According to a new Twitter post by Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE), he is in the middle of having a new recording studio constructed in California. Wylde and his BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bandmates will spend January/February tracking a new album for a tentative spring 2010 release.

Zakk's wife Barbaranne revealed in a recent online posting that Wylde is suffering from "a rare genetic clotting disorder" for which he is currently receiving treatment in California.

Wylde got the "green light" from his doctor to take part in the Halloween (October 31) BLACK LABEL SOCIETY performance in Times Square (New York City) to promote his new limited-edition Epiphone Graveyard Disciple guitar. Zakk has also scheduled an in-store signing session on October 30 at Sam Ash in New York City to unveil the guitar.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "Skullage" DVD package sold 5,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on the Top Music Videos chart. Released April 21 in three different configurations — CD, DVD and CD/DVD — this collection features the best of Zakk Wylde & Co. This massive greatest hits package is chock-full of live material, music videos, interviews, and a vivid cross-section of brutal and introspective tracks, from amped-up blazers like "Fire It Up" and "Suicide Messiah" to raw power ballads like "In This River" and "Spoke In The Wheel".

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY announced in June 2007 that it had parted ways with Roadrunner Records.

The group's sole release through Roadrunner was 2006's "Shot to Hell" album.

"Shot to Hell" sold just under 32,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release — less than the 45,000 copies shifted by BLS's "Mafia" (Artemis) back in March 2005 — to land at position No. 21 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Vocalist Klaus Meine of German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS is one of 55 world celebrities who have joined in recording a song to draw attention to the global warming crisis. The track is part of a mass media campaign on the threats of climate change organized by the Geneva-based Global Humanitarian Forum, headed by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan.

The song entitled "Beds Are Burning", which was originally recorded by the Australian group MIDNIGHT OIL in the 1980s, can be downloaded from the Internet for free at this location. It can also be heard in the YouTube clip below.

Meine can be heard/seen around the 2:08 mark below.

Allen "Slayer" Beck of the "Midnight Metal" show, which airs on Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station, conducted an interview last month with DOWN/ex-PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo. The chat is now available for streaming using the audio player below.

"Midnight Metal" airs Wednesday through Friday every week from midnight to 1:00 a.m. It can be heard live via the Internet at www.wrif.com.

DOWN has been confirmed for the 11th annual Voodoo Experience music festival, taking place Halloween weekend in New Orleans.

More than 150 acts will play on eight stages in three separate areas — named Le Ritual, Le Flambeau and Le Carnival — around the city.

Other major acts on the Voodoo Experience bill include KISS, JANE'S ADDICTION, WOLFMOTHER, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL, MEAT PUPPETS and DOWN.

Fuse will provide on-air and online coverage of the Voodoo Experience and will broadcast a one-hour special on Nov. 7.

For more information, visit www.thevoodooexperience.com.

As previously reported, former PANTERA and current DOWN bassist Rex Brown had his gallbladder and polyps on his pancreas removed last month in a surgical procedure.

Brown is suffering from acute pancreatitis, a sudden inflammation of the pancreas which can have severe complications and high mortality despite treatment.

A full and healthy recovery is expected.

DOWN tapped Danny Theriot of Metairie, Louisiana to fill in on bass for the group's recently North American trek, which kicked off on August 3 at Beaumont Club in Kansas City, Kansas.

Video footage of DOWN performing the song "Hail The Leaf" on September 11, 2009 at the Nokia Theatre in New York City can be viewed below.

Philip Anselmo interviewed by Allen "Slayer" Beck of WRIF 101.1 FM (click on player below to launch audio):

Italian photographer Paolo Bianco has uploaded a gallery of musicians (including members of DREAM THEATER, ANTHRAX, KATATONIA, DRAGONFORCE and BACKYARD BABIES) photographed with cutting-edge 3D technology, to give the viewer the feeling that the devil's horns or the middle fingers are right "in your face" and popping out of the PC screen.

The photos can be viewed on Musica Metal.

In order to correctly the see photos, a pair of 3D blue/red glasses is required.

Commented Bianco: "I've been working on this project for quite some time, and every interview I did in person, would end with the question 'Can I please take a photo of you to turn into a 3D object?' — which was met by the musicians with quizzed looks on their faces, but quite some interest too. Finally, I have a small gallery to share with the world. I hope you like them!"

Vocalist John Kevill of Los Angeles thrashers WARBRINGER was a featured guest on the October 3, 2009 edition of "The Classic Metal Show". The chat is now available for streaming using the audio player below.

"The Classic Metal Show" can be heard every Saturday night between 9:00 p.m. EST and 3:00 a.m. EST at www.cmsradio.net.

WARBRINGER recently parted ways with bassist Ben Bennett and was rejoined by Andy Laux. Andy played on the group's debut, "War Without End", but was unable to join his bandmates for any of the touring due to him still being in high school. Now with his studies complete, Andy has been focusing on sound engineering and even built his own home garage studio.

"Waking Into Nightmares", the sophomore album from WARBRINGER, sold around 2,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 14 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.

"Waking Into Nightmares" was released on May 19 via Century Media Records. The CD was mixed by Zack Ohren (SUFFOCATION, ALL SHALL PERISH) and the cover artwork was created by esteemed artist Dan Seagrave (MORBID ANGEL, ENTOMBED).

WARBRINGER's new album was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with axeman/producer Gary Holt (EXODUS).

