'80s hard rock queen Lita Ford has been added to the list of artists who are scheduled to make guest appearances at the Chiller Theatre toy, model and film expo on October 30 - November 1 at the Hilton Hotel in Parsippany, New Jersey.

For more information, go to this location.

Lita's first new studio album in 14 years, "Wicked Wonderland", is scheduled for release in Europe on October 2 via earMUSIC/Edel. The set will be issued in the U.S. on October 6 through Lita's own JLRG Entertainment label as a regular CD and limited-edition vinyl with different artwork.

Lita Ford will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday, October 7 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with Lita by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).

For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.

(Thanks: Fullshred)

MetalMonthly.com recently conducted an interview with former ACCEPT/BANGALORE CHOIR and current REECE/GYPSY ROSE frontman David Reece. The chat is now available for streaming at this location.

REECE released its debut album, "Universal Language", on August 28 via Metal Heaven. The CD was produced by Andy Susemihl (U.D.O.) and features Jochen Funders from HOLY MOSES on bass, and Stefan Schwarzmann (ACCEPT, HELLOWEEN, KROKUS, RUNNING WILD, U.D.O.) on drums.

According to a press release, "This record is truly an expression of [Reece's] life's journey, a melodic hard rock album full of big choruses, strong grooves, showcasing past, present and future.

"Reece started writing and recording this record in late 2008 with Andy Susemihl and from the beginning he realized, that Andy understood his vision musically as well as lyrically. After writing such tracks as 'Before I Die', 'Fantasy Man' and 'Flesh and Blood', he knew he was on the right track. Andy is also a world-class producer who will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with.

"While writing this record, Andy introduced David to Jochen Fünders, and after hearing his melodic style, David knew he was a perfect fit. When searching for a drummer, the obvious choice for David was Stefan Schwarzmann! He has known this super talent for a long time and when David asked him to do his record, Stefan hungrily agreed!"

"Universal Language" track listing:

01. Before I Die
02. All The Way
03. Flying Close To The Flame
04. Fantasy Man
05. The River
06. I'll Remember You
07. Rescue Me
08. Once In A Lifetime
09. We Were Alive
10. Flesh And Blood
11. Queen Of My Dreams
12. Yellow

Check out audio samples at www.reecerocks.com.

After several years under the radar on a ranch in Montana, Reece was contacted by Escape Records in 2007 to see what the chances would be for him to go to Sweden to sing on Swedish band GYPSY ROSE's next release. Soon after that David found himself in the studio for the next year recording and writing for the new GYPSY ROSE CD, "Another World", which was released in June 2008.

Vicky Bradley (a.k.a. Vix the Angel Of Metal) conducted an interview with U.K.-based singer Doogie White (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, RAINBOW, CORNERSTONE, TANK) on August 8, 2009 at the Dean Owners of America U.K. faction party at the Albany Theatre in London, England. Watch the six-minute chat below.

White is currently laying down the final vocals for his solo album with producer Pontus Norgren (guitarist for HAMMERFALL, THE POODLES, TALISMAN, GREAT KING RAT) at Pontus' Damage Done Studio in Stockholm, Sweden.

Doogie previously stated about his upcoming solo CD, "This will be an album that covers many aspects of music that I have enjoyed over the years and then some."

In addition to Norgren, White's solo album is expected to include contributions from Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, DIO, OZZY OSBOURNE), Neil Murray (BLACK SABBATH, WHITESNAKE), Patrik Johansson (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and Walter Giardino (RATA BLANCA).

White and Yngwie Malmsteen officially parted company in February 2008 after six and a half years together.

Doogie joined Malmsteen's band in September 2001 and recorded two albums with the legendary Swedish guitarist: "Attack" (2002) and "Unleash the Fury" (2005).

Quality video footage of ENGEL — the Gothenburg, Sweden-based quintet featuring guitarists Marcus Sunesson (ex-THE CROWN) and Niclas Engelin (PASSENGER, ex-GARDENIAN, IN FLAMES), drummer Mojjo (RELEVANT FEW, DRACENA) and vocalist Mangan Klavborn — performing two new songs earlier tonight (Saturday, September 5) at the Cave rock club in Sundbyberg (Stockholm), Sweden can be viewed below (courtesy of "framednoise").

ENGEL will support British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST on their upcoming U.K. tour. Also scheduled to appear is KATATONIA.

The dates are as follows:

Oct. 30 - UK - Glasgow - King Tut's
Nov. 01 - UK - Newcastle - Academy
Nov. 02 - UK - Manchester - Academy
Nov. 03 - UK - London - Academy
Nov. 04 - UK - Sheffield - Academy
Nov. 05 - UK - Wolverhampton - Wulfrun

ENGEL completed work on its sophomore album at PUK studio in Gjerlev, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, HIMSA, SICK OF IT ALL). The band is currently seeking a new label home following its split with SPV Records (which issued ENGEL's debut album, "Absolute Design", in 2007).

"Absolute Design" received its long-awaited U.S. release on May 20, 2008 via SPV/Steamhammer.

IN FLAMES frontman Anders Fridén helped his old friend Niclas (they both played together in PASSENGER) record demos and assisted in the production of the "Absolute Design" CD at Dug-Out Studios in Uppsala with Daniel Bergstrand (producer of IN FLAMES, MESHUGGAH).

EVANESCENCE frontwoman Amy Lee has commented on her band's upcoming one-off appearance at the Maquinária festival in São Paulo, Brazil in November. The group is headlining one of the nights at the two-day event (Nov. 7-8), which will feature additional performances by FAITH NO MORE, JANE'S ADDICTION and DEFTONES, among others.

