Takamine Guitars conducted an interview with guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz of Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE on August 8, 2009 at the Hartford, Connecticut stop of this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Watch the chat below.

The new, self-titled album from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE sold 58,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's third album, "As Daylight Dies", which was released in November 2006, has just been certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies). That album featured the group's highest-charting radio singles to date, including "My Curse" and the fan favorite, a cover version of DIO's "Holy Diver".

"As Daylight Dies" opened with just under 60,000 units to debut at position No. 32 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was the follow up to 2004's Grammy-nominated album "The End of Heartache", which was also certified gold.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's self-titled fourth album was released on June 30 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was produced by Brendan O'Brien (AC/DC, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) and co-produced by guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will team up with IN FLAMES for a co-headlining tour of Canada. Support on the trek will come from PROTEST THE HERO and BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME.

Delaware thrash/speed metal band SOLITUDE was formed in 1983. Despite releasing three critically acclaimed demos true "breakout success" always seemed to slip through their fingers. While influenced by METALLICA and TESTAMENT, they were also equally drawn to works by RUSH, MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA and even ERIC JOHNSON.

In 1987, they released their first demo, "Focus Of Terror", which received an enthusiastic response from the scene thus resulting in the track "The End" appearing on "Thrash Attack III". "Sickness", released a year later, found the band quickly gaining ground with great reviews in fanzines worldwide most notably, Kerrang! As if all the positive press and opening for bands such as DEATH, DARK ANGEL and SACRED REICH, wasn't enough to warrant the scene's attention "Typhoid Mary" was then chosen to appear on Metal Blade Records' prestigious "Metal Massacre" series.

"Fall Of Creation" brought greater exposure in publications like Metal Maniacs, Thrash 'Em All and Metal Forces and they signed with Red Light Records in 1993 and recorded "From Within" in 1994 with engineer Drew Mazurek (NOTHINGFACE, HIM, LINKIN PARK, GWAR, HELLYEAH). Sadly enough, right before the album's release the label went belly up and it never saw the light of day in the U.S. After a crushing blow like that and 10 years as a band SOLITUDE decided to quietly bow out of the metal world.

Due on October 13, "Poisoned Population: The Complete Collection" (1987-1994) is a two-disc remastered collection of all 26 tracks. It features all-new artwork, extensive liner notes, full lyrics, enhanced live concert videos and much more.

The track listing is as follows:

Disc 1:

01. Twisted
02. No Future
03. Tipping The Balance
04. Alter The Red
05. Mind Pollution
06. From Within
07. The Afterlife
08. A Loss Of Blood
09. The Empty
10. Poisoned Population
11. In This Life
12. Side Winder

Disc 2:

01. Shroud Of Silence
02. Fall Of Creation
03. Degenerate
04. Alter The Red
05. Instrumental
06. The After Life
07. Side Winder
08. Typhoid Mary
09. Bats In The Belfry
10. The Elegy
11. The End
12. You Die
13. Dead Or Alive
14. Buried Alive

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/solitude302.

Professionally filmed video footage of W.A.S.P.'s May 11, 2008 performance at the Lovech Party Fest in Lovech, Bulgaria can be viewed below.

Global Music has set an October 12 release date (via Demolition Records) for "Babylon", the new album from W.A.S.P. Themed around biblical visions of "The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse," the CD is described in a press release as "a metal masterpiece that will make fans both old and new craving for more."

The track listing for the album is as follows:

01. Crazy
02. Live To Die Another Day
03. Babylon's Burning
04. Burn
05. Into The Fire
06. Thunder Red
07. Seas Of Fire
08. Godless Run
09. Promised Land

W.A.S.P. will be touring extensively throughout Europe this autumn/winter in support of the new CD.

W.A.S.P. last year completed the European and North American legs of "The Crimson Idol Tour", which kicked off on October 26, 2007 in Thessaloniki, Greece. The band performed the 1992 album in its entirety while never-before-seen video footage was being shown throughout the show. After a short break the group returned for another a 30-minute set of W.A.S.P. classics.

W.A.S.P.'s last album, "Dominator", was released in digipack and LP format on October 1, 2007 via Demolition Records. The digipack features a special 3D cover.

Fan-filmed video footage of DOWN's September 1, 2009 performance at CW Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia can be viewed below (courtesy of "marxperience").

As previously reported, DOWN bassist Rex Brown is sitting out the band's entire North American tour in order "to address some personal issues," according to a statement the former PANTERA musician released last month.

In an August 15 interview with "The Moshpit" show on Southern California's 96.7 KCAL FM, DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo stated about Brown's absence from the tour, "He's been putting off a lot. He's got two kids, he's got a family. I guess, call it the economy, if you want. He needed to sit out this run and take care of some family business."

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

Theriot was in a band called VICTORIAN BLITZ in the mid-to-late '80s with DOWN guitarist Kirk Windstein. Although the group reportedly started out by playing original material, they eventually began including more covers in their set from such acts as IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and METALLICA.

DOWN is scheduled to return to the studio before the end of the year to begin writing what will eventually become the band's fourth album, tentatively due in early 2010.

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski of LiveDaily.com recently conducted an interview with vocalist and guitarist William DuVall of reunited grunge legends ALICE IN CHAINS. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

LiveDaily.com: You're playing clubs on your forthcoming tour. Why did you decide to play small clubs, when you could play larger venues?