John Kevill interviewed on "The Classic Metal Show" (click on player below to launch audio):

B.J. Kinard of the Atlanta, Georgia radio station 97.9 FM conducted an interview with METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich prior to the band's October 4, 2009 concert at the Philips Arena in Atlanta. Watch the chat in two parts below.

METALLICA has launched an iPhone application that "creates a streaming interface to your LiveMetallica account," meaning that any live show fans have downloaded from the site will automatically stream to their iPhones once they launch the app, which costs 99 cents. Fans just have to purchase the app at the iPhone store and log onto their account at LiveMetallica.com to access every gig they've downloaded, as well as a free stream of the band's latest concert. More developments and features are also on the way.

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 has dates booked through mid-December.

Part 1:



Part 2:

Steve "Lips" Kudlow, guitarist/vocalist from Canadian metal legends ANVIL, was a featured guest on the October 3, 2009 edition of "The Classic Metal Show". The chat is now available for streaming using the audio player below.

"The Classic Metal Show" can be heard every Saturday night between 9:00 p.m. EST and 3:00 a.m. EST at www.cmsradio.net.

ANVIL is set to launch its first major tour in more than a decade — "The Anvil Experience" — a full-on, 30-date North American trek in support of "This is Thirteen" and "Anvil! The Story of Anvil". The tour kicks off in earnest on January 7, 2010 in the city of rock 'n' roll, Cleveland, Ohio, will include dates in New York and Los Angeles, and will culminate in Vancouver on February 13.

But this will not be any ordinary concert tour, as audience members will be treated to a screening of "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", before the group will take the stage for a set of heavy ANVIL classics.

And if that's not enough metal for you, well, the lads are prepared. For the serious metalhead, a limited number of 50 "VIP Anvil Experience" packages will be made available for each show, which includes a ticket to the concert, a copy of the "This Is Thirteen" CD, a copy of the "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" DVD, a fanny pack (a constant fashion companion of Reiner's as seen in the film), and a meet-and-greet with the band.

For a list of dates, visit www.myspace.com/anvilmetal.

ANVIL's re-release of the group's latest album, "This is Thirteen", sold around 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 19 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.

"This is Thirteen" was finally given proper national distribution on CD and vinyl on September 15 via VH1 Classic Records. The collectible double vinyl LP boasts newly re-recorded versions of ANVIL classics "Metal on Metal" and "666". The album, originally recorded in 2007 and produced by Chris Tsangarides (JUDAS PRIEST, THIN LIZZY), was primarily available directly from the band via their web site and at their concerts.

Steve "Lips" Kudlow interviewed on "The Classic Metal Show" (click on player below to launch audio):

Chris Riemenschneider of StarTribune.com recently conducted an interview with METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the notorious clash of egos between METALLICA's co-founders, singer/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich:

"There are definitely times there's still that tension.

"The key thing is you really gotta let those two head-butt within reason. That's the magic of what happens in the band. There's a certain energy that bounces off the two of them, and you've gotta let that flow and then offer suggestions or butt in when it's really necessary. The difference is nowadays, the band has figured out a way to defuse anything that could potentially be more destructive."

"James Hetfield, to me, is so special in terms of writing riffs and melodies; he's just an amazing musician. Sometimes, if there's a part he's not picking up right off the bat, he gets a little impatient. That's where you get a little nervous. That's where you'll see a chair fly.

"But, to me, that's all about the passion of putting a song together, and that's one of the beautiful things about this band. There's a lot that goes into this. There's a lot of challenge in what we do, it's not the easiest thing learning riffs or trying to develop a part in a METALLICA song."

On how Rick Rubin pushed METALLICA "outside its comfort zone" during "Death Magnetic" recording sessions:

"The other guys might disagree, but I think the fact that someone like Lars Ulrich had to go to Van Nuys, California — which is very industrial and not glamorous, so you have nothing else to do — I think the angst came out of that. It served as a great creative ground."

On regaining lost ground by going back to the thrashier sound of earlier albums:

"[It] feels right for me personally. The direction — in terms of being progressive, and challenging ourselves again — is very exciting. And it seems that our fans have picked up on it. They're excited about the guitar solos again. The guitar solos had taken kind of a breather there for a couple years. They're back with a vengeance. And the riffs are back and in your face again."

On the way the band goes about touring now (since all of the members are dads now, the band generally performs for a week or two, then takes a week or two off):

"It extends the tour cycle a little longer, but it balances things out well. We've been playing tighter than ever. The new songs are great fun to play live, and we're playing a lot of the old stuff, too. It's almost like we're playing a lot of the old, a lot of the new, and just a little bit of everything in between."

Read more from StarTribune.com.

Photo below courtesy of Metallica.com

UFO frontman Phil Mogg and legendary guitarist Steve Vai will guest on tonight's (Friday, October 9) edition of Eddie Trunk's "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM.

If you live in the U.S., you can listen to the program live on the Internet between 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. EST at this location.

UFO's new album, "The Visitor", was released in North America on June 16 via SPV Records.

UFO composed more than 35 new tracks in the run-up to the recordings, 13 of which were short-listed and produced at the studio.

The current lineup continues to consist of the three original members, Phil Mogg (vocals), Paul Raymond (guitar, keyboards), and Andy Parker (drums), as well as American world-class guitarist Vinnie Moore. Bass legend and original member Pete Way is currently suffering from a liver disease and was unfortunately not available for the studio production.

