Virginia by director David Brodsky (SUICIDE SILENCE, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL) and his MyGoodEye crew.

Metal Blade Records has created a GWAR widget which you can check out below. The widget includes an MP3 of the new track "Let Us Slay", band photos, information about the album, and upcoming GWAR tour dates. Fans can also add the widget to their blogs and networking pages and it will update automatically with new tour dates, music, videos and more.

The makers of the hit apps Kiss Virtual Concert Lighter are presenting the Def Leppard Virtual Concert Lighter, officially licensed by hard rock legends DEF LEPPARD.

It features:

* Fully customizable with your choice of 24 full-color high-resolution official DEF LEPPARD lighter images
* Improved larger lighter images
* Express yourself with unique customizable scrolling text marquee
* Realistic flame sways and moves as you move your hand
* Realistic lighter sound effects
* Dynamic power chords, riffs and beats

The Def Leppard Virtual Concert Lighter is available for $0.99 in the iTunes Store at this location.

Los Angeles female-fronted progressive metallers ECHOES OF ETERNITY are streaming a new song, "Twilight Fires", on their MySpace page.

Commented guitarist/songwriter Brandon S. Patton: "When we wrote this song, we asked ourselves, 'What would it sound like if Francine [Boucher, vocalist] was singing for MORBID ANGEL or DISSECTION?' This is what we came up with. It has a definite black metal/death metal feel to it. I don't think anyone's ever heard this type of female vocal with blast beats and double bass drumming in a context quite like this. It's dark, seductive and powerful! The way Francine belts it out on this song blows my fucking mind and everyone in the band loves the middle section of the song, where there is a slower 'gallop-picked’ riff that is mean as fuck."

"Twilight Fires" comes off ECHOES OF ETERNITY's forthcoming second album, "As Shadows Burn", which is scheduled for release in North America on September 22 via Nuclear Blast Records (the LP will be issued in Europe on September 25 through Massacre). The follow-up to 2007's "The Forgotten Goddess" was produced and mixed by former MACHINE HEAD/SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader, who has previously worked with GOJIRA, DIVINE HERESY, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.

"As Shadows Burn" track listing:

01. Ten Of Swords
02. A Veiled Horizon
03. Memories Of Blood And Gold
04. The Scarlet Embrace
05. Descent Of A Blackened Soul
06. Twilight Fires
07. Buried Beneath A Thousand Dreams
08. Letalis Deus
09. Funeral In The Sky

A three-and-a-half minute video teaser for "As Shadows Burn" can be viewed below.

ECHOES OF ETERNITY recently announced the addition of rhythm guitarist Bryan Eagle to the group's ranks. Eagle has been playing with the band since September 2008 and has contributed music and laid down guitar tracks on ECHOES OF ETERNITY's new album.

ECHOES OF ETERNITY is:

Francine Boucher - Vocals
Brandon S. Patton - Guitar
Bryan Eagle - Guitar
Duane Cowan - Bass
Kirk Carrison - Drums

MANOWAR's long-awaited new DVD in the "Hell On Earth" series is finally coming out on November 27.

"Hell On Earth V" will cover MANOWAR's recent world tours including Germany, Norway, Spain, Finland, Russia, Romania, Turkey, USA and Canada. It will feature live performances of old and new classics such as "Gloves Of Metal", "The Crown And The Ring", "Hand Of Doom", "Hymn Of The Immortal Warrior", "Father", "God Or Man" and many others.

MANOWAR director Neil Johnson — who is responsible for overseeing all of the band's DVDs and music videos — comments: "Picking up where the Earthshaker left off.... 'Hell On Earth V' covers the amazing 'Demons Dragons & Warriors Tour' complete with onstage Vikings and all the craziness that happens behind the scenes of a MANOWAR show.

"I have done my best to show new and classic songs never captured on camera before, including the much-requested 'Mountains' and songs from the new EP, 'Thunder In The Sky'. It will be a step above 'Hell On Earth IV' in quality and spectacle."

The DVD will be available for pre-sale exclusively through MANOWAR's official merchandise shop, The Kingdom Of Steel.

Johnson recently uploaded a two-and-a-half-minute video clip shot during the group's trip to perform at the Norway Rock Festival in Kvindesal on July 10, 2009. Watch the footage below.