William DuVall: I think there's several reasons for that. It's kind of a standard plan of attack when you have a new album coming out. You kind of want to work the kinks out in smaller venues, and also it gives the fans a little something exclusive and a little more intimate while you're working your kinks out. We're still figuring out how to play some of these new songs live. It provides both a little less of a pressurized environment for us and something more intimate for the fans. It's a little bit of an appetizer before the full meal deal comes rolling down.

LiveDaily.com: You must be pretty excited about the album coming out. What can we expect from it?

DuVall: Well, I think you can expect a really dense, really heavy, but really ethereal and cathartic, sonic experience. We took our time with this record. There was certainly no shortage of thoughts and feelings to address with everything that's gone down. It's a snapshot of our journey from early 2006 to this point right now. It's the story of our coming together. It's also the story of a band that is both celebrating its legacy but also opening the door to the future, and mourning the loss of a friend — one of the great singers of all time, Layne Staley. But it really is a testament to [the fact that], for every door that closes, there's another one that opens, if you chose to open it. They lost somebody but they also gained somebody. We came together on the road as brothers. I've known [Jerry] Cantrell [guitar, vocals] for 10 years now. There's a long, long backstory that got us to that point. None of us saw this stuff coming. This is where it naturally evolved to, from even when I met him back in 2000. In the beginning of 2006, the four of us — Mike [Inez, bass], Sean [Kinney, drums], Cantrell and myself — we all came together and bonded on the road, in a way any real band should. This is the result. This is an honest look at our lives, unflinching look at a journey of personal growth and collective growth that it took for us to get here. Like I said before, I think it provides a lesson for people who want to see that lesson: You might get knocked down and from there you have a choice — you can lay there and die or you can get up and start walking. If you get up and start walking, life has a way of rewarding you. Even if you're walking through the desert, you're blind and you don't know where the hell you're going, you'll eventually come to an oasis if you keep putting one foot in front of the other. This is all that record has to say and more. Hopefully, it resonates with people the way it resonates with us. Just the fact that we're putting it out at all, seeing the light of day is the testament to how we feel about it. This was a totally self-funded, self-directed endeavor. At any point, we could have pulled the plug. We weren't contractually obligated to anyone. There was no agenda being pushed from anyone on the outside. This was all us doing this thing for all the right reasons. Just the fact that it's coming out at all was a big thing.

LiveDaily.com: It sounds like there wasn't a lot of pressure in recording it because there certainly could have been. For example, it's the first ALICE IN CHAINS album in 14 years.

DuVall: Well, there is [pressure] internally. We are our own worst critics. We are gonna be harder on ourselves than anyone can possibly be on us. In that respect, certainly there was a lot of pressure. We want to do the best work we can. We only wanted to put something out that was going to add to the incredible legacy this group already has. In that respect, there was pressure — but that's good pressure. That's the kind that makes you strive, and dig deeper and work harder. And we did. We put in the hours and we did the digging. It was painful sometimes. But I think the results are well worth it — and I just mean that in terms of outside pressure. Had there been some label commissioning or demanding something from us, that would have tipped it over into something else that we wouldn't really want to be a part of. Luckily, we are able to do this thing the way we wanted. It was that much more liberating and rewarding.

Read the entire interview from LiveDaily.com.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons will be interviewed tomorrow morning (Thursday, September 3) at 8:15 a.m. on WAXQ-FM / Q104.3's "Jim Kerr Rock 'n Roll Morning Show".

If you live in the U.S., you can listen to the show live on the Internet at this location.

KISS' new album, "Sonic Boom", will be released in Europe on October 5 via Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records. The CD will be made available on October 6 in the U.S. and Canada exclusively via Wal-Mart, Walmart.com and Sam's Club retail locations.

"Sonic Boom", produced by guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley in Los Angeles, is the centerpiece of a three-disc set that also features a completely re-recorded greatest hits CD (previously available in Japan) as well as a live DVD shot in Argentina during the band's recent, record-breaking KISS Alive 35 South American tour. The CD set will retail for $12, with pre-orders starting in September on Walmart.com.

Wal-Mart, one of America's largest music retailers, is finalizing its exciting plans now for its in-store and online destinations for KISS fans surrounding the launch of the new album and tour, and will host various KISS products in addition to their music in its stores this fall. More details on Wal-Mart KISS activity, announcements regarding album pre-sales, sweepstakes and KISS appearances will be shared shortly.

The "Sonic Boom" cover art was created by Michael Doret, who also designed the band's classic "Rock And Roll Over" album cover.

Metal Assault Radio recently conducted an interview with vocalist Alissa White-Gluz of Montreal, Quebec, Canada's THE AGONIST. The chat is now available for streaming in four parts below.

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

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

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4:

EYES OF NOCTUM — the California-based black metallers fronted by Weston "Arcane" Coppola Cage (18-year-old son of actor Nicolas Cage) — have posted the song "Eyes Of Noctum" on their MySpace page.

EYES OF NOCTUM's debut album, "Inceptum" (see cover below), is due later in the year through Morbid Rose Records. The CD was recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden with acclaimed producer Fredrik Nordström (DIMMU BORGIR, IN FLAMES, HAMMERFALL). Norwegian drummer Hellhammer (MAYHEM, DIMMU BORGIR) and Swedish multi-instrumentalist Snowy Shaw (THERION, DREAM EVIL, KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI, NOTRE DAME) both make guest appearances on the CD.