As previously reported, Vai will take part in an autograph-signing session on Tuesday, October 13 at Looney Tunes (31 Brookvale Ave.) in West Babylon, New York beginning at 6:00 p.m.

For more information, call 631.587.7722 or visit LooneyTunesCDs.com.

2010 will mark Vai's 30-year touring anniversary. Vai first stepped into the spotlight in 1980 as a guitarist in Frank Zappa's band but his indelible contribution to music came during his solo career, which includes combined sales of nearly six million albums. "Live In Minneapolis - Where The Wild Things Are" was filmed during Vai's sold-out Sound Theories tour which spanned several continents.

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray September 29. A live audio CD that contains select performances from the DVD came out the same day.

Spartacus Brown of Swigged! conducted an interview with Matt Kean and Lee Malia of U.K. metallers BRING ME THE HORIZON before the band hit the stage in Atlanta, Georgia on September 29 as part of the Epitaph Tour 2009. Watch the three-minute chat below.

BRING ME THE HORIZON recently shot a video for the song "The Sadness Will Never End" in Slough, U.K. with Adam Powell and RSA. It features additional vocals by Sam Carter from ARCHITECTS and is the first BRING ME THE HORIZON video to involve a narrative.

BRING ME THE HORIZON will release a remixed version of its latest album, "Suicide Season", on November 2 via Visible Noise. "Suicide Season - Cut Up" will also include the original version of "Suicide Season" as a bonus and will be packed with "additional treats and good stuff."

"It all started because I had a friend who is into making electro stuff and I asked him if he wanted to remix one of our songs," vocalist Oli Sykes told Rock Sound. "We were stoked on the end result and I thought it would be awesome if we could get every song remixed! We told our label and managers about the idea and they thought it was a good one. From there, we came up with a list of people we would love to remix our songs and started mailing people."

Tek-One, Robot Sonic, Ben Weinman from THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, Outcry Collective, L'Amour La Morgue (Ian Watkins from LOSTPROPHETS), Utah Saints and Shawn "Clown" Crahan from SLIPKNOT are among the musicians and producers who remixed and reinterpreted BRING ME THE HORIZON's music to create "Suicide Season - Cut Up".

According to Sykes, the album will be a surprise to both fans and critics alike.

"To be honest, there's not a song on there that really sounds like the original," he told Rock Sound. "What's great though is the diversity of each song. There's dub-step to hip-hop, electro to drum and bass. It's great!"

Dead Press! conducted an interview with vocalist Benji Webbe and bassist Dan Pugsley of Welsh ragga-metallers SKINDRED on October 7, 2009 in the main music room and the band's dressing room at The Sugarmill venue in Stoke-on-Trent, U.K. The chat is now available for streaming below.

"Shark Bites and Dog Fights", the new mini-album from SKINDRED, sold around 2,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 21 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.

"Shark Bites and Dog Fights" was released on September 22 via Bieler Bros. Records. The record contains eight songs, including "Who Are You?" and "Calling All Stations". It was produced by Matt LaPlant (SIKTH) at Bieler Bros. Studios in Pompano Beach, Florida.

SKINDRED's video for song "Stand For Something" — taken from "Shark Bites and Dog Fights" — can be viewed below.

Interview:



"Stand For Something" video:

Vicky Bradley (a.k.a. Vix the Angel Of Metal) recently conducted an interview with original JUDAS PRIEST frontman Al Atkins. Atkins discusses his autobiography, titled "Dawn of the Metal Gods: My Life in Judas Priest and Heavy Metal", and speaks candidly about the formative years of JUDAS PRIEST as they struggled to secure a record deal and break out of their industrial town of Birmingham, England in the early '70s.

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

In a recent interview with Express & Star, Atkins stated about his 1973 split with JUDAS PRIEST, "I was the only one in the group married and with a child, but money was a struggle. We had signed a recording contract and were playing with groups such as BLACK SABBATH, STATUS QUO, SUPERTRAMP and THIN LIZZY. We were getting bigger, but so were our overheads and we were not making any money — some of the band members were not eating much as they couldn't afford the food. In 1972 JUDAS PRIEST did 150 gigs around the country, but we didn’t take any money home. Also travelling all over the country meant I hardly got to see my family and any spare time we did have was taken up with doing photos and rehearsing. I was replaced on vocals by Rob Halford, who is now called the Metal God, and I got a job at Sutton Coldfield Cost Office garage. At that time JUDAS PRIEST were working really hard, going into Europe and it was fantastic to see that something I had started was doing so well. They had become one of these bands that we had dreamed of being. Then their album 'British Steel' came out and they were on 'Top of the Pops' and before I knew it they were a household name."

JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill has penned the foreword to "Dawn of the Metal Gods: My Life in Judas Priest and Heavy Metal". The book, which was written with Neil Daniels — a freelance rock writer and heavy metal fan who befriended Atkins during the writing of Neil's book "The Story of Judas Priest: Defenders of the Faith" (Omnibus Press) — is available via Iron Pages.

Al Atkins interviewed by Vicky Bradley (a.k.a. Vix the Angel Of Metal) (click on player below to launch audio):

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry made a special guest appearance on yesterday's (Thursday, October 8) edition of "The Ellen Degeneres Show". The segment can now be viewed below.

Perry released his new solo album, "Have Guitar, Will Travel", on Tuesday (October 6). The first single from the project is "We've Got A Long Way To Go". Perry told The Pulse of Radio that he began putting together the solo project after work on the next AEROSMITH record was delayed. "The album has kind of a vibe to it, 'cause it was written and recorded in this burst of energy," he said. "I mean, I was so ready to do the AEROSMITH record, I just had to cut loose. I had to have an outlet. I mean, I'm always writing, I'm always in the studio anyway, I just didn't think it was gonna be this soon."

