VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan was the featured guest on this past Wednesday's (September 30) edition of "The BJ Shea Morning Experience" show on the Seattle radio station KISW 99.9 FM. His appearance can now be streamed using the audio player below.

DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED will tour South America in early November. The dates are as follows:

Nov. 05 - Willy Dixon - Rosario, Argentina
Nov. 07 - Pepsi Fest - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nov. 08 - Maquinaria Fest - Sao Paulo, Brazil
Nov. 11 - Teatro Caupolican - Santiago, Chile

Drummer Geoff Reading recently left DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED and was replaced by Isaac Carpenter (LOUDERMILK, GOSLING, OURS, THE EXIES).

"Sick", the latest full-length album from DUFF MCKAGAN'S LOADED, landed at position No. 43 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.

"Sick" was released in North America on April 7 via Century Media Records. An e-card for the CD, which was produced by Martin Feveyear (PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, KINGS OF LEON), is available at this location.

In addition to McKagan, LOADED features bassist Jeff Rouse (VENDETTA RED, ALIEN CRIME SYNDICATE) and guitarist Mike Squires (ALIEN CRIME SYNDICATE).

Duff McKagan interviewed on "The BJ Shea Morning Experience" (click on player below to launch audio):

Orlando, Florida radio station 101.1 WJRR conducted an interview with METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich before the band's October 3, 2009 concert at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. Lars answered questions about his celebrity wife, the persistent rumors of a possible "Big Four" tour, making an impact in people's lives, his thoughts on late METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton, playing with Jason Newsted again, and when METALLICA fans can expect a new album from the group.

The entire chat can be streamed using the audio player below.

Official Metallica.com footage from METALLICA's October 1, 2009 concert at the Bank Atlantic Center in Ft. Lauderdale — including clips of pre-show meet-and-greet and the actual performance — can be viewed below.

The band's setlist for the Ft. Lauderdale concert was as follows:

01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. For Whom the Bell Tolls
04. The Shortest Straw
05. One
06. Broken, Beat And Scarred
07. Cyanide
08. Sad But True
09. No Leaf Clover
10. All Nightmare Long
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Damage, Inc.
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
16. Killing Time
17. Motorbreath
18. Seek and Destroy

As previously reported, METALLICA set a record for largest paid attendance for all events ever at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with their two sold-out shows on September 19-20. The San Francisco Bay Area metal giants beat out the likes of KISS, UFC, CELINE DION and U2.

Ulrich told Nudge from Dayton, Ohio radio station 103.9 The X last month that fans should not expect a follow-up to last year's "Death Magnetic" album any time soon. Ulrich said that the group will most likely be touring through the end of 2010 before taking a break, and that work on a new record probably wouldn't begin until at least the second half of 2011. Ulrich told The Pulse of Radio something along the same lines when he was asked a similar question. "I wouldn't hold my breath," he said. "Do the math yourself, as I like to hear myself say, you know. You got another year on the road, and then you gotta, you know, breathe for a little while, then you gotta do it all over again. I'd love to put records out more often, but right now, I don't know what's gonna give, in between touring and having some chill time with the family and how long it takes to, you know, make these records."

The drummer did hint to Nudge that, while a full METALLICA album could be three or more years away, the band could join the ranks of artists who are releasing music in new formats. He explained, "The record itself is starting to be sort of an outdated format, so who knows . . . We're out of our record contract, so we could go back to HQ (METALLICA's headquarters in San Rafael, California) and record something and then we could put it up on our web site and whoever wanted to download it could download it."

METALLICA took six years between 1997's "Reload" and 2003's "St. Anger", although they did also issue a covers collection and live album during that time. But it was another five years before "Death Magnetic" came out in 2008.

Lars Ulrich interviewed on Orlando, Florida's 101.1 WJRR (click on player below to launch audio):

Ozzy Osbourne and his wife/manager Sharon will guest on "The Graham Norton Show" tomorrow night (Monday, October 5) at 22.35 on U.K.'s BBC One. A three-minute preview of their appearance can be viewed below.

"The Graham Norton Show" is a comedy talk show that aired on BBC Two from February 2007 to May 2009 and is now being broadcast on BBC One. Presented by Irish comedian Graham Norton, the show's format is very similar to his previous Channel 4 programs, "V Graham Norton" and "So Graham Norton", both of which were also produced by SO Television.

Hachette Audio has set an October 22 U.K. release date for the audiobook version of Ozzy's memoir, "I Am Ozzy". The book, which was originally slated to arrive almost two years ago but was delayed twice, was published in the U.K. on October 1.

"I Am Ozzy" chronicles the star's humble beginnings in the U.K. to his current position as international music and TV celebrity.

Publisher Antonia Hodgson called the book "fantastic," adding that it was "very much in the tone of his voice, very funny and a very full story."

A U.S. publication date has yet to be announced.

Sharon Osbourne published her own best-selling memoir in 2005, called "Extreme: My Autobiography". A second volume was rushed out in 2008 after Ozzy's book was delayed.

Ozzy is working on a new album that he expects to release next year.

Gav Ross of Australia's Beat magazine recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the fact that talking about his craft and answering the same questions over and over again is far from a chore:

"Dreams are for people who sleep. We're living the dream because we're awake and we're working it. It's really important that we remember that things aren't just going to happen by us sitting back and waiting for something to drop into our laps."

On MEGADETH's new album, "Endgame":

"Part of it was written in the studio; part of it was some riffs I'd saved over the years. I'm just really excited about how it all came together. Granted, there's a lot of stuff I'd like to have had happen with this record, like doing it all in one sitting rather than having all the interruptions that we had with tours and stuff. Sometimes it makes it so difficult — you're in a creative moment and then you've gotta stop."

On the unexpected generosity he encountered while putting together his recording studio, Vic's Garage, in San Marcos, California:

"We had a guy come into (Vic's Garage) and he and his wife were huge fans. While I was a little uncomfortable with his offer, he has now — no shit — dropped over $100,000 in sound-proofing the studio for free. His son is a drummer and they've already done some recording in here too."

On the general support he has received during his career and his position as something of a guitar deity:

"I haven't felt as honored or respected [by] our fans or the heavy metal community as much as I do now. It's so rewarding and almost inebriating. I've never been one of those guys to get caught up in the hype because I put my pants on just like everyone else, y'know?"