Stated Lee: "We've had a few cool opportunities to play one-offs over the past year or so, and I usually end up saying no because I've been so focused on the new material and I don't want to get sidetracked (organizing an EVANESCENCE show takes some pretty serious time and preparation). BUT the writing has been going so well lately, and you Brazil fans are some of our best and craziest, we decided to just go for it!"

She added, "We won't be playing new material; it's going to be a collection of songs you already know (new stuff will come in due time).

"I'm really excited and a little nervous about the show — I've been my anonymous alter-ego for a long time! Mostly I can't wait to feel that feeling again — completely swallowed by the music."

Lee revealed in an online posting last month that she has been working on material for the follow-up to 2006's "The Open Door". She also indicated that she had "a little surprise" for the band's fans, but declined to give further details.

Lee released a statement in June in response to media reports surrounding the announcement that EVANESCENCE's former guitarist/songwriter Ben Moody had launched a new project called WE ARE THE FALLEN. Lee wrote at the time, "We're currently working on new material that I'm extremely excited about. I believe that to make great music you have to give yourself the freedom to evolve. I don't see the point in making the same record twice, so I always want to challenge myself to make something better, stronger, and more interesting than before. That takes time, but it's worth the wait for me. Hopefully, it will be for the fans too."

In addition to Moody, WE ARE THE FALLEN features fellow ex-EVANESCENCE bandmates John LeCompt (guitar) and Rocky Gray (drums) alongside "American Idol" runner-up Carly Smithson and bassist Marty O'Brien, whose recording and touring credits include DISTURBED, KELLY CLARKSON, STATIC-X, METHODS OF MAYHEM and TOMMY LEE.

Moody left EVANESCENCE shortly after "Fallen", citing creative differences with Amy Lee. LeCompt and Gray followed in 2007.

Vicky Bradley (a.k.a. Vix the Angel Of Metal) conducted an interview with the veteran British all-female hard rock band GIRLSCHOOL on August 8, 2009 at the Dean Owners of America U.K. faction party at the Albany Theatre in London, England. Watch the seven-minute chat below.

GIRLSCHOOL's 30th-anniversary album, "Legacy", was released in Europe in November 2008 via Wacken Records/SPV. "Legacy" features a plethora of special guests, including Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH), Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, DIO), Lemmy and Phil Campbell from MOTÖRHEAD, "Fast" Eddie Clarke (FASTWAY, ex-MOTÖRHEAD) and a couple of members of TWISTED SISTER.

GIRLSCHOOL will support MOTÖRHEAD on a U.K. tour in November.

Live-Metal.net's Jeff Maki recently conducted an interview with bassist Peter Iwers of Swedish metallers IN FLAMES. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

Live-Metal.net: What is [guitarist] Jesper [Strömblad's] status right now? Is he still checked into rehab? What is his status right now with the band in general?

Peter Iwers: His status is that he's still working on getting himself 100 percent — getting well and coming back as soon as he feels he's ready. Now it's not gonna change. We are five members of IN FLAMES and it's not gonna change, like some people are speculating. Jesper is very much in the band, but he needs to be ready. It's up to him when he's ready to come back and is strong enough to stay on the road. He really needs to do deal with his problems, and we are there for him as much as we can, trying to support him in the best way that we can, not rushing him and showing him that his position is here when he's ready to come back.

He's not coming back for the first tour at least, and then we'll see for the next one. He's doing way better and I'm very happy for him. It has been a problem for many, many years. At the beginning of this year, he delayed this decision, but his latest decision was to check himself in and get well once and for all. And with a few minor mishaps, he's been sticking to it. It's a disease and a lot of people don't know. And we all had to learn, obviously. Alcoholism is a disease — you can't help it. A lot of people might say [that alcoholics are] selfish and mean, and might take what an alcoholic can do to you very personal, but remember it's a disease. It takes some time to get well. And he's one of my best friends and I'm trying to give him all the support that he needs.

Live-Metal.net: So it was his own decision? It wasn't any kind of band intervention or anything of that nature?

Peter Iwers: No, because we didn't really know how bad it was. And when you're an alcoholic, it's a hard life, obviously, but I guess somehow you know about it. We didn't know how bad it was. He actually told us about it. That was his own decision. We are sticking by him. But we are still touring because we want to be out there and play and perform the commitments that we booked this entire year. We will want to fulfill them. We can't just keep on canceling. We got together with Jesper [and determined] to keep on touring without him until he's ready to come back.

Live-Metal.net: OK, so tell the fans about his replacement.

Peter Iwers: Niclas Engelin. He plays for a band called ENGEL. He's been helping us out before and he's a great guitar player, great songwriter and everything. And his band, ENGEL, is something everybody should check out. They've made one record and maybe even two, but I don't know the status of the second one. But they're an amazing band. He's a great guy. He came in with a couple of days' notice and rocked the songs. And he's a good friend, as well, since a long time ago. He and I actually joined IN FLAMES together in '97 and [current IN FLAMES guitarist] Björn [Gelotte] was still playing drums and Nic playing guitar. But then in '98, Björn wanted to play guitar instead, so Nic went away and formed ENGEL. So we're good friends all the way through this.

Read the entire interview from Live-Metal.net.

NINE INCH NAILS mainman Trent Reznor has announced the rescheduled final dates for the band's farewell tour, which ends in Los Angeles.

Reznor, who was forced to cancel two shows after falling sick, writes on the NIN web site, "Sorry about the hassles with the show not happening last night and tomorrow's rescheduling. If it would have been possible to pull these off, I would have.

"Anyway, here's the new plan. I appreciate your patience and understanding — we're attempting to make sure that everyone has the best experience possible and we're at full power."

The dates are as follows:

Sep. 06 - Echoplex (unchanged)
Sep. 08 - Henry Fonda (rescheduled date)
Sep. 10 - The Wiltern (rescheduled date)

Full refunds are available for those unable to switch things around.