Perry and his touring band, the JOE PERRY PROJECT, played at the Viper Room in Hollywood on Tuesday to celebrate the album's release, with more dates on the way.

The guitarist recently told Billboard.com's Daily Noise how his project differs from a traditional AEROSMITH album. He said, "The biggest difference would be the lyrics but even sound-wise, I think it's different."

Vocals on the disc are handled by Perry and an unknown German singer named Hagen, who was found on YouTube by Perry's wife Billie.

"Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us", the new album from British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST, has registered the following first-week chart positions:

U.K.: #16 (Rock Albums)
Germany: #22
Finland: #22
Sweden: #29

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 available as a 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 track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. As Horizons End
02. I Remain
03. First Light
04. Frailty
05. Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us
06. The Rise Of Denial
07. Living With Scars
08. Last Regret
09. Universal Dream
10. In Truth

The album's artwork (see below), 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).

PARADISE LOST's "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" video can be viewed below (clip created by Nathan T Heys / Link Productions).

On September 25, the KISS Alive 35 tour kicked off in North America in Detroit, Michigan. Each of KISS' 42 shows is being exclusively recorded by Concert Online and made available to purchase as a USB leather wristband with a KISS metal buckle or an instant live CD set, consisting of two CDs in a collector's box. To ensure maximum quality, all tracks are recorded live and are mixed with state-of-the-art recording technology by Concert Online.

If you buy all 42 two-CD sets for $1,145, you will get the limited-edition Kiss Alive 35 Kollector's Box and four USB wristbands for free! The box also features original autographs by all members of KISS and certificate of authenticity.

The original leather KISS USB wristband contains the audio recording of the show of your choice in highest MP3 quality (320 kBit/s) and KISS bonus multimedia material. Just plug in your wristband to a USB port on your computer and start the embedded KISS multimedia player to listen to your MP3s and enjoy the bonus features. Of course you can copy your MP3s to your computer, your MP3 player, etc. to listen to KISS Alive 35 wherever you want! The wristband can also be used as a standard 1GB USB flash drive.

The KISS Alive 35 digipak contains two discs with the complete recording of one concert of your choice in CD quality.

USB wristband and two-CD set are available on location at every KISS Alive 35 North American Tour show or online at Concert Online.

Alice Cooper and John Dolmayan (SYSTEM OF A DOWN) have lent their likenesses to upcoming action/horror comic book The Rufnex. The announcement was made today by Miguel A. Insignares, the writer and artist of the project.

Insignares says, "I am honored to have such an incredible roster of talent which have agreed to lend their likeness to this project and I am thrilled at the potential of The Rufnex brand across various entertainment media."

Insignares and his staff will have a booth at the Spooky Empire's Ultimate Horror Weekend on October 9-11 in Orlando, Florida. He says, "We foresee this comic book selling out fast and are therefore giving the horror fans a chance to pre-order the first issue for a special price at the event or at www.islandofthedead.com. In addition, we will be running several on-line auctions to give readers an opportunity to be illustrated in the comic book as a zombie." (Proceeds to benefit the Hero Initiative charity)

The Rufnex synopsis: A group of merciless prisoners agree to a near suicide mission on a remote island in exchange for their freedom. Their mission soon takes a horrific turn as they discover the island is crawling with hordes of ravenous zombies. When the carnage begins, they must overcome their differences if they are to escape from the island of the dead.

Insignares' previous credits include the official comic book adaptation for the 2004 film "Dawn of the Dead".

Florida-based death metallers SIX FEET UNDER have been confirmed for next year's edition of the Neurotic Deathfest, set to take place April 30 - May 1, 2010 at 013 in Tilburg, Holland.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

CARCASS
DEFEATED SANITY
DR DOOM
DYING FETUS
HUMAN MINCER
INSIDIOUS DECREPANCY
INSISION
KICKBACK
NAPALM DEATH
NOX
ORIGIN
SIX FEET UNDER
VIRAL LOAD

A total of around 40 acts will perform at the two-day event.

For more information, visit www.neuroticdeathfest.com.

Celia Walden of Telegraph.co.uk recently conducted an interview with legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On his enduring success:

"I'm 61 next birthday, and for some reason people keep wanting to hear me and see me. I don't know what happened to the years."

On how whole periods of his life started to come back when he began to work on his autobiography, "I Am Ozzy":

"I wasn't always a happy-go-lucky guy. I was bad for a very long time: I beat my wife and the rest of it… but the autobiography was cathartic — it helped me get rid of some of the guilt."

On the excesses of previous years:

"The first time I tried cocaine, I remember thinking, 'I've found the meaning of life!' But then I loved morphine and everything else, too. At my worst, I was buying kilos of the stuff every week. That said, by far the most addictive thing I've ever put in my body is tobacco. By the end, I was chewing the gum, smoking the fake cigarettes, wearing the patches and smoking 20 a day. I tried cigars, but within a week I was smoking 30 Cohibas a day, and inhaling. Now I don't do anything anymore. I got bored of always being fucked up on something or other."

On money:

"I was 18 when Sony offered us a deal for BLACK SABBATH. £105 they gave me – and I'd never seen so much cash in my fucking life. From then onwards, I could get drunk morning, noon and night, and nobody would care. There isn't another job in the world where you can turn up pissed as a wheel and not get fired."