On MEGADETH's recent Canadian tour with SLAYER — the first time the two bands played together in almost 15 years:

"(Because) we hadn't played together in quite some time we didn't really know how it was going to go. The concerts were great; the fans were great and the bands will continue to grow closer over time. We'd had some problems in the past, but we're considerably more mature now and I've changed a lot, so anybody that's waiting for me to say something to ruin the tour, they're going to get disappointed."

On being on the road for long periods of time:

"I don't really tire from the touring as much as a normal guy would because I take really good care of myself. The touring rigors will eat you alive if you don't get your act together. It's real easy to be out on the road and to lose sight of what's good for you; you can get sick really easy out there by following some bad habits or doing some stuff with people."

On MEGADETH's upcoming Australian tour with SLAYER:

"That's the problem when you're in the situation of there being more than one band (on the bill). Because it's a co-headline show both bands get exactly the same amount of time. They're closing, we aren't, but we're going to play as many songs as we can in the amount of time we have. The four concerts we did Canada were only 60 minutes and that only allows us to play about 12 songs."

"I'd like to play longer, but I also know that we're being followed by a very capable band and they're going to be just as exciting to listen to as we are. My main goal is to play the best that I absolutely can on this tour and be in the best physical shape I can be."

Read more from Beat magazine.

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley performed the U.S. national anthem earlier today (Sunday, October 4) when the Kansas City Chiefs played the New York Giants at Arrowhead stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Fan-filmed video of Ace's appearance, which took place prior to the game, can be viewed below.

Frehley's new solo album, "Anomaly", sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD also landed at No. 20 in Sweden and No. 52 in Germany.

In addition to the standard CD release, unique "Anomaly" packages were made available at Wal-Mart and Best Buy locations. The Wal-Mart version includes an Ace autographed tattoo while the Best Buy edition is printed on silver stock, like the KISS "Double Platinum" album.

Released on September 15 via Ace's own Bronx Born Records, with Rocket Science providing a full label service platform in the U.S., "Anomaly" was produced and recorded in Westchester County, New York between 2007 and 2009 and was mixed in Los Angeles.

Video footage of Anneke van Giersbergen (AGUA DE ANNIQUE, ex-THE GATHERING) and Danny Cavanagh (ANATHEMA, LEAFBLADE) performing an acoustic version of Anneke's new single, "Hey Okay!", on September 25, 2009 at Dynamo in Eindhoven, Holland can be viewed below.

Anneke and Danny played two last-minute acoustic shows last month (in Eindhoven and in Antwerp, Belgium) in support of their brand new album, "In Parallel".

"In Parallel" was released on September 10 via Angelic Recordings. The CD, recorded in March 2009 at the Little Devil in Tilburg, Holland, features some stunning moments from the musicians' collaborations on stage, including songs from both their careers.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Teardrop
02. You Learn About It
03. Temporary Peace
04. Yalin
05. Songbird
06. Big Love
07. The Blower's Daughter
08. One Last Goodbye
09. Are You There?
10. Day After Yesterday
11. A Natural Disaster
12. Lost and Found
13. Flying
14. Jolene

"Teardrop" and the ANATHEMA song "A Natural Disaster" are available for streaming at this location.

Dunlop TV recently conducted an interview with ALICE IN CHAINS members Jerry Cantrell (guitar, vocals) and Mike Inez (bass). Watch the chat below.

According to Hits Daily Double, the companion web site of music industry tip sheet HITS, ALICE IN CHAINS' new album, "Black Gives Way To Blue", is on track to sell between 130,000 and 140,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD will likely land in the Top 5 of next week's The Billboard 200 chart, behind latest albums from PARAMORE, MARIAH CAREY, BARBRA STREISAND and BREAKING BENJAMIN.

ALICE IN CHAINS recruited pop legend Elton John to contribute piano to the CD's title track, which is written in tribute to the band's late singer, Layne Staley.

AIC's new frontman, William DuVall, had played with his own group, COMES WITH THE FALL, as well as in guitarist Jerry Cantrell's solo band, before joining up with ALICE IN CHAINS in 2006.

"Black Gives Way to Blue" was recorded with producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, RUSH) at the Northridge, California studio of FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl.

Artisan News Service spoke with JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford last week about Metal God Apparel, Halford's signature brand of t-shirts. Watch the interview at this location.

Greg Prato, the Long Island, New York-based journalist whose writing has appeared in All Music Guide, Classic Rock and Goldmine magazines, conducted an interview with Halford on September 30, 2009 in New York City. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

Q: How did your new fashion line, Metal God Apparel, come about?

Halford: I always liked dressing — ever since I was a little kid. And I think most of us did that when we were kids, dressing up. I think I've had the good fortune of being a little kid for most of my life, I still get excited when I get dressed to go on stage with PRIEST. And all the clothes you've seen me wear have generally been from collaborations — where I've sat down with people and put together the ideas. In that respect, I think I've had a connection with everything that I've done, as a professional musician/performer/entertainer — from the visual side of it. So this felt like a very natural extension of all of those ideas. On the business level, it's another step forward in the branding of the "The Metal God," which has been registered in trademark for a while. And also, just to really keep that feeling that I've always had, about making new things happen and make something different take place. As a creative person, I love that — I love that every day has a possibility, whatever it might be. And so, the clothing line is a brand new launch within the Metal God Entertainment production facility that we have. So here we are. Why now? I don't know. Some people are like, "Are you crazy? Look at the economy." But I don't think that's an issue. Fresh music is out every Tuesday, fresh movies are out every week. It doesn't stop any of us from being productive in that respect. I feel confident in the big picture that the economy is going to turn around soon. So I'm positioning, getting your face out there, getting your product out — it's just this very simple, early launch phase. I'm going to see where it takes us. I'm optimistic what we've got is kind of fresh and different within the market of the great competitors. With me, it's never simple - I think things through a lot. So that's where we find ourselves now — the end of September, to kick off Metal God Apparel throughout the world.

Q: Will the shirts be sold both online and in stores?