"Father", the first song released from MANOWAR's new EP, "Hammer Of The Gods", was recorded in 16 languages and was included as a bonus CD with the band's new EP, "Thunder In The Sky".

Destined to be a collector's item, the tour edition of the EP was made available at all the festivals MANOWAR headlined on the "Death to Infidels Tour!". In addition, the EP is available for sale online in high-quality, DMR-free, MP3 format only at The Kingdom Of Steel online store. The downloadable version of the EP contains the exact same content as the version on sale during the tour.

MANOWAR's new album, "Hammer Of The Gods", which is the first installment of "The Asgard Saga", the band's unique multimedia fantasy adventure with best-selling author Wolfgang Hohlbein, is tentatively due this fall.



(Thanks: NJthrasher)

AEROSMITH drummer Joey Kramer will guest on the "Charlie Brennan Show" on St. Louis news radio 1120 KMOX on Wednesday, September 9 at 11:35 a.m.

You can listen to the program live via the Internet at this location.

Kramer will sign copies of his newly published autobiography, "Hit Hard: A Story Of Hitting Rock Bottom At The Top", at the following locations:

Saturday, September 12, 2009 - 2:00 p.m .
Borders
142 Providence Place
Providence, RI

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - 7:00 p.m .
Borders
739 Donald J Lynch Blvd
Marlborough, MA

"Hit Hard: A Story Of Hitting Rock Bottom At The Top" was released on June 30 through HarperCollins. In the book, Kramer, a founding member and drummer of AEROSMITH, courageously tells the world how he has wrestled with depression as part of the most successful rock band in American history.

In 1997, amidst AEROSMITH's sold-out world tour and No. 1 album release, Joey revealed in an interview his ongoing struggles with depression. The response from fans and people battling those same internal demons was overwhelming. Joey — who has been the drummer in aerosmith since it was founded in 1970 and the first member of the band to release his own book — now tells the complete story: the early days of the band, glamorous drug-addled events leading up to their eventual sobriety, battles within his family and among bandmates, and the explosive internal dynamics in AEROSMITH that continue to unleash a fury of endless creativity.

This is not just another rock and roll memoir. In addition to the never-before-told AEROSMITH war stories that abound in the book, "Hit Hard" unpacks the history of a rock star who was both fragile and tough, who after years of insane wildness became willing to accept help and finally kick a serious alcohol and drug addiction, only to find that the real terrors and hard work were still ahead. It's the story of an average kid from an average American suburb who went through physical and emotional trauma. It's about years of depression and the nervous breakdown at the height of the band's comeback success. Ultimately, it is about how Joey recognized his confusion between love and abuse, awakening to the kind of self-acceptance and compassion that makes healthy relationships possible in the "real world."

Joey Kramer has been rocking with AEROSMITH since the band began in 1970. Kramer and his partners have sold over 150 million albums, and today their multigenerational, global audience is bigger than ever. In addition to the Grammys and the twenty-one multi-platinum albums, AEROSMITH was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. The band has been the subject of several documentaries, including a film dedicated to Joey Kramer and his lasting influence called "It's About Time".

Todd LaTorre has been added to the list of guest singers who will perform with Florida melodic metallers CRIMSON GLORY during their headlining set at the ProgPower USA X festival on September 11, 2009 at the Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia.

"Todd really fell out of the sky," says CRIMSON GLORY lead guitarist Jon Drenning. "He was recommended to us only a few weeks ago by Matt LaPorte [guitar; JON OLIVA'S PAIN] and when he came into the picture, he was totally unfamiliar with our material and style. Ironically, so was Midnight when he was first brought into the band. There are a lot of similarities between the two, actually. Naturally, we were skeptical, but Todd was able to come in with literally two days to prepare, and he knocked out four songs in a row better than any of us had heard them sound in a very long time. Indeed, he is a man of extraordinary talent and we are all very impressed and looking forward to sharing his abilities with our fans at ProgPower."

When Todd was asked what this experience means to him he replied, "My life-long dream is materializing before my eyes. It is an honor to be practicing with the legendary and critically acclaimed CRIMSON GLORY for this event paying tribute to Midnight, and to be recognized and surrounded by such great talent and fans."