For refunds, please contact nintix@musictoday.com.

According to TMZ.com, Reznor had a cold and developed a clogged ear during a flight to California earlier in the week. The clog got so bad, Reznor apparently couldn't hear himself sing during his show Wednesday at the Palladium and overcompensated by screaming out his songs.

"Japanese Hospitality", the fourth album from CHILDREN OF BODOM keyboardist Janne Wirman's WARMEN project, has entered the Finnish chart at position No. 36.

"Japanese Hospitality" was released via Spinefarm Records. The 10-song effort includes two cover versions — "Separate Ways", originally recorded by JOURNEY, and "Black Cat" by JANET JACKSON, featuring a guest appearance by the Finnish pop/rock queen Jonna Kosonen. In addition, Japanese fans get WARMEN's rendition of ROXETTE's "Fading Like A Flower" as a bonus track. Other guest musicians that appear on the CD include Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM), Pasi Rantanen (ex-THUNDERSTONE), Timo Kotipelto (STRATOVARIUS) and Marko Vaara.

Check out the "Japanese Hospitality" e-card at this location.

Interviewed in January, WARMEN guitarist and Janne's brother Antti Wirman revealed that the album would be heavier than the band's previous output, with more aggressive guitar riffs. There are just two instrumental tracks, and every song has a different singer. According to Antti, the new WARMEN album is the group's strongest effort to date because it has "the best songs, best vocalists and the best sounds."

WARMEN's third full-length album, "Accept the Fact", was released in July 2005 via Spinefarm Records. The follow-up to 2002's "Beyond Abilities" included guest appearances by CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho and STRATOVARIUS singer Timo Kotipelto.

Kosonen, who was previously a member of the multiplatinum-selling Finnish female pop duo NYLON BEAT, had contributed her vocals to CHILDREN OF BODOM's cover version of the BRITNEY SPEARS smash "Oops, I Did It Again" (which appeared on the "In Your Face" single), and was also one of the guest musicians on "Accept the Fact".

(Thanks: Melica / Night Elves)

MetalSickness.com conducted an interview with Norwegian masters of progressive/experimental metal ENSLAVED at this year's Hellfest, which was held on June 19-21, 2009 in Clisson, France. Watch the chat in three parts below.

As previously reported, Viva Hate Records has set an October 9 release date for a massive wooden box from ENSLAVED. The 3kg-package contains six long-out-of-print and sold-out albums with alternate layout:

* "Frost" LP
* "Eld" 2xLP
* "Blodhemn" LP
* "Mardraum" LP
* "Monumension" LP
* "Below The Lights" LP
* A total amount of eight records which have been sold out for AGES!!!
* All albums on thick 180g vinyl!!!

Plus:

* A reissued version of the original demo, "Yggdrassill"
* An exclusive one-sided record with rough instrumental recording of "Hal Valr" (recorded in 1992!), never before released
* An exclusive ENSLAVED belt buckle
* An exclusive ENSLAVED military cap with embroidered the logo on it

For more information, visit www.vivahaterecords.com.

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:

"New Love In Town", the new video from Swedish hard rockers EUROPE, can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Patric Ullaeus (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL) of Revolver Film Company, who previously worked with EUROPE on the "Last Look At Eden" video.

EUROPE will be IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson's guests on Friday, September 11 during Bruce's weekly BBC 6 Music radio program, dubbed "The Bruce Dickinson Friday Rock Show". Listen to the broadcast live via the Internet between 9:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. (midnight) U.K. time at BBC.co.uk.

"Last Look At Eden", the new album from EUROPE, will be released in Germany on September 18 via earMUSIC/Edel Germany GmbH. The CD will be issued in the U.K. on September 14.

"Last Look At Eden" track listing:

01. Prelude
02. Last Look at Eden
03. Gonna Get Ready
04. Catch that Plane
05. New Love in Town
06. The Beast
07. Mojito Girl
08. No Stone Unturned
09. Only Young Twice
10. U Devil U
11. Run With the Angels
12. In My Time

From the epic title track to the melodic ballad "New Love in Town", this album is on another level, less extreme than previous offering, 2006's "Secret Society", and with matured sound, "Last Look at Eden" is a mix of all the elements that have made EUROPE famous the world over.

Commented singer Joey Tempest: "This time we're taking a new direction with our songs, and we're exploring different styles. There is a definite classic rock vibe on several tracks on this album — a tip of the hat to groovin', funkin' '70s rock songs, with a modern twist."

He added: "We've got a couple of great ballads, plus some thundering rock tracks that will put you flat on your ass! We've taken the best bits from our recent albums and taken it to a new level 'Last Look at Eden' is more of a EUROPE album than 'Secret Society' or 'Start From The Dark'. We had to make those albums in order to do this."

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON have confirmed that they are working with composer John Powell and director Jimmy Hayward on the score to "Jonah Hex", the comic-book Western/horror film starring Josh Brolin in the lead role, with support from John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Michael Fassbender and Michael Shannon. The movie is based on the DC comic series about a horribly scarred antihero who is "a rough-and-tumble gunslinger and part-time bounty hunter whose adventures always ended in blood."

MASTODON guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds makes a cameo appearance in the film, which is being directed by former Pixar animator Jimmy Hayward for a June 18, 2010 release.

In a May 2009 interview with Billboard.com, MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor revealed that a film adaptation of the band's latest album, "Crack the Skye", is well within the realm of possibility — albeit not in production yet.

Dailor told Billboard.com that the quartet sat down with a film director, whom he declined to name, and "wrote out a screenplay that reads from song to song. We didn't storyboard it, but we wrote a screenplay." Three different directors, he added, have expressed interest in taking on the project.