Halford: Like most successful ventures, I think you have to use both areas to the maximum. It's easier for us to give the initial launch through the website [www.metalgodapparel.com], because it's a very established, well-trafficked global site. To connect to the immediate fans that might be interested in this product, they can get it with a few clicks, and we have a secure PayPal server and everything, so it's all very simple and straightforward. It's all coming out of our offices in Arizona. We've got people that take care of the orders 24 hours a day, so that's easy. But having said that, it would be foolish to stay in that one world, I want to have the opportunity to break this out into retail — whether it's through Nordstrom, Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, whatever. We're looking at lots of different possibilities and all of those people that I've mentioned have shown initial interest. So I think in essence it's heavy metal, rock n' roll — whatever you want to call it. I think everybody's got a bit of the rock n' roll spirit in them, and that's important — to be able to connect with everybody. I'm not looking for, in a business sense, a demographic of this side to this side - this is for everybody. I think again, the initial presentation of the thirteen designs has been pretty well received — the main push will be at the MAGIC convention next February in Las Vegas.

Q: How much of a say do you have in the t-shirt designs? Is it a collaboration?

Halford: Marc Sasso is the main illustrator and the graphic designer. He's from New York — in his own world, he's very established and successful as a illustrator. He's known me forever. So it's a combination of discussions and emails, and simply taking what he knows of me as a performer and as a writer — taking a look at the lyrics and bringing his own interpretation into the thinking process and coming up with the designs. So it's a collaboration.

Q: When will the shirts be sold at stores?

Halford: No idea. It would be foolish of me to say, "Next week or next month." I don't know. That's the thing, when you're in-house, you can control the destiny of everything, because it's from one spot. When you're talking about bringing in other people, you have to go through the politics and contracts, which take forever to do. But that's just the way it is with everybody — not just for me. So it's a lengthy process, but one you've got to go through. Because once you're in, generally it's a secure connection. But I would be optimistic and say that by next year, we should be pretty highly visible in some retail.

Q: More designs to come?

Halford: We're talking about as many as 30 complete, different designs by February. And again, that reflects on the times that we're in. Everybody's like focused on something for a week, and then it's like, "OK...what else have you got?" You have to be ready to accommodate people's needs in these modern times.

Read the entire interview at this location.

Check out photos by clicking here (courtesy of Kurt Christensen).

Rob Halford and Greg Prato (photo by Kurt Christensen)

Steve "Lips" Kudlow, guitarist/vocalist from Canadian metal legends ANVIL, was interviewed live this past Friday (October 2) on WJCU's "Metal On Metal" radio program. Lips discussed the DVD release of his band's critically acclaimed rock documentary "Anvil: The Story Of Anvil", the reissue of the group's "This Is Thirteen" studio album and ANVIL's October 6 appearance on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien".

The entire chat is now available for streaming using the audio player below.

WJCU "Metal On Metal" host Bill Peters named his radio program after the ANVIL song back in 1982 when his Friday night program first aired. "I saw the band play in front of a small but enthusiastic crowd at the Cleveland Agora on the 'Metal On Metal' tour and have been a diehard fan ever since," he said. "Their performance was high energy, exciting and very memorable. The band even passed out special full-length vinyl tour editions of their Attic Records 'Metal On Metal' album free to everyone in attendance that I still have in my collection. I had already purchased an import copy of the regular version of the album well before the show."

Peters opens his radio program every Friday night with ANVIL classics "March Of The Crabs" and "Metal On Metal". "It has become the anthem for the start of the weekend here in Cleveland," he explained. "People look forward to hearing those two songs back-to-back each and every Friday night. It's a symbolic end to their work week and puts everyone in the right frame of mind to have a good time and enjoy the weekend".

Lips, who is currently in Los Angeles preparing for the "Tonight Show" appearance, along with filming and recording for an up-and-coming movie for next summer, says, "We just did [VH1 Classic's] 'That Metal Show'. It was truly excellent. The momentum is overwhelming."

He adds, "The DVD comes out on October 6 and the movie plays on VH1 and VH1 Classic on October 3.

"I'm quite certain ANVIL's obscurity will end forever...and a part of me will always remain with my hardcore fans like Bill. I take my friends very seriously and know I truly look at Bill as being our greatest and most devoted radio personality. He deserves a BIG thanks for the years of helping our cause and believing in ANVIL."

ANVIL performed live with RAVEN, PILEDRIVER and DESTRUCTOR in Cleveland at the Beachland Ballroom in September 2007 for the WJCU "Metal On Metal" 25th Anniversary Concert. Benefiting from the years of regular radio support, the band has played Cleveland over the years more times than any other U.S. city.

Commented Peters: "The success of the movie is making me look good now too. I am getting comments like 'Oh yeah, that's the band you've been playing and talking about on your radio show for the past 27 years...they really are good...you were right!'"

He added, "I am very happy for Lips and the band. If anyone deserves success and have paid their dues, it's ANVIL. They are an inspiration to all of us to never give up on your dreams in life."

"Metal On Metal" can be heard every Friday night from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EST at 88.7 FM in the Cleveland area or streamed live worldwide at www.wjcu.org. The long-running, award-winning and highly respected radio program has been providing heavy metal on the airwaves to the metal fans of Cleveland since 1982.

Steve "Lips" Kudlow interviewed on WJCU's "Metal On Metal" (click on player below to launch audio):

"My Funeral", the new video from Swedish black metallers DARK FUNERAL, can be viewed below. (WARNING: Video features graphic violence and is not suitable for all ages. Viewer discretion is advised.) According to the band, "My Funeral" "is one of the three heavier, non-blast-beat songs" that are featured on DARK FUNERAL's new full-length album, "Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus". The video was shot in and outside an old and closed mental hospital by Standard Film Team.

Check out photos from the video shoot at this location.

"Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus" will be released on November 18 via Regain Records. The CD was recorded at Abyss Studio in Grangärde, Sweden with famed engineer and legendary producer Peter Tägtgren (PAIN, HYPOCRISY). Nine songs are featured on the effort, which is being described in a press release as "the band's most technical and varied album to date. And while still being true to their roots, they have taken a great step forward in the evolution of their brand of fine Swedish black metal. 'Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus' is, from the very beginning to the end, a hell ride you simply don't want to miss!"

"Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus" will be released in a couple of different formats, including a two-disc limited edition containing one CD and one live DVD. The bonus live DVD features approximately 55 minutes of previously unreleased material professionally filmed with six cameras during the band's 15th anniversary show at the Peace & Love festival on June 28, 2008 in Borlänge, Sweden. The album will also include two versions (soft and hardcore) of the band's brand new video, "My Funeral".
"Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus" CD track listing:

01. The End Of Human Race [4:43]
02. The Birth Of The Vampiir [4:50]
03. Stigmata [5:06]
04. My Funeral [5:30]
05. Angelus Exuro pro Eternus [5:04]
06. Demons of Five [4:48]
07. Declaration of Hate [5:24]
08. In My Dreams [6:30]
09. My Latex Queen [5:21]

* Video clip: "My Funeral" [2 versions]

Bonus DVD (limited edition only)

Live at Peace & Love festival on June 28, 2008 in Borlänge, Sweden:

01. Intro
02. King Antichrist
03. Diabolis Interium
04. The Secrets of The Black Arts
05. The Arrival of Satan's Empire
06. Goddess of Sodomy
07. 666 Voices Inside
08. Vobiscum Satanas
09. Hail Murder
10. Atrum Regina
11. An Apprentice of Satan

DVD credits:

* Film production by Year Zero
* Professionally filmed with six cameras
* Sound engineering by Henrik Wenngren
* Sound recording by Erik Sjölander
* Mixed by Erik Sjölander at Studio Wasteland [Uppsala, Sweden]
* Pyro by Unique Pyrotechnic AB

DARK FUNERAL released "Attera Orbis Terrarum - Part II", the second DVD recorded during the band's world tour in support of the "Attera Totus Sanctus" album, on October 20, 2008.

Released in 2005, DARK FUNERAL's latest album, "Attera Totus Sanctus", was recorded and mixed by Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, IN FLAMES, BEHEMOTH) and Örjan Örnkloo at Dug-Out studios in Uppsala, Sweden. Mastering duties were handled by Tomas Eberger at the Cutting Room in Stockholm, Sweden. The album features a guest appearance by former MESHUGGAH bassist Gustaf Hielm.

***WARNING: Video features graphic violence and is not suitable for all ages. Viewer discretion is advised.)***

DEAD TO THIS WORLD — the speed/thrash/black metal project led by former IMMORTAL bassist Iscariah — has issued the following update:

"Recordings for our forthcoming MCD/MLP will start in two weeks' time. It will contain five songs with a playing time close to 30 minutes. This will be released through Vàn Records on both CD and vinyl format sometime during start of 2010.

"Work on the second full-length is already in progress, but details for this will follow at a later time.

"We do now have a limited re-stock of our 'Dominions of Hell' shirt available. Also LP versions of the debut album which is also strictly limited."

DEAD TO THIS WORLD is:

Iscariah - Supreme Necromancer of the Apocalypse
m:A Fog - Drums of War
Thurzur - Black God of Infamous Circle

DEAD TO THIS WORLD's debut album, "First Strike for Spiritual Renewance", was released in November 2007 via Dark Essence Records. The CD was produced by Bjørnar E Nielsen at Nielsen's Conclave Media Studios in Bergen.

DEAD TO THIS WORLD was originally founded by Iscariah (NECROPHAGIA, ex-IMMORTAL) as a solo project, but was expanded to a full lineup, releasing a three-track demo in 2005.

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

Norwegian/Spanish female-fronted gothic metal band SIRENIA has issued the following update:

"As Jonathan [A. Perez, drums] became a father recently, he has decided to take some time off with his family. So for the 'Beauty & The Beast' tour in November Roland Navratil from DIGNITY will step in as a session drummer.

"It is not the first time we work with Roland, as he also replaced Jonathan on our European tour back in 2004/2005.

"We are looking forward to work with him again, and we would like to wish Jonathan the best of luck and some great time with his family."

Scheduled to kick off on November 13 in Lichtenfels, Germany, the "Beauty & The Beast Tour" will also features LEAVES' EYES, ATROCITY, ELIS and STREAM OF PASSION.

"The 13th Floor", the latest album from SIRENIA, debuted at No. 149 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.

"The 13th Floor" was released in Europe on January 23. The CD was tracked at Sound Suite Studios in France and Stargoth Studios in Norway while the mixing and mastering sessions took place at the Antfarm Studios in Denmark with Tue Madsen.

SIRENIA's video for the song "The Path To Decay" was shot in Gothenburg, Sweden with director Patric Ullaeus (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL) of Revolver Film Company.

SIRENIA recruited singer Ailyn (born: Pilar Giménez García) as the replacement for Monika Pedersen, who left the group in 2007 after only one album due to "musical differences."

Ailyn is best known as a member of the young team in the Spanish version of "The X Factor", the biggest television talent competition in Europe.

Goetia Metal has uploaded video footage and photos of SIRENIA's September 19, 2009 concert at Sala Caracol in Madrid, Spain. One of the clips can be viewed below.

A 15-minute documentary on the self-titled debut album from METALFORCE, the German metal band led by former MAJESTY singer vocalist Tarek "MS" Maghary, can be viewed below.

"Metalforce" was released this past summer via Magic Circle Music, the record label owned by members of MANOWAR. According to the band's official bio, the members of METALFORCE "honor their fans with anthems of power and might. It's the stuff metal legends are made of and METALFORCE is destined to become one and the same. There [are] 11 new songs to motivate 'true metal' fans to raise their flags and pledge their allegiance. . . METALFORCE promises to unite the world of 'true metal' through the power of passion, expressed through their music."

Commented Maghary: "True metal doesn't follow commercial trends, it comes from your heart, it's truthful, it's totally honest, an honesty that is dedicated to your music and your fans."

METALFORCE is:

Tarek Maghary - Vocals
Tristan Visser - Guitar
Jan Raddatz - Drums
Freddy Schartl - Bass

Vocalist/bassist Steev Esquivel of San Francisco Bay Area metallers SKINLAB — who kicked off the "Sons of a Sikworld Tour" with MOWER on September 17 in San Jose, California — has issued the following update:

"I went to the hospital last night after dealing with chest and lung pains for the last two weeks on tour. I thought it was just a cold and something that would pass but before the [October 3] show in Herkimer, New York. I decided to take myself to the Cooperstown Emergency Room. I was told my condition was a severe lung infection that my body has not been able to fight due to the tour schedule we've been dealing with and the non-stop lifestyle that I live just trying to make things happen for the band and so I can tour.