According to the band's official bio, EYES OF NOCTUM "saw its genesis in 2005 when Arcane began to experiment as an underground artist. Three years later, Arcane and former NOCTUM guitarist Asmodeus began recording material they co-wrote together, taking the first step from the shadows of the unknown.

"Metaphorically speaking, EYES OF NOCTUM symbolizes both the stars and the universe, which philosophically translates as the guidance through darkness. The writing took years of development and experimentation to evolve into what it is today.

"The founding member of EYES OF NOCTUM, in collaboration with Asmodeous, Arcane was previously in HELLS DISCIPLE, an instrumental solo project that began in 2004. After exploring literature, philosophy, mythology and theatre, HELLS DISCIPLE was put on hold. Years later, after a hiatus dedicated to poetry and creative writing, Arcane gravitated back into his musical passion, giving his 'words life with the spirit of sound.' While studying, he developed his own ideology, later coupling it with music and becoming a vocalist. Arcane enjoys espousing his ideology and telling stories in metaphoric tongue set to metal. His role as vocalist reveals Arcane's unique voice and broad vocal range."

Video footage of EYES OF NOCTUM performing the song "Renaissance Prosperity" on July 15, 2009 at O'Brien's Pub in Allston, Massachusetts can be viewed below (courtesy of "melissijuana").

British epic power metallers DRAGONFORCE have posted the fifth in a series of webisodes (see below) featuring never-before-seen footage from the band's last year on the road.

DRAGONFORCE's massive final leg of the "Ultra Beatdown" tour kicks off this month in the USA with special guests SONATA ARCTICA. The band will be hitting cities across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, mainland Europe and finishing up in the U.K.

Commented DRAGONFORCE frontman ZP Theart: "We can't wait to tear across the planet once more! This time it's gonna be bigger, better than ever before with a brand new stage production and a bunch of killer old and new songs we haven't played for ages! So get your ass down the front, motherfuckers!!!"

Alexandra Zabjek of EdmontonJournal.com reports: The AC/DC concert in Edmonton drew thousands of fans to Commonwealth Stadium on August 26 along with rogue limousine and taxi drivers who netted 68 tickets totalling CAD $55,000.

A sting operation to catch illegal operators was set up at the concert, with sting operators flagging down cabs and limousines outside the stadium, the Vehicle for Hire Commission announced Wednesday. It was the second such sting in five days in Edmonton.
Tickets were handed down for infractions such as driving a limousine without valid insurance and driving unlicensed taxis.

"It's busy nights like this that you’ll find fringe operators," said Phil Fearon, from the commission.

Read the entire report from EdmontonJournal.com.

ICED EARTH frontman Matt Barlow — who works as a police officer in Georgetown, Delaware — has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"Brothers and sisters,

"I am writing to you on this, one of the saddest days of my life.

"Last night I was called into work with the Georgetown Police Department. I then found out that two of my brother officers had been shot in the line of duty. Corporal Shawn Brittingham was wounded and Patrolman Chad Spicer had been shot and killed.

"Chad was one of the kindest people I have ever known and he will be terribly missed by all of us. He leaves behind his mother and father and his three-year-old daughter, Aubrey.

"I would implore anyone who can, please make a donation to a trust that has been set up in Aubrey's name.

"All contributions can be sent to:

Aubrey Spicer Trust
c/o Norman E. Spicer
Wilmington Trust Bank
139 S. State St.
Dover DE 19901

"Or any Wilmington Trust Bank.

"Please keep these two officers and their families in your thoughts and prayers!"

For more information on the above-mentioned shooting incident, go to WBOC.com.

Acclaimed progressive rock/metal drummer Mark Zonder (SLAVIOR, ex-FATES WARNING) will make a guest appearance on IN PROGRESS's debut album, "Signal Failure".

Three songs featuring Zonder ("Leave Now", "Tunnels", and "Reverse Signal") have been posted on the band's MySpace profile.

IN PROGRESS is an experimental rock band that combines the hard rock elements of PORCUPINE TREE with the electronic textures of NINE INCH NAILS, and melancholic mood of CHROMA KEY.

"Signal Failure" is tentatively due in early 2010.

Jim Breuer, comedian, Sirius XM host and diehard METALLICA fan, sat down for a rare and hilarious interview with all the members of the legendary metal band for his weekly show on Sirius XM's Raw Dog comedy channel. The hour-long interview, taped before the band's performance at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on February 1, 2009, delved into rare subject matter and humorous hypotheticals, including which band member each would call to help hide a body and what government agencies they would assign to one another if METALLICA were its own country. The special also included a quiz portion where each member is quizzed on prices of common household products to determine how out of touch, if at all, they are from everyday life.

The first webisode featuring highlights from the interview contains the question of "Who is (by far) the most sensitive member in the group?" in regards to crying.

The answer may be shocking to some people.

***Note: Even though the above-mentioned interview was conducted back in February, and the audio version originally aired the same month, the video footage was not uploaded until today (September 2).***

"Fridays with Breuer" is an intimate show hosted by Jim Breuer, one of the county's most outrageous and beloved comedians. Breuer invites millions of Sirius XM listeners each week into his life and brain, sharing hilarious anecdotes about his adventures as a family man, doing impressions of his favorite performers, riffing on his colorful experiences from performing around the country, and discussing his beloved New York Mets, his favorite rock legends and more.



(Thanks: The Metal Den)

PENTAGRAM, the band led by the "Godfather of U.S. doom," Brooklyn-born Bobby Liebling, performed the Hole in the Sky festival (a.k.a. Bergen Metal Fest X) on August 29, 2009 in Bergen, Norway.