"That'd be killer if it actually happens," Dailor said. "That's something that's cool about making concept records, that opportunity for more to be done, artistically. If you just had an album with a bunch of songs that didn't have anything to do with each other and there was no common thread, that aspect of the art wouldn't be there. But with ('Crack the Skye'), we have that possibility."

"Crack the Skye"'s seven songs, produced by Brendan O'Brien, weave together a conceptual story involving a quadriplegic, astral travel, Stephen Hawking's theories on wormholes and the philosophies of Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin. "I think it's definitely the closest we've come to a fully cohesive story from start to finish," Dailor said.

A bass guitar autographed by members of RUSH, DEFTONES, GREEN DAY and others is being auctioned to raise money for DEFTONES bassist Chi Cheng, who remains in a semi-conscious state 10 months after being gravely injured in a car crash in Northern California. The 2001 Fender Precision bass has been signed by GREEN DAY's Mike Dirnt, RUSH's Geddy Lee and Cheng himself, as well as notable session players Reggie Hamilton, Stu Hamm, Victor Bailey, Marcus Miller and others.

The bass, produced for Fender's 50th anniversary celebration, can be seen on page 16 of the September issue of Bass Player magazine, on sale now.

An instrumental track called "Song For Chi", recorded by members of METALLICA, KORN, SLIPKNOT and other bands, has been posted online for free download. Donations made at the song's site will go toward Cheng's medical expenses. His insurance company stopped his coverage last January.

DEFTONES resumed playing live earlier this year, with band friend Sergio Vega filling in for Cheng on bass. A new album is due out by the end of the year.

You can support Chi and his family by heading over to the A Song For Chi site where you can download your free copy of the song, watch the music video and — most importantly — make a donation. 100% of the donations will go to Chi and his family to help cover his ongoing medical expenses.

The following musicians make an appearance on the recording:

Jim Root (SLIPKNOT)
Sid Wilson (SLIPKNOT)
Ray Luzier (KORN)
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu (KORN)
Dave McClain (MACHINE HEAD)
Robert Trujillo (METALLICA)
Clint Lowery (SEVENDUST)
Morgan Rose (SEVENDUST)
Brian "Head" Welch (ex-KORN)
James "Munky" Shaffer (KORN)
Wayne Lozinak (HATEBREED)
Wuv (P.O.D.)
Mike Wengren (DISTURBED)
Adam Dutkiewicz (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE)

The track was produced by Fieldy and Q (STILLWELL) and was engineered by Q and Ralph Patlan. It was mixed by Jim "Bud" Monti.

The video clip below was directed by Sébastien Paquet.

For more information on Chi Cheng's condition or how to bid on the bass guitar, go to www.oneloveforchi.com .

"A Song For Chi" audio stream:



"A Song For Chi" music video:

According to Metal Hangar 18, a building in the city of Kavarna, Bulgaria features a specially commissioned portrait of SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine painted onto it. The artist responsible for the Meine piece is Jasen Nenkov, who has previously painted portraits of Ian Gillan (DEEP PURPLE), Ronnie James Dio (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW) and Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) on various buildings in Kavarna.

The mayor of Kavarna, Tzonko Tzonev, loves rock and metal music and personally invited SCORPIONS to perform at this year's Kaliakra Rock Fest. Around 15,000 fans reportedly attended the concert, which was held on July 2 at the city's Kaliakra Stadium.

SCORPIONS are currently in the studio with Swedish producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen (the team behind THE RASMUS' "Dead Letters" CD) recording their new album for an early 2010 release.

Commented Meine: "We have a lot of new songs and are very much looking forward to the creative time ahead of us. Hopefully, when this time comes to an end, we will be able to present another awesome album that rocks and finds a place in your heart."

Added guitarist Rudolf Schenker: "It is such a great feeling to be back in the studio and creating something new and genuine. As early as the first recording day with my bandmates, I realized pure creativity is in the air. I am sure that our new album will surprise all our fans. We are up to something big, so let your curiosity get the best of you!"

Stated guitarist Matthias Jabs: "Now that our 'Humanity World Tour' is over and we toured the world twice very successfully, it is time to record new songs, to write new songs — songs that come from the heart and relate to our fans' emotions around the world. I am very excited about recording our new album with lots of energy and feeling. As always though, the bar is set very high, especially as I like to measure it with our albums 'Blackout' and 'Love at First Sting'."

SCORPIONS recently extended their record deal with Ariola, which is part of the international media conglomerate Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

The band's latest CD, "Humanity - Hour 1", was produced by James Michael and co-produced by songwriter/producer Desmond Child, who has worked with such high-profile pop/rock artists as AEROSMITH, BON JOVI, ALICE COOPER, KISS, RICKY MARTIN, CHER, MICHAEL BOLTON and BONNIE TYLER.

Rudolf Schenker will release his official German-language autobiography, "Rock Your Life", in Germany on October 14. An English-language version is also planned. More details will be revealed soon.

All photos below are courtesy of Metal Hangar 18

Two classic demos from the late '80s thrash act DOMINANCE will be released on CD for the first time on October 13 via Divebomb Records.

This forward-thinking Philadelphia-area thrash band was formed from the ashes of cult heroes ANVIL BITCH. Their two demos — 1988's "Dominance" and 1990's "Look Where We Worship" — have been compiled and remastered for this new collection.

During their years in the local Philadelphia scene, DOMINANCE shared stages with such acts as SLAYER, BIOHAZARD, MORBID ANGEL, OVERKILL and THE ACCUSED and appeared on the legendary "Metal Massacre" compilation series.