"Bottom line is the doctors have told me I've pushed myself to the limit and was lucky enough to get treatment before this turned into full-blown pneumonia. Having been told that, I am completely bummed to announce that we are going to be cancelling the remaining dates on the 'Sons Of A Sikworld Tour'.

"This is the first tour that I have personally cancelled due to any weakness and feel it's best as I am just not representing SKINLAB to its fullest.

"With the dates currently being considered for make-up , we will keep everyone informed of our tour schedule and future plans as were all on our way home to rest up.

"Huge thanks to our new metal brothers in DARKSUN, Sikworld clothing for sponsoring the tour, and all the promoters and fans who have stood by us!"

"The Scars Between Us", the new album from SKINLAB, was released on September 15 via Stand And Deliver Records.

The band's video for the song "In for the Kill" can be viewed below. The clip was filmed in May 2008 at the group's warehouse in Oakland, California with new, up-and-coming director Jourdan McClure and it features appearances by UFC fighter Nate Quarry and Greg Thompson.

SKINLAB released a live album, "SkinnedAlive!", in April 2008 via BCD Music Group. The CD was recorded on June 3, 2007 at The Metro in Oakland, California.

SKINLAB's previous studio album, "ReVolting Room", came out in 2002. A double-disc set, entitled "Nerve Damage", featuring alternate versions of studio tracks, several live tracks recorded on the band's "ReVolting Room" tour, plus two new songs, came out in 2004.

METALLICA played the track "Through The Never" (from the 1991 self-titled album) for the first time in 16 years last night (Saturday, October 3) at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. Harvester Of Sorrow
04. Through The Never
05. One
06. Broken, Beat And Scarred
07. Cyanide
08. Sad But True
09. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
10. All Nightmare Long
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Battery
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
16. The Wait
17. Trapped Under Ice
18. Seek and Destroy

METALLICA has added single-song downloads to the LiveMetallica.com web site. Instead of buying only entire concerts, fans can pick whatever individual songs they want from any concert they choose from. Every song that the band has recorded in concert since 2004, covering a span of 269 shows, is available for 99 cents per MP3. Full shows are still $9.95 as MP3 files and $12.95 as higher-quality FLAC files.

Frontman James Hetfield told The Pulse of Radio about deciding to release individual songs, "Yeah, I think the song-per-song vs. album is kind of a long lost battle, I think. You know, people in the fast-food world we live in want what they want, and want it now, and when they're done with it, they're done with it. So yeah, it's about time, and I think it's the right move."

LiveMetallica.com was launched in March 2004 and makes downloads available for purchase of every show the band has played since then, often within hours of the gig's finale.

More than 300,000 downloads have been purchased at the site since its launch.

The "Vault" section of the site offers free downloads of shows recorded before 2004.

More shows will crop up at the site in upcoming weeks, since METALLICA just launched a new North American tour last month. The band next plays in Atlanta, Georgia on October 4, with dates booked through mid-December.



(Thanks: Chris Schrader)

U.K.'s Rock Sound recently spoke with guitarist Zoltan Bathory of Los Angeles metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH about his band's claim that Zoltan went "missing" for three days following a September 18 show in Las Vegas.

Although the group indicated in an online posting it had notified "the appropriate authorities" shortly after Bathory's "disappearance," the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department apparently had no record of Bathory ever having been reported missing.

Rock Sound: So what happened to you then? People reckon it was a [publicity] stunt. Was it?

Zoltan: "For a PR stunt, I could think of a million better things than 'woohoo, rock musician gets shitfaced in Vegas and disappears for few days.' I would definitely prefer to go with the 'let's shoot a cow with a bazooka' feature that we are still trying to hook up with Rock Sound. Now THAT would get some serious YouTube spins."

Rock Sound: How did it go down, where did you go and when did you realize people were worried about you?

Zoltan: "I'm not going to say the party did not get out of hand a little bit, but for fuck's sake, I felt like celebrating our new record coming out finally and my cell phone ended up taking a dip in a swimming pool somewhere so I was off the grid for a couple of days. It was a raw weekend, and a lot of stupid stuff fits in 48 hours in Vegas. When I called my manager, he was like, 'Fuck, dude, half of the country is looking for you. I thought it was just a figure of speech, [but] apparently it wasn't — it was bizarre."

Rock Sound: How annoyed/relieved were the band when you returned?

Zoltan: "I was way more annoyed than anyone else. I mean, I'm the guy who runs most of the band affairs, so I'm technically the mini-manager inside the camp, keeping things organized, communicating with, label, management, merch company, lawyers, so I work around the clock... I'm the 'responsible' one. People are creatures of habit, so they aren't used to the Zoltan who's not answering his phone for 6-8 hours especially in pre-tour crunch time, but fuuuuck, it went to Defcon 5 way too fast and became a damn circus. Now I will have to answer this question for the next two years. What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas."

"War Is The Answer" — the sophomore album from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH — sold 44,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD follows up FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's 2007 debut, "The Way Of The Fist", which has sold more than 350,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The photo of Zoltan Bathory below was taken during the September 18, 2009 show at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas (courtesy of SpyOnVegas.com and the band's MySpace page).

Finnish metallers SAATTUE have posted a new song, "Taakka", on their MySpace page. The track comes off SAATTUE's sophomore album, "Vuoroveri", which is scheduled for release on October 21 via Spikefarm Records. The CD will include "eight works of heavy, dark and multi-dimensional saatto metal," according to a press release.

"Vuoroveri" was recorded at D-Studio in Klaukkala, Finland with producer Jarno Hänninen and was mastered at Finnvox Studio by Mika Jussila.

"Vuoroveri" track listing:

01. Vapahtaja (Saviour)
02. Luopio (Apostate)
03. Evoluution Kruunu (The Crown Of Evolution)
04. Itsensä Herra (His Own Master)
05. Synnistä Syntynyt (Born Out Of Sin)
06. Taakka (A Burden)
07. Verenperimä (Heritage Of Blood)
08. Häpeän Linnut (Birds Of Shame)

The video for the track "Vapahtaja", which was directed by Matti Salminen, can be viewed below.