On his wife/manager Sharon:

"If it weren't for her, without a shadow of a doubt, I would be dead. My lady's the greatest; I love her. For some reason, the shoe still fits, you know? We fight, of course. You meet these people who have been married 27 years and claim never to have had a cross word: well, I think they must have been living in different countries. Sometimes I look at Sharon and think 'Oh, for fuck's sake, why did I ever look at you to begin with?'"

On how Sharon has retained tight control of her husband's image:

"If I have a pimple on my face, she'll get the doctor round and the pair of them will sit there discussing how to deal with it."

On whether he has had any cosmetic surgery done:

"Oh yeah: I've had my double chin removed, and the fat Hoovered out from around my jawline. But I've never had Botox. My philosophy is that if something makes you unhappy every time you look in the mirror, just do something about it. But it's like tattoos. Once you have one, you have two… Look at Michael Jackson: by the end, his sister La Toya looked more like him than he did."

On what he could possibly have left to wish for:

"A Number One album would be good, and to have a movie made of the book, maybe with Johnny Depp playing me — I'd like that. But really I'd like to go back in time and make better choices. Still, I now know that there is no such place as Utopia. Hell, even if I do make it to heaven, you can bet your life that the toilet will stink."

Read more from Telegraph.co.uk.

To commemorate the release of the new URIAH HEEP album "Celebration", the CD's cover artist, Ioannis, has created and issued three hundred (300) prints measuring 18" x 24" unframed. Ioannis supervised the printing of each piece individually, assuring the closest reproduction to the actual artwork.

Each limited-edition print is approved and individually hand-signed and numbered by Ioannis and the members of URIAH HEEP — Mick Box, Trevor Bolder, Bernie Shaw, Phil Lanzon, and Russell Gilbrook.

This special edition will be limited to these three hundred prints only and will never be reproduced again.

The official URIAH HEEP web site, by special arrangement with Dangerous Age Graphics, is making an exclusive offer to URIAH HEEP, classic rock and Ioannis fans that pre-order from this site. The offer includes an additional limited-edition print of an edition of sixty signed by Ioannis. It is a print of the alternate cover that was considered for the album, a different version was eventually included in the CD package. This is the original version as it was intended making this a very collectable item for HEEP fans. It's available on a first-come-first-served basis.

The first twenty-five fans that order will receive the signed print, an additional print of the alternate cover for the album signed and numbered by Ioannis an edition of only sixty, plus a signed pencil drawing that Ioannis did as prep for the cover also signed.

The first sixty fans who order will receive the signed print, and an additional print of the alternative cover for the album an edition of only sixty signed and numbered by Ioannis.

To pre-order this rare collectible and for further information, go to this location.

URIAH HEEP look to the future proud and happy about their 40 years of joyful relationship with their audience. That's how the title "Celebration" came about.

HEEP history has been an extraordinary journey and it was time that their greatest classics were recorded in studio by the line-up playing them live to fans all over the world for more than 20 years.

The band re-recorded twelve of their most successful songs — classics like "Free Me", "Gypsy", "The Wizard", "Easy Livin'", and, of course, their all-time smash hit "Lady in Black".

In addition to that, they have composed and recorded two completely new songs as a special gift to their fans: "Only Human" and "Corridors of Madness", two of their best tracks in years.

"Celebration" was delivered in three different editions:

* Standard Edition (CD Only)
* Deluxe Edition (CD + DVD)
* Collector's Edition (CD+7" Vinyl) signed by the band.

While the "Collector's Edition" comes with a strictly limited seven-inch vinyl containing two exclusive bonus-tracks, the "Deluxe Edition" is probably the one that all hardcore fans will want to have in their collection. It will feature a DVD with URIAH HEEP's outstanding live-show at the legendary Sweden Rock Festival 2009.

Check out audio samples at this location.

"Rebellion In Nightmareland", a brand new song from Swedish/British modern metallers SONIC SYNDICATE, is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The track is one of two songs that were recently recorded at Abyss studios in Pärlby, outside Ludvika, Sweden. "Burn This City" is said to be the more commercial track of the two that is suitable for the radio, while "Rebellion In Nightmare Land" has been described by guitarist Roger Sjunnesson as a more uptempo song that the group's longtime fans can instantly identify with. Both tracks will appear on a new EP, "The Rebellion Pack", which will be released on November 9 as part of an all-in-one-package with the group's latest album, "Love And Other Disasters".

"The Rebellion Pack" track listing:

CD:

01. Encaged
02. Hellgate: Worcester
03. Jack Of Diamonds
04. My Escape
05. Fallout
06. Power Shift
07. Contradiction
08. Damage: Control
09. Red Eyed Friend
10. Affliction

Bonus tracks:

11. Ruin
12. Dead Planet

CD-Single:

01. Burn This City (radio edit)
02. Burn This City
03. Rebellion In Nightmareland

DVD:

* Studio report (making of "Love And Other Disasters")
* "Jack Of Diamonds" (video clip)
* "My Escape" (video clip)
* "Denied" (video clip)
* "Enclave" (video clip)
* "Psychic Suicide" (live in Cologne, October 2007, recorded by Bunch.TV)
* "Blue Eyed Fiend" (live in Cologne, October 2007, recorded by Bunch.TV)
* Tour De Paris
* Shopping in Paris

The cover artwork for "The Rebellion Pack" was created by Gustavo Savez of Abstrata Art and can be viewed below.