Fan-filmed video footage of the band's concert can be viewed below (courtesy of "OndeOrm").

For the first time in 25 years, Bobby Liebling returned to New York City on March 6 for a headlining PENTAGRAM performance at Webster's Hall. The show was filmed for the 9.14 Pictures ("Rock School", "Two Days In April") documentary, "Last Rites: The Fall & Rise of Bobby Liebling".

On stage with Liebling was ex-'RAM family member, Gary Isom (SPIRIT CARAVAN) on drums, who joined Liebling live again for the first time in nearly 15 years. This show introduced the shredding talents of D.C.'s Russ Strahan on guitar and the heavier-than-Hades rumble of Mark Ammen (UNORTHODOX) on bass.

This just in from Slave Pit Headquarters! The world's first and only "Intergalactic Correspondent," the ever-affable Oderus Urungus of GWAR, will make his sixth and most memorable appearance on Fox News' "Red Eye", hosted by Greg Gutfeld. His prior five appearances went so well, in fact, that "Red Eye" has given Oderus the opportunity to have more airtime by being a member of the panel for an entire show.

Mr. Urungus had the following to say about this recent development: "The media juggernaut that is the mighty GWAR marches relentlessly forward! I, Oderus Urungus, shall be appearing on Fox News 'Red Eye' for the sixth freaking time, on Wednesday, September 2! And what's even better — I shall be on the show for the entire hour-long episode, or until I eat the other guests, whatever comes first. And they say Fox is a conservative network... if it took a conservative network to get Oderus on TV, then I say we need more conservative networks!"

The media onslaught continues as Oderus stops by the Sirius XM studios to make an appearance on "The Opie & Anthony Show" Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m.

"The Opie & Anthony Show" is a national radio program which has been previously syndicated to dozens of markets on terrestrial, which is now exclusive to Sirius XM satellite radio.

Oderus had this to say about his upcoming appearance on "The Opie & Anthony": "I am pleased as pickled puke to finally be on 'The Opie & Anthony Show', and I am reasonably sure that my reputation as a semi-nudist and penchant for public sex had something to do with it. Here's looking forward to getting them kicked off the air for the second time! Hail GWAR!"

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

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

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

Patricia Schlein of WENN reports that animal activists at PETA are poking fun at AEROSMITH star Joe Perry's manhood after the guitarist boasted about his love of hunting deer in a recent magazine interview.

Perry told Outside Life magazine he loves nothing better than stalking his prey through the woods near his holiday home in New Hampshire, but his comments have angered animal lovers.

Perry, who also reveals he's an avid gun collector, said, "I don't shoot anything that I don't eat. Hunters are conservationists and their heads are in the right place. ... (Hunting) really gives you a great opportunity to keep in touch with reality."

PETA's senior vice-president Lisa Lange fires back, "People who take out their aggressions and frustrations on helpless animals are usually compensating for other shortcomings in their life.

"We don't know how Joe measures up, but it's interesting that he seems to feel so satisfied when he's handling long phallic-looking weapons."

Canadian extreme metal outfit KATAKLYSM will perform a series of shows in the provinces of Ontario, Québec and New Brunswick this fall. Although KATAKLYSM plans a Canadian tour next year, which will cover the other provinces as well as the cities that were skipped this year, this will be the only opportunity to see the band live in these territories.

Confirmed dates are as follows:

KATAKLYSM with BLACKGUARD, UNFALLEN:

Oct. 27 - Rouyn-Noranda, QC @ Petit Théâtre du Vieux Noranda
Oct. 28 - London, ON @ Music Hall Lounge
Oct. 29 - Ste-Hyacinthe, QC @ Le Trash
Oct. 30 - Drummondville, QC @ Salle Gaston Mandeville
Oct. 31 - Rimouski, QC @ La Coudée
Nov. 01 - Fredericton, NB @ Musiplex
Nov. 02 - Moncton, NB @ Paramount

Fan-filmed video footage of KATAKLYSM's April 11, 2009 performance at the Blender Theater in New York as the support act for NAPALM DEATH can be viewed below (courtesy of "loginkill").

"Prevail", the most recent CD by KATAKLYSM, was honored in the "Album Of The Year" in the "Metal/Hardcore" category at the Quebec Indie Music Awards (GAMIQ), an awards show that recognizes achievements by Quebec independent artists. The event was held on Sunday, September 21, 2008 at the Corona Theatre in Montreal and was produced by the Quebec Independent Music Association, which is also behind the Montreal International Music Initiative (MIMI).

Highly anticipated among true thrash metal fans, NOCTURNAL FEAR's fourth full-length album, "Metal Of Honor", will be released worldwide by Moribund Records on November 3. Reviewers with access to advance tracks claim this offering to be "more aggressive, more pissed-off, and more original than any thrash metal relesase in many years." The steadfast duo of guitarist Slavehunter and drummer Aggressor, proven to be genuine and relentless, have officially announced an addition to their arsenal: vocalist "Devastator," a fellow dedicated and decorated soldier in "the war against false metal."

"Metal of Honor" track listing:

01. Cast From Heaven (intro)
02. Nuclear Deathstrike
03. Death Before Dishonor
04. Soul Destroyer
05. The Victor And The Vanquished
06. Reign Of Terror (instrumetal trilogy)
I. A Call To Arms
II. Riding Into War
III. From Order To Chaos
07. The Enigma Of Steel
08. Soldiers Of Hell
09. Russian Roulette
10. Triumph Of Steel

The song "Death Before Dishonor" can be downloaded at this location. It is also available for streaming using the audio player below.