"Vapahtaja" features special guest appearances by Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM) on guitar solo, Pasi Koskinen (AJATTARA) on backing vocals and Aapo Romu (VANGUARD) on cello.

SAATTUE writes its lyrics in Finnish and calls its music "saatto metal."

"Saatto," as well as "saattue," means "procession" in Finnish.

For more information (in Finnish), visit www.saattue.net.

(Thanks: fireangel / Night Elves)

Spencer Matulaitis of PureGrainAudio.com conducted an interview with DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy when the band played the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on August 14, 2009 as part of the Progressive Nation tour. Watch the chat below.

DREAM THEATER's new album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", sold 40,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

DREAM THEATER's last CD, "Systematic Chaos", opened with 36,000 units in 2007 to enter The Billboard 200 chart at No. 19. 2005's "Octavarium" premiered with 27,000 copies to debut at No. 36.

In addition to the standard-version CD, DREAM THEATER's tenth studio album, "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", was also made available on vinyl LP, as well as a three-disc, special-edition CD that includes the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs.

A two-part interview with legendary hard rock singer Graham Bonnet (RAINBOW, MSG, ALCATRAZZ, IMPELLITTERI) conducted by Kenny Pick of the "Turn Up The Night" radio show can be heard using the audio player below.

As previously reported, U.K. label Voiceprint will release Bonnet's first two solo albums — "Graham Bonnet" and "No Bad Habits" — on CD in October and November, respectively.

"Graham Bonnet" was released on CD in 1987, coupled with "Line Up", in Japan, but it has been an out-of-print, rare collector's item for many years. "No Bad Habits" has never been officially released on CD.

Voiceprint has also issued the J21 album "Yellow Mind -Blue Mind", featuring Graham on two tracks, "The Truth Behind The Veil" and "The Edge of Now".

For the Bonnet collectors, RAINBOW's "Anthology 1975-1983" CD has been released in the U.K., featuring the live version of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" from the legendary Monsters of Rock festival 1980. In the past, recordings of "All Night Long" and "Stargazer" from this same concert were released on vinyl LP, and "Since You've Been Gone" was also featured in the "Final Vinyl" LP/CD.

For the collectors in Australia, a DVD titled "Nightmoves" has been released, featuring an extremely rare footage of Graham's early song "Danny" from his first solo album and interview. The DVD is in PAL format and available exclusively in Australia.

Graham Bonnet interviewed on "Turn Up The Night" (click on player below to launch audio):

Part 1:



Part 2:

(Thanks: Fullshred)

iMusic1, a music channel you can receive via Astra Satellite or Digital TV within Europe, will air "Tyrants Of The Rising Sun: Live In Japan" — the latest DVD from Swedish/German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY — in two parts, starting tonight (Sunday, October 4) at 11:00 p.m. CET.

Schedules air times:

Part 1: Sunday, Oct. 4 at 23:00 - 0:00 CET
Part 2: Sunday, Oct. 11 at 23:00 - 0:00 CET

For more information, visit www.im1.tv.

The "Tyrants Of The Rising Sun: Live In Japan" DVD contains a live show filmed in Tokyo in early 2008, an in-depth 40 minute road-movie feature, and all promotional videos that have been shot for the band's latest album, "Rise Of The Tyrant".

The DVD includes the following:

I. Main Live Show (approx. 95 minutes)

01. Intro / Blood On Your Hands
02. Ravenous
03. Taking Back My Soul
04. Dead Eyes See No Future
05. Dark Insanity
06. The Day You Died
07. Christopher Solo
08. Silverwing
09. Night Falls Fast
10. Daniel Solo
11. Burning Angel
12. Michael Amott Solo (incl. "Intermezzo Liberté")
13. Dead Bury Their Dead
14. Vultures
15. Enemy Within
16. Snowbound
17. Shadows And Dust
18. Nemesis
19. We Will Rise
20. Fields Of Desolation / Outro

II. The Road To Japan (Interviews / Road Movie) (approx. 45 minutes)

III. Promo Videos

01. Revolution Begins (Original Version) (4:24)
02. Revolution Begins (Band Performance Version) (4:14)
03. I Will Live Again (3:34)

A DVD trailer can be viewed below.

Canadian hard rockers HELIX will release their new album, "Vagabond Bones", in Canada on November 17 via Universal/Fontana. Singer Brian Vollmer has been collaborating with Sean Kelly (CRASH KELLY) on material for the CD, which was mixed by engineer Aaron Murray.

Commented Vollmer: "On 'Vagabond Bones', we were working under a self-imposed deadline of having the CD out for the fall of 2009.

"The writing relationship between Sean and I developed when Sean joined the band this past spring. At the same time my writing relationship with Gord Prior came to an end as he could not commit to the project, so Sean and I began writing with each other and quickly hit it off.

"When Sean got the job as the new guitar player for Nelly Furtado, we made a pact between the two of us to finish the new CD before he had to take off on tour. We went right down to the wire last week, but in the end victory was ours and everything was finished by the time Sean got on the plane for Europe.

"We really lucked out with the talented people we were able to involve on the project. From the recording to the artwork, the team we assembled did a remarkable job on a shoe-string budget.

"I'm very proud of this piece of work. I hope the fans will enjoy it as much as I did recording it."

"Vagabond Bones" tentative track listing (not final sequence):

01. The Animal Inside (Won't Be Denied)
02. Go Hard or Go Home
03. Vagabond Bones
04. Monday Morning Meltdown
05. When The Bitter's Got The Better Of You
06. Hung Over But Still Hanging In
07. Best Mistake I Never Made
08. Make 'Em Dance
09. Jack It Up

Vollmer's track-by-track description of "Vagabond Bones" can be found on the band's official web site.

The classic '80s lineup of Canadian hard rockers HELIX — Brent "The Doctor" Doerner on lead guitar, Greg "Fritz" Hinz on drums, Daryl Gray on bass, and Brian Vollmer on vocals — recently reunited and is planning to hit the road throughout western Canada in October.