A new SONIC SYNDICATE album is tentatively due in April/May 2010.

The "Burn This City" video can be viewed below. The clip was shot with director Patric Ullaeus (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL) of Revolver Film Company.

"Bring Me Victory", the new video from U.K. doom metal legends MY DYING BRIDE, can be viewed below. The song is the title cut of the band's new EP, which is scheduled for release on October 26 via Peaceville Records. The CD was recorded at Futureworks studio in Manchester.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Bring Me Victory
02. Scarborough Fair
03. Failure (THE SWANS cover)
04. Vast Choirs (live at Graspop Metal Meeting 2008)

Commented the band: "'Scarborough Fair' is a traditional English folk song without specific origin but was made popular by SIMON & GARFUNKEL in 1966. MY DYING BRIDE's version will feature two new introductory verses written by Aaron [Stainthorpe, vocals] and will naturally feature the bands usual epic style with violins and crushing guitars.

"'Failure' was originally written by SWANS and has been a favorite within the MY DYING BRIDE camp for many years; it was only a matter of time before the band made their own version of this especially miserable number."

MY DYING BRIDE recently parted ways with violinist/keyboardist Katie Stone and replaced her with Shaun Macgowan.

The band's latest full-length album, "For Lies I Sire", was released on March 23 via Peaceville Records. The follow-up to 2006's "A Line of Deathless Kings" was recorded with longtime producer Mags.

In anticipation of the release of its fourth full-length album, "What We All Come To Need", Chicago's PELICAN will celebrate with an in-store performance at Reckless Records in the band's hometown followed by an album listening party on October 16 at 11:30 pm at Kuma's Corner, a renowned restaurant/bar responsible for dozens of burgers named for fellow members of the metal pantheon. Here they'll unleash the "Pelican Burger"; a ten-ounce kobe beef patty, with pan seared scallops and lardons, in a garlic white wine sauce on top of a parmesan crisp, and served with white wine-garlic aioli!

PELICAN has announced several more in-store appearances along the way when they hit the road this month. This is a great opportunity to see the band for free in a intimate setting!

PELICAN in-store performances:

Oct. 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Reckless Records (Wicker Park)
1532 N. Milwaukee Ave
Chicago IL
www.reckless.com

Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m.
The Record Exchange
1105 West Idaho St.
Boise, ID
www.therecordexchange.com

Oct. 24 at 3:00 p.m.
Easy Street Records (Queen Anne)
20 Mercer St.
Seattle WA
www.easystreetonline.com

Oct. 25 at 3:00 p.m.
Jackpot Records (Hawthorne)
3574 SE Hawthorne St.
Portland, OR
www.jackpotrecords.com

**this is a DJ SET; PELICAN will be playing their favorite records!

Nov. 1 at 3:30 p.m.
End of an Ear
2209 South First St.
Austin TX
www.endofanear.com

PELICAN's U.S. tour with BLACK COBRA kicks off on October 18.

For a list of dates, visit the PELICAN MySpace page.

"What We All Come To Need" is scheduled for release on October 27 via Southern Lord Recordings. Described by guitarist Laurent Lebec as "the most perfect synthesis of everything we've done to date, sonically," the CD is "a giant step forward within the complex, intricate, beautiful and crushing sound PELICAN is famous for," according to a press release. The album features more guests than have ever appeared on a PELICAN album before: Greg Anderson of SUNN O))), Aaron Turner of ISIS, Ben Verellen of HARKONEN and Helms Alee and Allen Epley from THE LIFE AND TIMES and SHINER. Content-wise, Lebec says "there is a current of inspiration that feels particular to each album's music and titles. Though we lack a singer, the song names are often conceptual. This new album speaks to a rapidly decaying world, the fulfillment we find in each other, as well as the resolve to move beyond disillusionment."

"What We All Come To Need" track listing:

01. Glimmer
02. The Creeper
03. Ephemeral
04. Specks Of Light
05. Strung Up From The Sky
06. An Inch Above Sand
07. What We All Come To Need
08. Final Breath

"Blood of the Divine", the new video from Las Vegas metallers SEVENTH CALLING, can be viewed below. The clip was shot and produced by Lance Swain and will be included — along with wallpapers and new recordings of several songs — on the group's new EP, entitled "Prelude to Madness".

"Prelude to Madness" was produced by Kirk Moll and SEVENTH CALLING and is scheduled for release October 27 via Heaven and Hell Records. The EP contains material that was originally recorded for the band's unreleased "Deliverance" album but which was scrapped by group's mainman, Steve Handel. He explained the decision to abandon the original recordings by saying, "After the ['Deliverance'] album (never under contract with any label) was completed, the following days of listening are what made my ultimate decision. Performances were weak, and the direction was incorrect for us. I regrouped, made some adjustments to the lineup, and we recorded some of the songs again, with Kirk Moll at his studios in Las Vegas."

He added, "'Prelude' is just an offering of the direction that SEVENTH CALLING will follow in the sessions for the next album."

The recording sessions for SEVENTH CALLING's next full-length album, "Epidemic", will begin before the end of the year.

SEVENTH CALLING is:

Steve Handel - Lead Vocals/Guitar
Alex Ritchey - Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals
Shannon Frye - Drums/Percussion
Michael Poplees - Bass

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

"The Spider Queen", the new album from the Texas metal band IGNITOR, is available for streaming in its entirety on www.heavyartillery.us.