"Resurrected" is the first time this material has been released on CD and was remastered by cult thrash metal fan/engineer Jamie King (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, KILLWHITNEYDEAD, THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD) at his Basement Studios. The enhanced content includes a full live set from 1989 and slide show of club flyers from the era. Also included are brand new interview with the band and full lyrics.

"Resurrected" track listing:

01. Resurrected
02. Father Paranoia
03. Disabled
04. This Is Only A Test
05. Dreams Of Supremacy
06. Explicit Termination
07. New Annihilation
08. Liquid Remains
09. Feeding Frenzy
10. Resurrected (MMXI Version) (bonus track)

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

The Scream Queen recently conducted an interview with bassist/vocalist Steev Esquivel of San Francisco Bay Area metal veterans SKINLAB. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Scream Queen: Your new album, "The Scars Between Us", is set to debut on September 15. How excited are you guys for its release?

Steev: Yeah, we're very excited; it's been a long time coming. You know, we've had... Of course, we went on a three- or four-year hiatus and then took another year and a half to write the record. So yeah, we're more than ready and we're really antsy to get it out there and tour.

The Scream Queen: I've already heard the album and it sounds amazing. Can you give me a little summary of it for those who haven't heard it yet?
Steev: Well, I mean, if anyone should know with our background straight off the bat, we haven't strayed too far from what we're known from before, but we've also taken a couple of different chances on this album — more so in the direction of just being more straight-forward than trying to get... I would say kind of molding from the new school of what's happening right now in the music industry, you know?! We've kind of stuck to our guns more of in a meat-and-potatoes way, like I would say in a HATEBREED vein; in a CROWBAR vein, you know?! More simple — a less-is-more kind of attitude. The last record, we kind of ventured off in a little bit of radio land and we gathered our senses, as you know. For this album, we just went straight for the throat, you know?! (laughs)

The Scream Queen: You guys streamed your album on MySpace two weeks ago, how was the response from doing that?

Steev: The response was great. Of course, the people who write into our MySpace and our different profiles usually are fans; we tend to get buttered up from them and everyone's really psyched and stuff like that. Across the board, the different sides and everything, we've got some mixed messages and some different people that didn't really care for the record, which is fine with us cause' every genre and every person is going to have their own personal favorites. So we're pretty happy with the response we got, and like I said, it's been a long time coming, so there's a lot of people who don't even realize who SKINLAB is, who we are. So, we're looking forward to putting the record on shelves and the release date is coming up, so hopefully we'll do pretty good.

The Scream Queen: How would you say the artwork for your album represents what the CD is about?

Steev: The artwork is actually based off of a guardian angel symbol and if you notice it's kind of almost like a scarecrow type of symbol there with the wings; it's basically the guardian angel, but kind of modified. And it basically represents kind of... To me, it represents us very well because as you know being gone for a long time, we've been trying to come back and a lot of doors were originally open for us, have been closed and a lot of backs have been turned to us. And we kind of feel like we were at almost a salvation point where it was do or die. We're out there and that's where the album artwork comes in with the guardian angel symbol and the buzzards/vultures flying around it (laughs) kind of waiting to pick it apart. Like any triumph in the story, we've got a long ways to go and we're definitely up for the challenge, and we'll see what lies ahead of us. But, for the most part, the artwork is the artwork, you know?! It doesn't have a direct relation to the band for or to the album meaning, even though it is a very cool and suggestive cover. [laughs]

The Scream Queen: You guys released a music video for "In For The Kill". Who came up with the concept for having it look like a UFC fight?

Steev: I came up with the concept and it was kind weird because I was talking to the director who I ironically just got off the phone with (laughs), talking about the next video. And anyway, I was talking about wanting to use some UFC fighters because I was... Around the time we were about to start the video, a movie that was released by TapOut Films that I was in, [it] was actually released around the same time that we started talking about doing the video. So it's kind of ironic and I was just like, "You know, I would really like to involve the MMA scene as much as possible and maybe get an octagon and stuff like that." And he's like, "Wow! That's weird! I know Nate Carey, he's a really good friend of mine. I'm sure he could come down." So we ended up hooking up our managers and his agent and everything and kind of made it all come together. And it did! So we were really stoked with the outcome. We actually filmed at an Oakland and so far it's getting a pretty amazing response.

Read the entire interview from TheScreamQueen.com.

Video footage of guitarist Robert Gutierrez of long-running Christian metallers ULTIMATUM talking about the band's recently released fifth full-length album, "Lex Metalis" (which roughly translates to "The Law of Metal"), can be viewed below.

Released on July 21 via Retroactive Records (through Brutal Planet distribution), "Lex Metalis" features 13 songs paying tribute to some of the band's influences:

01. Ton Of Bricks (METAL CHURCH)
02. Locked In Chains (THE MOSHKETEERS)
03. Sin After Sin (TWISTED SISTER)
04. Creeping Death (METALLICA)
05. Denim And Leather (SAXON)
06. Gut Wrench (MORTIFICATION)
07. Motopsycho (MEGADETH)
08. Metal Health (QUIET RIOT)
09. Steeler (JUDAS PRIEST)
10. Iron Fist (MOTÖRHEAD)
11. Can't Get Out (VENGEANCE RISING)
12. Wrathchild (IRON MAIDEN)
13. Powersurge (OVERKILL)

"Lex Metalis" was recorded the album at Sight 16 Studios with producer Ysidro Garcia, who also helmed the band's 2007 release, "Into the Pit".

Bill Adams of Ground Control magazine recently conducted an interview with guitarist Glenn Tipton of British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the band's recently completed U.S. tour:

"This tour has been received so very, very well — better than we ever expected actually. We've been out playing 'British Steel' [JUDAS PRIEST's 1980 album] from start to finish and it's the first time we've ever done that actually — we've never played an album in its entirety before this tour — but it's just fantastic. The reaction has been great and the crowds have been really into it and it's just been a really great way to celebrate thirty years of 'British Steel'.