VAN HALEN guitar legend Eddie Van Halen has posted the following message on his Twitter page:

"Wolfie [Eddie's son and VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen], Alex [Van Halen; drums) and I rehearsed today and had a blast. We played a bunch of songs that we didn't play on the last tour, like 'Drop Dead Legs', 'Girl Gone Bad' and 'Outta Love Again'! And just jammed a bit. Haven't played these songs for a long time but they sound f'ing amazing!"

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, VAN HALEN made an extra one million dollars in the fall of 2007 when as many as 500 of the best seats at around 20 concerts on the band's reunion tour were pulled from Ticketmaster and sold through scalpers. The scalpers reportedly kept about 30 percent of the jacked-up ticket prices for themselves, while the remaining 70 percent was divided between the band, their representatives and Ticketmaster itself.

The scam was part of a Ticketmaster initiative, codenamed "Project Showtime," which was designed to get a piece of the action from the scalpers, who often re-sell tickets for hundreds or thousands of dollars more than their face value. The move was part of plan to compete with a new ticketing business started by Live Nation, by offering to share profits from the scalpers with the artists and promoters.

VAN HALEN's 2007-2008 tour, the first with David Lee Roth on the mic in nearly a quarter century, grossed more than $90 million.

At each of the 20 shows, the best seats were taken directly out of the Ticketmaster system and passed directly to private dealers and scalpers.

The project eventually fell apart, according to the Journal, because of distrust among the participants, although a number of VAN HALEN tickets were sold through the scalpers.

The scam was said to be the brainchild of VAN HALEN manager Irving Azoff, who also now serves as Ticketmaster's CEO. Azoff is also behind the scheme to merge Ticketmaster with Live Nation, which is under review by the Justice Department. Critics and members of Congress have said that the proposed merger would create a monopoly over almost all aspects of the music business.

The surviving members of MELDRUM — the band formed by ex-PHANTOM BLUE guitarist Michelle Meldrum — have posted two full new songs on their MySpace page. Check out the tracks "A Toast To Romance" and "Blackened Blue" at this location. Both songs will appear on MELDRUM's forthcoming third album (for which Michelle recorded her tracks prior to her passing), "Lifer", which will be available for purchase through iTunes starting in October.

MELDRUM has scheduled the following dates:

Sep. 02 - The Jumping Turtle, San Diego, CA
Sep. 03 - [to be announced]
Sep. 04 - Brookside Inn, Brookside Monterey, CA
Sep. 05 - Lost on Main, Chico, CA
Sep. 06 - Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
Sep. 08 - Dante’s, Portland, OR
Sep. 10 - Last Day Saloon, Santa Rosa, CA
Sep. 11 - Burnin Burro, Livermore, CA (Oakland Metro)
Sep. 12 - UB's, Mesa, AZ
Sep. 15 - Whisky A Go Go, Hollywood, CA

Michelle Meldrum died in May 2008 as a result of a cystic growth that had restricted oxygen and blood flow to her brain, rendering her braindead.

Commented MELDRUM drummer Gene Hoglan (also of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, FEAR FACTORY, DEATH, TESTAMENT, DARK ANGEL): "We're all super-excited to announce this upcoming MELDRUM tour! It's gonna be a few selected West Coast dates, where we unveil the new lineup of rip-snortin' bitches, and I'd love for everybody to come out and get your heads handed to ya! We're gonna be focusing on the upcoming 'Lifer' material which is a big step forward for the band, and we can't wait to pummel all of ya with some heavy. We'll see you on the road, people!"

"Lifer" stands as a proud tribute to Michelle, who wrote the material for the CD with Hoglan, along with new members Laura Christine (bass) and Michele Madden (vocals).

"Lifer" is sonically different in direction than anything previously released by the band. With new life, and new talent, this album has carried the talents these four have to a higher level.

Hoglan previously stated about the CD: "Let me say this: Never have I obsessed over the recording of any album I've been involved in as I have with MELDRUM's latest. The tragic circumstances that took Michelle from us also provided us with a laser-sharp focus to record the most amazing album we could. Michele Madden, Laura Christine, and hell, even Chicken, our engineer, put forth performances of a lifetime, with each member's full love and respect going into every nuance of every song. Not only to honor Michelle, but to also lay down some bad-ass music, which was ultimately what she stood for… what MELDRUM stands for. I think the songs speak for themselves, and I, for one, have never been prouder to be a part of a family, let alone a project such as this. Metal with balls. Crank it up, indeed."

Michelle Meldrum was born on September 28, 1968 in Detroit, Michigan to a family of musicians and actors, and moved to Los Angeles, California at the age of 13. She started her career in music by forming the thrash metal band WARGOD with drummer Gene Hoglan (DARK ANGEL, DEATH, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD), then moved on to become both co-founder and lead guitarist in PHANTOM BLUE. PHANTOM BLUE released its self-titled debut album on Shrapnel Records in the U.S. (Roadrunner in Europe and Japan) and eventually landed a major label deal with Geffen.

While her career flourished, Michelle married EUROPE guitarist John Norum and moved to Sweden to form MELDRUM. After many successful tours with such acts as MOTÖRHEAD and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, she reunited with Gene in 2006 when he appeared as a guest on MELDRUM album and events. Inspired to once again collaborate, Michelle moved back to America where she and Gene began writing the third MELDRUM album together.