CRIMSON GLORY will be joined by the following special guest vocalists for their ProgPower USA X performance:

* Wade Black (CRIMSON GLORY, LEATHERWOLF)
* Zak Stevens (SAVATAGE, CIRCLE II CIRCLE)
* Lance King (PYRAMAZE, BALANCE OF POWER)
* Nils K. Rue (PAGAN'S MIND)
* Chris Salinas (ZERO HOUR, POWER OF OMENS)
* Ronny Monroe (METAL CHURCH)
* Andy Franck (BRAINSTORM, SYMPHORCE, IVANHOE)
* Sean Peck (CAGE)
* Danilo Herbert (MINDFLOW)
* Joakim Brodén (SABATON)
* Michael Eriksen (CIRCUS MAXIMUS)
* David Vanlanding (CRIMSON GLORY, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP)
* Rob Rock (IMPELLITTERI)
* Mark Boals (ROYAL HUNT)
* Clay Barton (SUSPYRE)
* Kelly Sundown (BEYOND TWILIGHT, DARKOLOGY)
* Todd LaTorre

Commented CRIMSON GLORY lead guitarist Jon Drenning: "With the addition of these four extraordinarily talented singers, along with original bassist/founding member Jeff Lords, this show promises to be nothing short of spectacular; it will go down in history as one of the greatest and most unique power/progressive metal performances of all time. One for the ProgPower festival history books."

Also performing alongside the band will be guitarist Matt LaPorte (JON OLIVA'S PAIN, CIRCLE II CIRCLE, MIDNIGHT) and keyboardist John Zahner (CRIMSON GLORY, SAVATAGE, CIRCLE II CIRCLE, JON OLIVA'S PAIN), as well as vocalist Danaë Saree.

Commented CRIMSON GLORY: "The response of singers wanting to be a part of this has been nothing short of overwhelming, and we are very pleased with the lineup thus far. Indeed, we are both excited and honored to be sharing the stage with such incredibly talented people; each have made a name for themselves with their individual vocal stylings and we look forward to having them alongside us as we showcase [late singer] Midnight's extraordinary career with CRIMSON GLORY.

"As this is our only U.S. show date scheduled for 2009, this promises to be a truly memorable show for long-time fans as well as the 'new blood' with something for everybody, and we feel that Midnight would be very pleasantly surprised to know that so many gifted singers have stepped up to lend their unique voices to his tribute.

"We realize that many ProgPower USA attendees were coming to this year's fest to see specific bands, the absence of whom have allowed us this great opportunity to perform. It is our sincere hope that the varied lineup of guest performers we have selected will ensure that all who attend this year get something truly personal and special from our show."

Midnight passed away on Wednesday, July 8 from "total kidney and liver failure." He was 47 years old.

Midnight sang on CRIMSON GLORY's first three albums — "Crimson Glory" (1986), "Transcendence" (1988) and "Strange and Beautiful" (1991) — before going into self-imposed exile for almost a decade. He eventually rejoined CRIMSON GLORY in 2005 but was dismissed in January 2007.

CRIMSON GLORY's classic "Lonely" video (off "Transcendence"):

The Pulse of Radio reports: Not only has late NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain made it into Guitar Hero 5 as a playable character, as previously reported, but apparently you can make his avatar play guitar right-handed and sing BON JOVI's "You Give Love A Bad Name", along with songs from MEGADETH, PUBLIC ENEMY and NIRVANA wannabes BUSH (see video below). A "highlight reel" of what you can do with the Cobain character in Career Mode was posted online Tuesday (September 1), the same day that the game arrived in stores.

In addition to the Cobain avatar, the NIRVANA songs "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Lithium" appear in a Guitar Hero game for the first time.

Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, played a major role in putting Cobain's image together for the game, Activision's Vice President of Music Affairs Tim Riley told RollingStone.com. It is not clear whether Love had any opinion on what the unlockable Cobain character could perform, or just took the money and ran.

Following a critically and commercially successful album is no small feat for any band. For ATREYU, whose fourth full-length, "Lead Sails Paper Anchor", sold over 315,000 copies, the task was even more daunting. That album marked a substantial shift for the group, expressing an explosively commercial and alternative side of ATREYU that had been largely unexplored. With their new album, "Congregation Of The Damned", the members wanted to continue to develop musically, but at the same time return to more of the aggression and firepower they exhibited growing up in the hardcore metal-based scene of Orange County, California.