"The set at the moment is comprised of 'British Steel' and other songs of the time in keeping with that. The priority on the road is to promote 'British Steel' and then we've sort of enhanced it and supplemented it with other numbers like 'The Ripper' or 'Victim Of Changes' and others from that era so it's all retro types of songs and it's quite nostalgic in a sense and very appropriate to perform with 'British Steel'. The mix of fans that have come out is incredibly wide too; we've got a lot of the stalwart fans there and a surprising number of younger kids that got turned on to PRIEST by their parents or discovered us in their own way, in their own time which is a great thing.

"It's always great to see young faces in the audience; it means that, through the years, you've done some things right."

On how "British Steel" was made:

"'British Steel' was one of those albums that came together very quickly. We recorded it at a place called Tittenhurst Park which was originally John Lennon's house — he recorded 'Imagine' there while he was sitting at that piano in that white room so there was a great vibe there.

"It was one of the few albums where we wrote at least fifty per cent of it in the studio while we were recording — which was very unusual for us — so it was a very spontaneous album as such; it wasn't complicated at all and was very straight-forward. Songs like 'Breaking The Law' or 'Living After Midnight' — which are immediate and straight-forward songs — all just sort of clicked and fell into place. Because of that, it's very easy to perform on stage; they're very basic stuff like 'The Rage' or 'Steeler'... it's got a lot of variation, but they're quite simple songs in a sense. It was also a very unique record in the sense that we actually wrote a lot of it while we were in the studio which we had never done before or since at that point.

"It was a very different time, then. We'd do up to a dozen takes of songs in the old days, pick the best one — the one that had the best tempo and the one that captured the right feel — and work with that; mistakes weren't that important because we could always go in and repair those, and then overdub on that and finish it off. Unlike now where you really break things down to the most minute percentage and hammer it flat so it's flawless and pristine, back then we'd just go into a studio, set mikes up and just almost record everything in a live sense; doing takes and picking the best take as opposed to doing each song piece by piece. That's what we used to do in those days; run through the whole song several times and then picked the version of the song that we all liked best."

On what is next for JUDAS PRIEST:

"After we finish up in North America, we're doing some festivals in Japan. I'm not sure what the next step is going to be after that though, but we never do. We always make that decision when the time comes so we'll take a break at the end of Japan, probably through Christmas, and then next year we'll sit down and talk about where we're going to go, whether we're going to do another studio album, whether we're going to perform 'Nostradamus'... We've got various options open to us and, up until now, we haven't made those decisions, as always, but we will when the time comes.

"We've had such great fun on this tour, I almost wonder if a sort of retro-sounding album of new material might be in the cards — that could be the case, you know? We're enjoying playing this album so much and it's going down so well and the crowd's loving it, that maybe that will be the formula for the next album; running along those lines. The beauty of PRIEST is that we don't even know what the future holds and we never do. When we start to write our next album, we don't know which direction it's going to take, it formulates itself so, maybe subconsciously, that will creep into the next writing sessions and maybe the next album will be a sort of a retro album — who knows? I guess we'll see what comes, when it comes.”

Read the entire interview from Ground Control.

Quality video footage of JUDAS PRIEST performing the songs "The Rage" and "Steeler" on Tuesday, July 14 at the Time-Warner Cable Amphitheater in Cleveland, Ohio can be viewed below.

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen will guest on Diana DeVille's KNAC.COM '80s hair metal specialty program "WildSide" today (Saturday, September 5) at 4:00 p.m. PST. You can listen to the show live via the Internet at www.knac.com.

DEF LEPPARD recently released deluxe editions of its classic albums "Pyromania" and "Adrenalize". The albums feature never-before-released B-sides and live recordings as well as nine Top 10 singles from the legendary rock band. The deluxe edition of "Pyromania" features a 15-track live show recorded at The Forum in Los Angeles in 1983. The deluxe edition of "Adrenalize" features demo tracks, live tracks and acoustic tracks.

(Thanks: Andrew / The Space Lord)

AOSOTH, the French "religious black metal" band formed by MKM (ANTAEUS) and BST (THE ORDER OF APOLLYON, BALROG, ABORTED), has inked a two-album deal with Agonia Records. The group's second CD, "Ashes of Angels", is currently being recorded at BST Studio in Paris for a tentative January 2010 release. It will consist of nine original tracks and a cover of an ANTAEUS song.

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

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley will sign copies of his new solo CD, "Anomaly", at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, New Jersey on Saturday, September 26 at 1:00 p.m. You must pre-order the new CD or LP to gain access to this event. Ace will sign one record per customer (customer's choice), including KISS records.

Visit www.vvinyl.com for details.

30-second audio samples of all the tracks that will appear on "Anomaly" are available for streaming on Amazon.de.

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

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

"Anomaly" official track listing:

01. Foxy & Free
02. Outer Space
03. Pain In The Neck
04. Fox On The Run
05. Genghis Khan
06. Too Many Faces
07. Change The World
08. Space Bear
09. A Little Below The Angels
10. Sister
11. It's A Great Life
12. Fractured Quantum
13. The Return of Space Bear (Dedicated to Tom Snyder) (iTunes exclusive)

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

Frehley will perform at the Viper Room in West Hollywood, California on Saturday, September 12 during the Sunset Strip Music Festival.

(Thanks: NJthrasher / Fullshred)

A rough-mix version of the song "Hold On" from LAVETT — the new Swedish five-piece consisting of musicians who have spent the last ten years making albums and touring with such acts as LOST HORIZON, BESEECH, NIGHTRAGE, TWDSO (THOSE WE DON'T SPEAK OF) and SUNDOWN/CEMETARY — is available for streaming on the group's MySpace page.