Regarding his collaboration with Kelly, Vollmer previously said, "We hit it off as writers right from the start, and the tunes we've produced so far have been getting great feedback. I've been playing them not only for industry people but to fans as well. One thing for sure — whether you love or hate this CD, you'll find it very different from anything we've done in the past. In particular, 'Monday Morning Meltdown' is a real stretch for us. It's BEATLES/CHEAP TRICK-influenced, which led Rudy Blair of 680 News to comment to me that '…if he hadn't known who it was us, he would have thought it was a young band.'"

"Writing with Sean Kelly has really brought out some of my other musical influences, like DAVID BOWIE, T. REX, and ALICE COOPER. You can hear traces of them in different songs we've put together."

HELIX has been active in the past several years with several releases. The band's most recent collection of original material, "The Power of Rock and Roll", came out in 2007. Their latest CD, "A Heavy Mental Christmas", was made available in all Canadian Wal-Mart stores last November and received airplay worldwide. The CD also received great reviews from the critics.

Swedish "art rockers" CULT OF LUNA have issued the following update:

"CULT OF LUNA will gather soon for a shorter recording session. One weekend in the middle of October in Umeå. It is not a recording related to an album, though; it is for something else. We'll definitely try to put this project into words for you during this particular weekend."

CULT OF LUNA's DVD, "Fire Was Born", was released on April 27 via Earache Records). Along with an epic live show recorded on July 1, 2008 at Scala in London, England, the disc — which was mixed, edited and designed by the band — features footage of Johannes Persson and Anders Teglund (keyboards) answering questions from fans all around the world and the videos for "The Watchtower", "Leave Me Here" and "Back To Chapel Town".

A video clip for the song "Adrift" taken from the "Fire Was Born" DVD can be viewed below.

CULT OF LUNA's latest album, "Eternal Kingdom", is based on an actual journal found in an old mental home. The CD takes listeners on a weird and wonderful journey through the mind of a former patient as he tells the tale of how his wife came to be murdered, and of the mythical creatures he claims to have encountered during the time of the harrowing event.

DORO, FEUERENGEL, KRYPTERIA and SUBWAY TO SALLY are the first confirmed bands for next year's edition of the Rockharz Open Air festival, set to take place July 8-10 at Flugplatz in Ballenstedt/Harz, Germany.

More acts will be announced soon.

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

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was the featured guest on this weekend's edition of "Headbangers Ball", which airs every Saturday night (technically early Sunday morning) 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. EST/PST on MTV2. The episode included both interview and jam segments conducted by "Talking Metal"'s John Ostronomy, as well as numerous music videos spanning Frehley's legendary career.

Five interview segments from Frehley's appearance on "Headbangers Ball" can be viewed below.

Frehley will perform the U.S. national anthem later today (Sunday, October 4) when the Kansas City Chiefs play the New York Giants at Arrowhead stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Ace's appearance will take place prior to the game.

Frehley's new solo album, "Anomaly", sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD also landed at No. 20 in Sweden and No. 52 in Germany.

In addition to the standard CD release, unique "Anomaly" packages were made available at Wal-Mart and Best Buy locations. The Wal-Mart version includes an Ace autographed tattoo while the Best Buy edition is printed on silver stock, like the KISS "Double Platinum" album.

Released on September 15 via Ace's own Bronx Born Records, with Rocket Science providing a full label service platform in the U.S., "Anomaly" was produced and recorded in Westchester County, New York between 2007 and 2009 and was mixed in Los Angeles.

Frehley last year spent time on the road fronting a band that featured second guitarist Derrek Hawkins, drummer Scot Coogan (ex-BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION) and bassist Anthony Esposito (ex-LYNCH MOB).

"Klokker Tramp", a track taken from "Von Rov Shelter", the new album from Norwegian black metallers SLAGMAUR, is now streaming on the band's MySpace page.

"Von Rov Shelter", which means "Lair of the Beast" in Norwegian, was released this month on Osmose Productions. The CD was composed using much the same techniques as those used by 18th-century composers, but with standard rock instruments mingling with the more classical instrument such as cellos and double basses, which SLAGMAUR's mastermind, General Gribbsphiiser, learned to play especially for the album.

"Von Rov Shelter" was produced by Gribbsphiiser and Snorre W. Ruch of THORNS, and includes lyrics by Thomas B Whitaker, an inmate on death row at the Polunsky Unit, in Livingstone, Texas, and guest vocals from Krush and the late Steingrim (KAOSRITUAL, CELESTIAL BLOODSHED, SELVHAT), who was recently killed in a shooting accident.

Aside from Gribbsphiiser, SLAGMAUR's lineup includes Åtselgribb on vocals and bass and Wardr on drums, and is probably one of the most reclusive bands in Norway's black metal scene. The band is known for producing a complex, sinister, multi-layered sound filled with menace, that reveals different aspects at each hearing, and whose atmosphere can change depending on the mood of the listener.

The artwork for the album is by photographer and graphic artist Tine Marie Lund Kristensen and artist Robert Hoyem, and is based on a concept by General Gribbsphiiser. The front cover is a representation of Leonardo Da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper", and the set itself took three weeks to build and light in order to capture the feel of the original as faithfully as possible. The figures of Christ and the Apostles are represented by band members, friends and even fictional characters, in the guise of various satanic, biblical or historical figures. THORNS' Snorre W Ruch takes on the role of Cain, Åtselgribb is Judas Iscariot, Freddy Krueger is Nero, Bzilla is Legion, Krush is Belial, General Gribbsphiiser and Lilith are themselves.

Margaret Priebe, the 85-year-old METALLICA fan who became a viral sensation after her story appeared in Thursday's St. Petersburg Times, was invited backstage for a meet-and-greet prior to the band's show last night (Saturday, October 3) at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. Each member of METALLICA spent a little time with her, sharing stories of her favorite album, "S&M". Guitarist Kirk Hammett also mentioned that his mother now has some competition! In addition, guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield dedicated the song "Nothing Else Matters" to Margaret at the sold-out concert, which was attended by more than 18,000 people.

"The number one METALLICA fan!" drummer Lars Ulrich said when he met Priebe, according to TampaBay.com.

When Hetfield came in, he leaned down and asked, "Mind if I hug you?" She didn't mind at all. Hammett told her to "Keep it metal!" She smiled big. The band signed her copy of new album "Death Magnetic" and even gave her a roadie T-shirt.