With a crumbling economy, environmental calamity and international strife as a backdrop, ATREYU — Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer Brandon Saller — were able to write some of their strongest, most salient songs to date. "Congregation Of The Damned", produced by Bob Marlette (AIRBORNE, OZZY OSBOURNE), mixed by Rich Costey (THE MARS VOLTA, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) with select tracks mixed by Noah Shain (ENDLESS HALLWAY, SONNY), comes out October 27, and is simultaneously crushing, exultant and unapologetic, delving further into ATREYU's quest for the perfect melody while satisfying their taste for street-lethal riffs and ear-piercing solos.

Throughout the 13 songs on "Congregation Of The Damned", ATREYU cover a variety of ground, including inflammatory and technical hardcore ("Stop! Before It's Too Late and We've Destroyed it All"), raging and anthemic metal ("Carried Away"), and brutally cinematic rock ("You Were the King Now You're Unconscious"). At the same time, they make passing nods to the music they grew up on and still love, including BLACK FLAG, PANTERA, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

While there is no shortage of euphoric sing-along melodies, the songs are more ferocious than anything since 2004's "The Curse". The subject matter is equally intense. "The music is heavier and so I was able to write darker lyrics," explains vocalist Alex Varkatzas. "There's personal shit on there: self-doubt, self-loathing. Bands who sing about happy things have their place, and I'm not singing about dark things to promote them, I'm singing about them so I don't go insane. It's pure catharsis. I make music so I don't go crazy."

Varkatzas finds himself in that darker territory with "Storm To Pass", a song that has double meaning: the storm as depression, and the storms of war: "You can feel that depression coming on, you can see yourself doing fucked up things but you can't stop it," says Varktazas. "I grew up watching the first Iraq war and the invasion of various countries and how the whole thing became one giant shit storm."

"Congregation Of The Damned" track listing:

01. Stop! Before It's Too Late and We've Destroyed it All
02. Bleeding is a Luxury
03. Carried Away
04. Coffin Nails
05. Black Days Begin
06. Gallows
07. Storm to Pass
08. You Were King Now You're Unconscious
09. Insatiable
10. So Wrong
11. Ravenous
12. Lonely
13. Wait For You

In support of the album, every two weeks leading up to the October 27 release, ATREYU will debut a webisode documenting not only their thoughts on the new record, but they will also take a look back at where the band's career has taken them over the course of the last 10 years. The first webisode is available now at AtreyuRock.com. The second installment will debut on September 8. A new webisode will post every two weeks with the final one posting on October 20.

Fan-filmed video footage of ATREYU performing a brand new song, "Bleeding Is A Luxury", at the Epicenter festival on August 22 at the Fairplex in Pomona, California can be viewed below.

Montreal's PRIESTESS will release its sophomore album, "Prior To The Fire", in Canada on October 20 via Indica Records/Red Ink. The punishing eleven-song effort was recorded in Los Angeles in the fall of 2008 and produced by Dave Schiffman (SYSTEM OF A DOWN, NINE INCH NAILS, MARS VOLTA).

Since its formation back in 2003, PRIESTESS has become one of Canada's most successful hard rock bands, and an international force to be reckoned with. The band released its debut, "Hello Master", back in 2006 and since then has spent most of its time on the road touring with heavy hitters like MEGADETH, MOTÖRHEAD, MASTADON, GWAR and participating in several high-profile events such as Heavy MTL with IRON MAIDEN, Festival d'Èté de Québec with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, and Monsters of Rock/Ozzfest with OZZY OSBOURNE, just to name a few.

PRIESTESS' profile skyrocketed when the band's song "Lay Down" was featured in the smash-hit videogame Guitar Hero, earning them a legion of new fans. Their music has also been heard in the HBO series "Entourage", "Friday Night Lights" and it was recently announced that their new song "Raccoon Eyes" will be on the upcoming EA Sports' NHL 10. Their two singles, "Lay Down" and "Talk To Her", also became top 15 hits at rock radio across Canada.

"Prior To The Fire" track listing:

01. Ladykiller
02. Raccoon Eyes
03. The Firebird
04. Murphy's Law
05. The Gem
06. Communicating Via-Eyes
07. Lunar
08. It Baffles The Mind
09. Sideways Attack
10. We Ride
11. Trapped In Space And Time

PRIESTESS will be hopping back into their van and doing a cross-Canadian tour in support of this release in November. Tour dates will be announced on September 14.

"Prior To The Fire" will be released in the U.S. in early 2010.

Visit www.myspace.com/priestessband for a list of upcoming PRIESTESS shows.