"Hold On" will appear on LAVETT's debut album, which is currently being recorded at Studiomega in Varberg, Sweden for an early 2010 release via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

LAVETT recently parted ways with bassist Michael Niklasson (ex-DARK TRANQULLITY) and replaced him with Henric Carlsson (ex-NIGHTRAGE, DEAD BY APRIL).

According to a press release, LAVETT's sound is "a perfect blend of their musical ideals. Taking the listener from beautiful landscapes of melodies to a raw, unpolished and powerful rock nirvana. Even though you may know the LAVETT members from before. You'll have had no way to prepare yourself for what they're bringing to your speakers this time around."

LAVETT is:

Daniel Heiman (LOST HORIZON, HEED) - Vocals
Henric Carlsson (NIGHTRAGE, DEAD BY APRIL) - Bass
Robert Vintervind (BESEECH) - Gutar
Manne Engtröm (BESEECH, FATAL EMBRACE) - Guitar
Christian Silver (SUNDOWN, CEMETARY) - Drums

A new track from Lita Ford, entitled "Crave", is available for free download at this location (ZIP file). The song comes off Lita's first new studio album in 14 years, "Wicked Wonderland", which is scheduled for release in Europe on October 2 via earMUSIC/Edel. The set will be issued in the U.S. on October 6 through Lita's own JLRG Entertainment label as a regular CD and limited-edition vinyl with different artwork (see below).

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Love
02. Piece
03. Crave
04. Scream
05. Sacred
06. Wicked Wonderland
07. Indulge
08. Patriotic Snob
09. Everything
10. Inside
11. Truth
12. Betrayal
13. Bed
14. Garden
15. Push
16. Indulge (Remix)
17. Scream (Remix)

"It's harder and sexier than anything I've ever done," says Lita of the record, which was co-produced by Ford, her husband and former NITRO singer Jim Gillette, and Greg Hampton, the songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer known for his work with ALICE COOPER, his band SCIENCE FAXTION (with Bootsy Collins and Buckethead and Brain from GUNS N' ROSES) and other rock notables. Lita is backed on the record by drummer Stet Howland, formerly of W.A.S.P., Hampton on bass, rhythm guitar and keyboards, Gillette on background vocals, and its vivid cover art is by ROB ZOMBIE bassist and solo artist Piggy D.

The songs brim with a passionate adult eroticism and über-hard rock sound highlighted by Lita's trademark searing guitar riffs. The album includes a keen and timely slice of social commentary on "Patriotic SOB", sexy rave-ups like "Piece (Hell Yeah)", duets with Gillette on numbers like the aptly titled "Indulge", and "Betrayal", which will be featured in the upcoming video game Brütal Legend, in which Lita also voices one of the characters alongside Jack Black, Lemmy Kilmister of MOTÖRHEAD and Rob Halford of JUDAS PRIEST. The recordings find her rocking, playing and singing with an amped-up fury and power like never before that's also informed by her personal growth as a wife and mother as well as legendary rocker.

After Lita and Gillette married, she left her stiletto heels on the stage and moved to a large home on a deserted Caribbean island and devoted her life to raising the couple's two sons, who she has also home schooled. At the urging of her friends like Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER, devoted fans and even her sons, both of them budding musicians, Lita now reclaims her place as the First Lady of Heavy Metal with an album sure to thrill her many followers and win her new listeners with music that's more fiery and assured than ever before.

Lita Ford will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday, October 7 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with Lita by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).

For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.

LP artwork:

CD artwork:

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS/ex-VELVET REVOLVER singer Scott Weiland and his solo band will perform a free show at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California on September 9 at 10:00 p.m. to celebrate the launch of his new men's clothing line, Weiland for English Laundry.

The event will feature a sexy all-female model fashion show for Weiland's new line of menswear. 944 magazine and Jägermeister are the presenting sponsors and JVC Mobile Entertainment is a supporting sponsor for this red-carpet fashion and music event at the legendary Sunset Strip venue.

Weiland for English Laundry, a collaboration with English Laundry designer Christopher Wicks, debuted at the MAGIC trade show August 31-September 2. The collection features rock-inspired wovens, vests, t-shirts, pants, hats, ties and scarves. Weiland for English Laundry blends the classic style and high quality of English Laundry with the design flare of the iconic, fashionable STP frontman.

"From early on, I was inspired by rock icons like David Bowie and Keith Richards who helped in molding my personal sense of style," said Weiland.

Swedish death metal band ABLAZE MY SORROW will release a new EP, "The Suicide Note", on September 9 via Pronode Records.

The band split up in August 2006 has no plans to reunite with this release.

"The Suicide Note" track listing:

01. The Illusion
02. By My Own Hands

ABLAZE MY SORROW is:

Kristian Lönnsjö - Vocals
Magnus Carlsson - Guitar
Dennie Lindén - Guitar
Anders Brorsson - Bass
Alex Bengtsson - Drums

A trailer for "The Suicide Note" can be viewed below.

ABLAZE MY SORROW's third full-length album, "Anger, Hate And Fury", came out in 2002.

Swedish "Viking metal" act MÅNEGARM has unveiled finalized the track listing for its new album, "Nattväsen" (English translation: "Night Creatures"), due on October 22 via Regain Records. It is as follows:

01. Mina Fäders Hall
02. Nattsjäl, Drömsjäl
03. Bergagasten
04. I Den Svartaste Jord
05. Hraesvelg
06. Vetrarmegin
07. Draugen
08. Nattväsen
09. Delling

Short descriptions of all the songs can be found below.