"The Spider Queen" will be released by Heavy Artillery in the United States and Canada on October 13 (Cruz Del Sur Music made the CD available in Europe and all other regions on September 14).

IGNITOR features in its ranks veteran musicians of the U.S. metal scene, including founding guitarist Stuart Laurence (Batlord) from AGONY COLUMN and legendary frontman Jason McMaster of DANGEROUS TOYS and WATCHTOWER.

"The Spider Queen" is said to be an original rock opera written by Laurence and featuring nine scenes plus an intro and an epilogue, where each scene is represented by a song. The album narrates the adventure of a young man facing the quest of his life, avenging his parents' death. The story revolves around a mysterious talisman and the magic it possesses, with many turns of events that lead to an unexpected end. Each and every one of the numerous characters is impersonated by the versatile, dramatic and impressive vocals of Jason McMaster.

"The Spider Queen" track listing:

01. Magnus Opus
02. Evil Calling
03. I Never Knew
04. The Games Begin
05. Angels Descend
06. The Spider Queen
07. Rune Of Power
08. What Love Denies
09. Construct Of Destruction
10. My Heart Turns To Dust
11. Dynasty Of Darkness

The "Construct of Destruction" video can be viewed below. The clip was shot at a show in Austin by Dave Prewitt of CapZeyeZ Productions.

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

San Francisco Bay Area metallers SKINLAB have announced the addition of guitarist Brian Jackson (formerly of the Las Vegas band KREEP) to the group's ranks. The band says, "Brian stepped in after only a week to learn a 14-song set and has absolutely crushed shit while on tour. He's proven to be a perfect fit for SKINLAB and is willing to dedicate himself 150% to SKINLAB."

SKINLAB was forced to cancel its "Sons of a Sikworld Tour" with MOWER last week after vocalist/bassist Steev Esquivel was diagnosed with "a severe lung infection" before the October 3 concert in Herkimer, New York.

Commented Esquivel: "I'm finally home resting up the lungs and finally able to get a full breath of air into my system.

"I've gotta say it has been a rough few weeks... not for only me, but my band, as they have been nothing short of supportive for my situation. That has ultimately has taken its toll on not only me, but the band, our agent, label, sponsors, and most of all, the fans who have stuck by us through thick and thicker!!

"This is the first time I've ever been sidelined by any weakness and it bums me out to have cancelled the tour... knowing that there has been so much hard work put into making this tour even happen.

"We are currently trying to plan our next tour... Let it be know we have NOT thrown in the towel and look forward to getting back on tour.

"With tours being lined up for Australia and Europe in early 2010, we are also making ourselves available for anything that may pop up... Bring it!!"

SKINLAB's new album, "The Scars Between Us", sold around 380 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD was issued on September 15 via Stand And Deliver Records.

Commented Esquivel: "We're off to a slow start, but sales continue to rise, which is awesome to see. With so many great bands coming out the same release day and surrounding releases, we are very fortunate to even exist after such a lengthy hiatus."

SKINLAB's next concert will take place on October 24 at The Boardwalk in Orangevale, California.

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.

MÖTLEY CRÜE will release another "greatest-hits" collection, suitably titled "Greatest Hits", on November 17 via Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records.

The track listing for the package is as follows:

01. Too Fast for Love
02. Shout at the Devil
03. Looks that Kill
04. Too Young to Fall in Love
05. Smokin' in the Boys Room
06. Home Sweet Home
07. Wild Side
08. Girls, Girls, Girls
09. Dr. Feelgood
10. Kickstart My Heart
11. Same 'Ol Situation
12. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
13. Without You
14. Primal Scream
15. Sick Love Song
16. Afraid
17. If I Die Tomorrow
18. Saints of Los Angeles
19. The Animal In Me (Remix)

The "The Animal In Me" remix is now available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

CRÜE performed its classic 1989 album, "Dr. Feelgood", in its entirety on this year's Crüe Fest 2, the sophomore outing of the band's summer festival tour, to celebrate the record's 20th anniversary.

Eleven Seven Music/Mötley Records re-released "Dr. Feelgood" on September 21.

Originally issued on September 1, 1989, "Dr. Feelgood" reached #1 on the Billboard chart and went on to sell more than seven million copies worldwide. The title track reached No. 7 on the Hot 100 and earned the band their first two Grammy nominations (Best Hard Rock Performance: "Dr Feelgood" in 1989 and "Kickstart My Heart" in 1990). Twenty years later, the band was nominated for another Grammy Award and is celebrating its hit album "Saints of Los Angeles" on an arena tour of the U.S.

"Dr. Feelgood" was released as a deluxe version incorporating two CDs. The original version of "Dr. Feelgood" on one CD, and on the other a smorgasbord of delights! — four original demos from the "Dr. Feelgood" sessions, four tracks recorded live when the band played in Russia, plus a remix of "Get It For Free".

Orange County, California's BLEEDING THROUGH has dropped off the SATYRICON North American tour "due to some personal/family business that must be tended to immediately." The group assures its fans that "everything is fine as far as the band is concerned" and is asking everyone to respect the bandmembers' privacy.