Video footage of Gene Hoglan laying down tracks for the new MELDRUM album can be viewed below.

Steven K. of Swigged! recently conducted an interview with KITTIE drummer Mercedes Lander. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Swigged!: The band recently taped a video with David Brodsky. When should fans be expecting [to see it]?

Mercedes: Actually, it was two videos. I just saw the first cut of the first video we shot called "Cut Throat" yesterday. The other video is for "Sorrow I Know". I believe "Cut Throat" will be coming out first. It should only be a couple of weeks. He was really cool with taking our ideas and running with them. Our fans were able to be extras in it. We had an open casting call — people flew from all over to be in the video, which I thought was really cool.

Swigged!: The new record is going to be called "In the Black". I presume you're not referring to the economy?

Mercedes: Actually, yeah, it's a play on that financial term. Being "in the red" obviously means you're going down the hole. "In the black" doesn't mean you're clear of all your problems, but you're on your way to doing better. That's kind of how we feel right now. We're doing a lot better — we're on our way towards making a full recovery.

Swigged!: Who produced "In The Black"?

Mercedes: A guy named Siegfried Meier. Actually, funny story about him, he was the third in line engineer on the album "Oracle" — he was basically the studio bitch about eight years ago. [Laughs] Now, he has his own studio and a very lucrative business as a music producer. We decided to go with him because he was a real awesome person to work with [while we recorded "Oracle"]. He actually got our jokes! His new studio is amazing — state of the art and in the middle of nowhere in Ontario. We lived in a trailer for three weeks as we recorded ["In The Black"] in the freezing cold. We literally met him at the beginning of his career eight years ago.

Swigged!: So what led you to decide and go with him?

Mercedes: We see each other quite often actually. He told us one day he was building his own studio and a friend of ours actually recorded there as it was being built. After that, we decided to record there too.

Swigged!: Switching gears a bit, the band recently inked a deal with E1 Music – how did that come to be?

Mercedes: The vice president [of metal] there, Scott Givens, we've actually known him for about 10 years now. He used to work from Roadrunner Records, Capitol, RCA — so we've known him for quite awhile. He has always been a really awesome guy — very supportive of the band and always there when we needed it. Once he landed at E1, it was the obvious move. There were other labels that were interested, but they were just "Eh, blah blah." We went with him because he was on the ball.

Swigged!: You mentioned before how the new album in essence represents a new turning point for the band. This may be an obvious answer, but looking back, do you believe you've received more flak for being a Canadian metal band or for being an all-female metal act?

Mercedes: To be honest, 90% of the people out there don't realize we're Canadian. In all honestly that might be because we really don't do a whole lot here in Canada. I think people tend to go towards the obvious, which is that we're an all-girl band. It's too bad, but it's something we have to deal with. There really is no way around it — the only way there would be is if people stopped talking about it. We really hope that they do, because it's very annoying.

Swigged!: Do you think the metal scene is sexist?

Mercedes: I think that any scene [can be] sexist. But really, who cares? We play music — I really don't give a shit if there's a girl or a guy in the bands that I listen to, so why do other people? I don't understand them, I guess. If someone likes my music, it doesn't matter. If you're enjoying the music, you shouldn't get caught up in what they look like or what they do or any of that. Just my personal opinion…

Read the entire interview from Swigged!

Former AFTER FOREVER singer Floor Jansen performed with the RED LIMO STRING QUARTET on the Dutch TV program "Podium" on Sunday, August 30. Video footage of her appearance can now be viewed below.

As previously reported, Jansen also performed with the RED LIMO STRING QUARTET on August 9, 2009 at the Summer Darkness festival in Utrecht, Holland.

Commented Jansen: "Last year we did a similar show, and after many positive reactions, we play[ed] AFTER FOREVER songs again in this special form. Joost van de Broek (AFTER FOREVER keyboardist) made arrangements for this string quartet."

In February 2009, the AFTER FOREVER members announced their decision to go their separate ways, stating, "The break we took in 2008 made us appreciate all the more what we'd experienced. Now more than ever, we can look back on so many fantastic moments, something we never would have expected to be part of when we started the band all those years ago. However, that break also made us aware of the fact that we can only continue AFTER FOREVER with the energy, the full 110%, that we have always put into it and we've noticed lately that there is something missing. We have always been musicians who create music with lots of passion, and during the break we built up our own lives again and have been musically active and experimenting in several genres.

"Although AFTER FOREVER is very special to us, we feel that we have reached the point where we need to explore the world of music in each of our own different ways. Thus, we've decided to quit while we're ahead. We are sincerely proud of every CD; each album represents a unique period, and all comes together in our last album, 'After Forever', which made all of our dreams possible. We hope AFTER FOREVER will continue to be a source of inspiration for new bands and musicians alike so that our music can live on."

Deathgasm Records has set a November 13 release date for "Sub Atris Caelis", the sophomore album from Mexican death metallers INFINITUM OBSCURE. The CD was recorded at Skull Seven Studios in North Hollywood, California with renowned producer Bill Metoyer (SLAYER, MORBID ANGEL, W.A.S.P., OMEN, BITCH, LIZZY BORDEN, ATROPHY).

"Sub Atris Caelis" was mastered at Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, NOMINON, AVERSE SEFIRA, FUNERAL MIST, NEX, ONDSKAPT, MORK GRYNING, ADORIOR) in Alvik, Sweden by Tore Stjerna. The artwork for the CD was created by Timo Ketola (DISSECTION, WATAIN, DEATHSPELL OMEGA, KAAMOS, TEITANBLOOD).