After the meet-and-greet, Priebe said, "They were just like what I'd thought they'd be — very nice."

As she was led through the arena, fans burst into applause, asking for pictures and rocking the devil horns, the ultimate metal salute.

Nine years ago, Margaret turned on the radio and discovered METALLICA's 1999 "S&M" album, recorded with the San Francisco Symphony, according to the St. Petersburg Times. She had never heard such a racket before — but she loved it. Last year, she endured a cancer battle with help from her trusty MP3 player, loaded up with METALLICA, JUDAS PRIEST, OZZY OSBOURNE. She's cancer-free now, but still cranks the tunes.

"I like METALLICA — there's nothing wrong with them," said Margaret. "People think I'm weird. But I'm sorry, I like it loud."

"Mom likes Lars," said her son, Jim, 48, who accompanied her to the concert. "She likes drummers."

"Lars is cute," said Margaret. "But I like 'em all."

For the St. Petersburg Times story, Margaret was asked if she'd like to meet METALLICA — Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo. She smiled and said "Oh sure," but added "I wouldn't know what to say! I'd be so nervous!"

Photos below courtesy of Metallica.com

Russia's Darkside e-zine has uploaded high-quality photos of PARADISE LOST's October 3, 2009 concert at GlavClub in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Check them out at this location.

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Rise of Denial
02. Pity the Sadness
03. Erased
04. Embers Fire
05. I Remain
06. As I Die
07. Enemy
08. First Light
09. Eternal
10. Enchantment
11. Frailty
12. One Second
13. Forever Failure
14. Requiem
15. Faith Divides Us - Death United Us
16. Last Time

Encore:

17. As Horizons End
18. Say Just Words

"Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us", the new album from PARADISE LOST, will be released in the U.S. on October 6 via Century Media Records.

The limited formats of this landmark gothic metal opus include two orchestral versions of the album tracks "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" and "Last Regret", which were recorded by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in July 2008.

The limited-edition deluxe two-CD includes special packaging (DVD-sized Mediabook with O-Card in a special leather look) and a bonus track, "Cardinal Zero", on Disc 1 plus a separate bonus CD featuring the "Lost In Prague" tracks. All vinyl lovers will be delighted to hear that the album is going to be available as limited edition gatefold LP, including the bonus track "Cardinal Zero", the orchestra mixes on a separate bonus 7" EP, the entire album on CD (in a blank sleeve), and an exclusive poster.

The highly anticipated follow-up to 2007's "In Requiem", "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren. The album's artwork, which is based upon a "Danse Macabre" woodcut by Hans Holbein the Younger (first published in 1538), was created by Stefan Wibbeke at Medialogistics (LACUNA COIL, POISONBLACK).

Video footage of GOD FORBID guitarist Doc Coyle getting hit in the face with a cup of water during LAMB OF GOD's September 29, 2009 performance in Dallas, Texas as the support act for METALLICA can be viewed below. (Note: The cup-throwing incident occurs at the 4:22 mark.) Doc can be seen setting his guitar down and going down to the barricade to confront the person who threw the cup. LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe then jumps down to stop Doc from going into the crowd.

Doc Coyle is filling in for LAMB OF GOD's Mark Morton on the Richmond, Virginia metal band's current U.S. tour with METALLICA (as well as LOG's headlining "off" dates), which kicked off on September 14 in Nashville and will conclude on November 15 in New York City.

LAMB OF GOD's new album, "Wrath", has sold more than 170,000 copies in the United States since its February 24 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Wrath" was produced by Josh Wilbur and was recorded in studios in New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire.

When asked about GOD FORBID's plans for the future, Coyle recently told D-Lux Denim Brand, "We're currently trying to lock down our headlining U.S. tour, which I think is gonna [happen in] November [and maybe going into] December a little bit. So we should have that in the works in the next few weeks. And we'll probably go back to Europe next year for another tour. And we'll probably be looking for a new record label and trying to figure out what the future's really gonna hold. We don't wanna tour too much on a record that's not really supported by the record label. So, I think, [we'll] do one or two more tours, then kind of start thinking about the future."

GOD FORBID's new album, "Earthsblood", sold around 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan, to land at position No. 110 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD debuted at No. 2 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.

GOD FORBID's previous album, "IV: Constitution of Treason", entered The Billboard 200 chart at No. 119 in September 2005 after shifting 8,300 units.

Note: The cup-throwing incident can be seen at the 4:22 mark.

Video footage of the Jacksonville, Florida-based hard rock/post-grunge band SHINEDOWN performing the song "If You Only Knew" on the October 2, 2009 edition of ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" can be viewed below.

The deluxe editions of SHINEDOWN's first two albums — "Leave a Whisper" (2003) and "Us and Them" (2005) — are now available on iTunes.

"The Sound of Madness", SHINEDOWN's third studio effort, has sold 744,000 copies in the U.S. since coming out in June 2008.

Guitarist Shoi Sengupta of the London, U.K.-based progressive extreme metal band DE PROFUNDIS was interviewed for the latest edition of "The Flaming Skull" podcast. You can now listen to the chat below.

DE PROFUNDIS has set "A Bleak Reflection" as the title of its second album, tentatively due in December 2009 or January 2010. The CD was produced by Fernando Pereira Lopes (MISANTHROPE, ORAKLE) and DE PROFUNDIS and was mixed at Russ Russell's Parlour Studios in July. Guitarist Roman Subbotin states, "[the new album] represents a significant moment for our musical evolution. We've all worked really hard and, in my humble opinion, achieved rather spectacular results."

"A Bleak Reflection" track listing:

01. The Ephemeral Burden
02. Ablaze In Autumn’s Fire
03. Nocturnal Splendour
04. Cease To Be
05. Crimson Black Bleeding
06. Cold Is The Grave
07. Longing
08. The Mourner

DE PROFUNDIS has signed a licensing deal with Sony BMG Entertainment to release the group's debut album, "Beyond Redemption", in India. The CD, originally self-released by the band in 2007, has gone on to receive international acclaim and has helped DE PROFUNDIS land major festival slots, including MMD Festival 2008 in Athens, Greece and Bloodstock Open Air 2008 in the U.K. In February 2009, DE PROFUNDIS supported IRON MAIDEN at Bangalore's Rock in India festival.

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