Affected dates are as follows:

Oct. 09 - Sacramento, CA - Boardwalk
Oct. 10 - San Francisco, CA - Slims
Oct. 12 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne
Oct. 13 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Oct. 14 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater
Oct. 16 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Sound
Oct. 17 - Denver, CO - The Gothic
Oct. 19 - Mokena, IL - Pearl Room
Oct. 20 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody's
Oct. 21 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
Oct. 23 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
Oct. 24 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
Oct. 25 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Oct. 27 - Montreal, QC - Club Soda

In other news, BLEEDING THROUGH will be the "surprise" special guest for TIGER ARMY's Halloween concert in Orange County. BLEEDING THROUGH says, "We're going to help them close down their four-night 'Octoberflame' event in style by sharing the stage on Halloween night at The Grove Of Anaheim!"

BLEEDING THROUGH plans to spend December and January working on the band's new album for an early 2010 release. "We've got a lot of material and we're anxious to hit the studio in December and get it out to you in the first half of 2010!" the group says.

BLEEDING THROUGH will take part in "The Black Procession" European tour with MACHINE HEAD, HATEBREED and ALL SHALL PERISH in January/February.

BLEEDING THROUGH recently inked a deal with the Portland, Oregon-based independent record label Rise Records.

The group's latest album, "Declaration", sold around 6,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 101 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released in September 2008, the CD was recorded in Vancouver, Canada with producer Devin Townsend (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, LAMB OF GOD, SOILWORK, DARKEST HOUR) and is said to be thematically the band's most diverse album to date, addressing a variety of topics on tracks like "There Was a Flood" and "Death Anxiety".

Long-running Birmingham, U.K.-based extreme metallers BENEDICTION will tour South America for the first time ever in December. The trek is being organized by Open The Road and will include dates in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru and Colombia. Sitting behind the kit for the tour will be acclaimed British drummer Nick Barker (CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, BRUJERIA).

BENEDICTION's latest album, "Killing Music", was released in North America in September 2008 via Locomotive Records. The follow-up to 2001's "Organized Chaos" was produced by ANAAL NATHRAKH mastermind Mick Kenney and features several guest musicians, including Karl Willets (BOLT THROWER), Kelly Shaefer (ATHEIST), Billy Gould (ex-FAITH NO MORE), The Fog (FROST), Markus Staiger (Nuclear Blast Records owner) and Thorsten Zahn from Metal Hammer Germany. A limited-edition version of the album includes two bonus tracks and a DVD.

Video footage of BENEDICTION performing the song "Unfound Mortality" live at UK Deathfest on May 3, 2009 at Leeds University Union in Leeds, U.K. can be viewed below (clip uploaded by Dave Ingham a.k.a. YouTube user "triptykon").

AS I LAY DYING's "The Sound Of Truth" video will be shown at the Hollywood Film Festival. It is scheduled to screen at 7 p.m. on October 25 at the ArcLight Cinema.

AS I LAY DYING will enter the studio on October 17 to begin recording the band's new album. Vocalist Tim Lambesis said in an online posting, "We'll record as many songs as we can and then finish the album around the New Year. I think this will be a good way to spread out our songwriting since most of our previous records have always been written within a few months."

AS I LAY DYING's first-ever DVD, "This Is Who We Are", sold 4,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Top Music Videos chart. It also debuted at No. 3 in Canada, where the DVD has already shipped platinum.

AS I LAY DYING has appeared on Taste Of Chaos, Ozzfest, headlined the 2006 Sounds Of The Underground Tour, Cornerstone, Bamboozle 2006 and just about every significant hard music festival around the globe. With "This Is Who We Are", AS I LAY DYING steps into new territory by releasing its first-ever DVD consisting of three discs produced and directed by Denise Korycki (CANNIBAL CORPSE's "Centuries of Torment" DVD) that provide viewers with live performances and a complete AS I LAY DYING audio/visual history.

"It's hard to believe that we've been a band for as long as we have yet have never released an official DVD documenting our first seven years," said Lambesis. "As a result, we've included so much content that you hardly have to like our music to be entertained. With that said, it feels good knowing how many diehard fans over the years have supported our band and their simple enjoyment of our music has

Orange County, California's hardcore/metal act THROWDOWN will release its new album, "Deathless", on November 10 via E1 Music (formerly KOCH Records). The CD was produced by Mudrock (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, GODSMACK, POWERMAN 5000) and was mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with HATEBREED, THE RED CHORD and SHADOWS FALL, among others. The artwork was created by Ryan Clark of Invisible Creature and DEMON HUNTER and can be viewed below.

A song from the album, entitled "This Continuum", is now available for streaming at Noisecreep.com.

THROWDOWN will embark on "The Deathless Tour I" in November/December. Support on the trek will come from BURY YOUR DEAD, FOR TODAY, ABACABB and THE WORLD WE KNEW.

"Deathless" will be the band's fourth album with Dave Peters as frontman and primary songwriter, its second with guitarist Mark Choiniere (who joined the band in 2005) and first with bassist Mark Mitchell. Drummer Jarrod Alexander (ex-DEATH BY STEREO), who performed on the band's breakthrough "Haymaker" album in 2003, returned to work on "Deathless".

THROWDOWN last year completed touring behind the band's last album, "Venom & Tears", which was produced by the group with Mudrock. The past two years saw them on the road with KORN (Australia), KILLSWITCH ENGAGE (Canada), CAVALERA CONSPIRACY (U.S.), MACHINE HEAD / ARCH ENEMY (U.S.), headlining the Ernie Ball stage on the Vans Warped Tour, hitting major European festivals like Download, and headlining a U.S. tour of their own.

Loudfarmer.com conducted an interview with Dave Peters on September 19, 2009 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Watch the chat below.