The effort will be released in on 12-inch vinyl by Blood Harvest Records (Sweden).

The "Obscuridad Eterna" 7" EP by INFINITUM OBSCURE finally saw the light of day in February after a two-year delay via Blood Harvest Records. Blood Harvest will also release the vinyl editions of the band's previous works.

Florida-based "shock-rockers" GENITORTURERS, featuring MORBID ANGEL frontman David "Evil D" Vincent on bass, will release their new album, "Blackheart Revolution", on November 3 via MVD Entertainment.

According to a press release, "Blackheart Revolution" "combines the band's signature genre-bending musical style of aggressive rock, mechanical metal and underground electric pop with all the twists and turns of a sonic roller coaster of seductive mayhem that the band has crafted over their now legendary career. Co-produced by Scott Humphrey (MÖTLEY CRÜE, ROB ZOMBIE, OZZY OSBOURNE), mixed by the masters at Chop Shop, this new release delivers exceptional songwriting and superior sound quality that is sure to deliver the intense aural fix the fans deserve. The GENITORTURERS, a band whose dark, enchanting and aggressive style has entertained the world for over a decade, now presents a new chapter in their ongoing book of provocation."

Commented frontwoman Gen: "Beholden to no one other than ourselves…we went back to our roots, to what inspired us to play music…and based on the eclectic nature of each of our musical tastes these roots ran deep and wide."

Upcoming GENITORTURERS shows:

Oct. 02 - Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub (GOTHtoberfest)
Oct. 24 - Orlando, FL - Firestone
Oct. 28 - Denver, CO - Cervantes Theater
Oct. 30 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Oct. 31 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Vegas

Blackheart Revolution Tour (with SEX SLAVES, TEAM CYBERGEIST and more)

Nov. 06 - Tampa, FL - The Ritz
Nov. 08 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
Nov. 09 - Teaneck, NJ - Mexicali Live
Nov. 10 - Providence, RI - Club Hell
Nov. 11 - Montreal, QC - Fou Founes
Nov. 12 - Rochester, NY - Penny Arcade
Nov. 13 - Detroit, MI - Blondies
Nov. 14 - Cleveland, OH - Peabodys
Nov. 15 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club
Nov. 16 - Boston, MA - Middle East
Nov. 17 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
Nov. 18 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Nov. 19 - Virginia Beach, VA - Peppermint Beach Club
Nov. 20 - Raleigh, NC - Volume 11
Nov. 21 - Spartanburg, NC - Ground Zero
Nov. 22 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
Nov. 25 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper spent the morning before his September 1, 2009 show in Perth, Australia relaxing at the Joondalup Resort Golf Course.

"I have one or two new guys in the band every time I go back to Australia, and if they are golfers, I go, 'have you ever seen a kangaroo on a golf course?'" he said.

"They say 'no' and I say, 'Well, I'm going to take you to a place where there are 20 on every hole.'

"Not only is that the experience, but the golf course is a great golf course.

"I play all over the world and Joondalup is one of my favorite golf courses in the world."

West TV's interview with Alice Cooper conducted yesterday (September 1) on the Joondalup Resort Golf Course can be viewed at this location.

In a recent interview with inMyCommunity, Cooper stated that his secret to longevity was avoiding the pitfalls that claimed so many others by sobering up before he could kill himself three decades ago.

"My big brothers back in L.A. were Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison, all the guys that burnt out," he said.

"I was trying to keep up with them, but by the time I was 27 years old, I was ready to be committed.

"When you're 22, 23 and you have a couple of number one records, the world is pretty much at your feet and you’re indestructible, or at least you think you are."

Cooper said it took him some time to identify his alcoholism because he never missed a show despite rigorous tour schedules and the fact he was drinking a six-pack of beer before noon each day.

"When you wake up in the morning and you're throwing up blood, that's God's way of saying, 'I think you've had enough,'" he said.

"That's fine if you're on stage and it’s part of the show, but if it's only the Holiday Inn maid seeing it, well, obviously that got my attention.

"I went into hospital and came out a healed alcoholic."

(Thanks: Michael Bailey)

Legendary British/American heavy metal trio RAVEN performed this past Friday (August 28) at the Brooklyn Thunder Fest at Europa in Greenpoint, New York. Also appearing on the bill were ROSS THE BOSS, WHITE WIZZARD, ZANDELLE and TITANIUM BLACK

Check out photos of RAVEN's performance from RockStarPix.com.

RAVEN released its new album, "Walk Through Fire", on March 25 in Japan through King Records. The CD was recorded at the Assembly Line Studios with engineer/mixer Kevin 131 (PROJECT: FAILING FLESH, DECEASED, DYSRYTHMIA, GARDEN OF SHADOWS).

RAVEN vocalist/bassist John Gallagher previously stated about the new CD, "It's the right combination of spontaneous lunacy captured with the sounds we've always wanted."

"Walk Through Fire" track listing:

01. Intro
02. Against The Grain
03. Breaking You Down
04. Under Your Radar
05. Walk Through Fire
06. Bulldozer
07. Long Day's Journey
08. Trainwreck
09. Grip
10. Running Around In Circles
11. Hard Road
12. Armageddon
13. Attitude
14. Necessary Evil (Japan-only bonus track)
15. Space Station #5 (MONTROSE cover)

On September 13, Alfred Publishing will release "Ultimate Drum Play-Along Rush: Authentic Drum" (book and CD).

A description of the title reads as follows: "Learn to play your favorite Rush songs with these terrific transcriptions and play-along tracks. The CD contains two version of each song: a complete version for demonstration and a play-along version without drums so you can play with the rhythm tracks. Plus the CD contains embedded software that allows you to slow down, loop and even transpose keys! Plus, there are matching guitar and bass editions available! Titles: 'Anthem', 'Closer To The Heart', 'Spirit Of Radio', 'Temples Of Syrinx', 'Tom Sawyer', 'YYZ'."

"Ultimate Drum Play-Along Rush" is a companion to its "Ultimate Guitar Play-Along Rush" (released in April) and "Ultimate Bass Play-Along Rush" (released in June) titles.

(Thanks: RushIsABand.com)

Swedish rock heavyweights RAISED FIST will release their fifth album, "Veil Of Ignorance", on September 7 via Burning Heart Records. The CD was recorded at Dugout Productions in Uppsala, Sweden with producer Daniel Bergstrand (IN FLAMES, MESHUGGAH).

Commented the band: "It's now pretty much only a week or so till we drop our new album, 'Veil Of Ignorance'. Stay awake and look out for the first video, for 'Friends And Traitors', that will be up any day now.

"The dates for the record release differ from 7th to 9th of September depending in what area of the world you live in. The record will also be released on iTunes globally at the same time. Check your local stores!

"The touring will be kicking it off in Australia starting on the 10th of September. Going out with one of Australia's finest, CARPATHIAN. Only five shows in the major cities so get your tickets now.

"Back on European soil we will then do two finish shows in Helsinki and Mikkeli, supported by Denmark's PILGRIMZ. And about 10 days later we will give Sweden and Norway what they deserve. Four shows once again supported by PILGRIMZ and U.K.'s YOUR DEMISE.

"The European tour will kick off a few days later, on the 16th of October in Bochum, the heart of Europe. We're doing 16-17 shows ending the whole run in Athens. Touring with us are another one of Australia's new crazy punkers DEEZ NUTS and the superb hardcore act ENDWELL, straight out of New York.

"Last but not least, we are currently planning a USA tour. We will start off in South America then work our way up to Mexico, and then continue into Canada to once again hit the country of cold. 'Crisse de calisse de tabarnak!!' After Canada, we hit a couple of dates in the states (Los Angeles and New York with more cities to follow). Yeah, you read it right!

"Nothing more to say, only things to do! Se you all in the pit!"

Formed back in 1993, RAISED FIST is an established name within the heavy music scene. The band gained legendary status within the hardcore scene and became a well-respected name within the metal community.

Oakland, California's HIGH ON FIRE has commenced work on its long-awaited, fifth studio album and follow-up to 2007's "Death is This Communion". The trio just completed pre-production with producer Greg Fidelman (METALLICA, SLAYER, JOHNNY CASH) and has now entered The Pass Studios in Los Angeles with the goal of capturing "the ultimate HIGH ON FIRE experience."

The new HIGH ON FIRE album is slated for an early 2010 release via E1 Music (formerly KOCH Records).

Brand new images of HIGH ON FIRE hard at work on its new album can be viewed below. The stills were brought to life by photographer Andrew Stuart.

"Pre-production on the new record went great!" states HIGH ON FIRE drummer Des Kensel. "It really gave us the chance to make some last-minute adjustments before we started tracking. We've never been able to do that before and know this will make a huge difference overall. We can't believe the way everything has fallen into place for this record! Hopefully our fans will be excited as we are once they hear the new material."

Starting October 2, HIGH ON FIRE will team up with Atlanta's MASTODON and DETHKLOK — the animated death metal band from Adult Swim's "Metalocalypse" — for a massive seven-week North American tour. Hailed as "one of the most highly-anticipated tours of the year," the Adult Swim Presents trek will kick off on October 2 in Portland, Oregon and bring mayhem and destruction to local venues throughout the nation. Adding even more layers to this fall's top metal tour, CONVERGE will open each show.

For more information, visit www.adultswimpresents.com.

The members of PENNYWISE have announced that Zoli Teglas, frontman for Orange County hardcore/punk band IGNITE, will be filling in on vocals during the band's set on the 2009 SmokeOut festival at the San Manuel Amphitheatre in San Bernadino, California on October 24, as they begin their search for a new singer.

The two-day SmokeOut festival will mark the seminal Hermosa Beach punk band's first major show since PENNYWISE singer Jim Lindberg and the band parted ways last month after 19 years together.

PENNYWISE will be playing on a lineup that includes such acts as SLIPKNOT, DEFTONES, CYPRESS HILL, KOTTONMOUTH KINGS, BAD BRAINS, METHOD MAN/RED MAN, a recently reunited SUBLIME (performing with their new singer, Rome) and many more.

As a former tourmate and a longtime friend and fan, PENNYWISE's Fletcher Dragge says Teglas is a natural choice to help the band out during this transitional period. Dragge explains, "As everybody knows, Jim has left the band and we're looking for a new singer. For the time being, our friend Zoli has agreed to fill in for Jim for a couple shows to avoid having to cancel them while we look for a permanent replacement."

Teglas is looking forward to playing with PENNYWISE and their hometown So Cal fans. "I'm stoked to be singing these upcoming shows with PENNYWISE," he says. "I'm a huge fan of the band and am super grateful to share the stage with my longtime friends Fletcher, Byron, and Randy."