A release party for "Nattväsen" will be held on November 7 at Clustret in Stockholm, with THYRFING (Sweden) and SKYFORGER (Latvia) as special guests.

Regarding the CD's lyrical and musical concept, the band previously stated, "Since the dawn of time, mankind has had a curious and strange relation to the night and its darkness. A fear and respect for this dim and abstract world.

"To understand and handle these fears, we have always tried to find some reasonable explanations for the things which we don't fully understand. Sometimes all things don't need to be explained and instead we should explore them and take part of the great wisdom they carry, in a way to understand their great importance.

"As we all know, these primeval forces have been personified with names and shapes, perpetuated in our lore and tales for centuries.

"If we look a bit further into the core of all tales and beliefs, you will see that these forces are fragments and threads of the ancient wisdom which lies hidden in everything. It's hidden in the mountains, in the stones and leaves, in depths of the sea, in the black soil, on the ravens wing, in the starlit sky and in the shadows of the night. The ancient wisdom fills everything and is a part of the cosmic web which is weaved by the norns of fate.

"The paths to enlightenment are many and if we listen and seek what lies beneath, we might have the possibility to take part of more than we could ever imagine. A short glimpse could be enough to change your views of your own inherent primeval forces… Sometimes to the better, sometimes to the worse.

"This album is our way to give you all a little guidance through the abstract and dim world of shadows and it might be a journey to the dark side of your mind and also give you fragments to the greatness that lies within…the night."

MÅNEGARM's last CD, "Vargstenen" ("The Wolfstone"), entered the Swedish chart at position No. 59 back in May 2007. The LP was recorded at Studio Underground with producer Pelle Saether and was released through Black Lodge Records after a ten-year collaboration with Displeased Records.

Danish extreme metallers PANZERCHRIST are preparing to enter the studio to begin recording the drums for their new album, "Regiment Ragnarok".

Although it was previously reported that Morten Løwe Sørensen (SUBMISSION, THE ARCANE ORDER, SCARVE, INSTANT CARNAGE, STRANGLER, SCARVE, SOILWORK) would sit behind the kit for the new CD's recording sessions, the drum tracks will actually be laid down by Mads Lauridsen of the Danish metal act KONKHRA.

A full-length track that will not on appear on "Regiment Ragnarok" will be posted on PANZERCHRIST's MySpace page shortly following the completion of the new album.

PANZERCHRIST previously stated that the band's new CD would be "true to the brutal black/death style" the group is known for.

PANZERCHRIST recording lineup:

Michael Enevoldsen: Bass
Johnny Pump: Vocals
Rasmus Henriksen: Guitar
Lasse Bak: Keyboards/Bass
Mads Lauridsen: Drums

PANZERCHRIST's last full-length album, "Battalion Beast", was released in August 2006 via Neurotic Records. The band recorded the drums, guitars and bass for "Battalion Beast" at Smart N' Hard studio with Jacob Bredahl (HATESPHERE) during February/March 2006. Vocals and keyboard were recorded by Ziggy at Zigsound. The latter was also responsible for mixing and mastering the album.

The readers of the Greek edition of Metal Hammer magazine were recently invited to vote for the "100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time." The resulting list includes full-length recordings from 54 different bands from seven different countries, with IRON MAIDEN appearing on less than seven times on the list.

The "100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time," according to the readers of Metal Hammer Greece:

01. METALLICA - "Master of Puppets"
02. IRON MAIDEN - "The Number of the Beast"
03. JUDAS PRIEST - "Painkiller"
04. AC/DC - "Back in Black"
05. METALLICA - "Metallica" (a.k.a. Black Album)
06. QUEENSRŸCHE - "Operation: Mindcrime"
07. SLAYER - "Reign in Blood"
08. BLACK SABBATH - "Heaven and Hell"
09. BLACK SABBATH - "Paranoid"
10. IRON MAIDEN - "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son"
11. MOTÖRHEAD - "Ace of Spades"
12. IRON MAIDEN - "Powerslave"
13. BLACK SABBATH - "Black Sabbath"
14. LED ZEPPELIN - "[Untitled] (a.k.a. "Led Zeppelin IV")
15. GUNS N' ROSES - "Appetite for Destruction"
16. MEGADETH - "Rust in Peace"
17. DIO - "Holy Diver"
18. METALLICA - "Ride the Lightning"
19. HELLOWEEN - "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I"
20. METALLICA - "Kill 'em All"
21. AC/DC - "Highway to Hell"
22. DEEP PURPLE - "Machine Head"
23. PARADISE LOST - "Draconian Times"
24. JUDAS PRIEST - "British Steel"
25. METALLICA - "...And Justice for All"
26. MANOWAR - "Hail to England"
27. OZZY OSBOURNE - "Blizzard of Ozz"
28. IRON MAIDEN - "Piece of Mind"
29. IRON MAIDEN - "Somewhere in Time"
30. RAINBOW - "Rising"
31. IRON MAIDEN - "Iron Maiden"
32. HELLOWEEN - "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II"
33. DREAM THEATER - "Images and Words"
34. DEEP PURPLE - "In Rock"
35. EXODUS - "Bonded by Blood"
36. SYSTEM OF A DOWN - "Toxicity"
37. SAVATAGE - "Gutter Ballet"
38. OPETH - "Blackwater Park"
39. SEPULTURA - "Arise"
40. JUDAS PRIEST - "Sad Wings of Destiny"
41. JUDAS PRIEST - "Defenders of the Faith"
42. CANDLEMASS - "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus"
43. SLAYER - "Seasons in the Abyss"
44. OZZY OSBOURNE - "Diary of a Madman"
45. PANTERA - "Cowboys From Hell"
46. ACCEPT - "Restless and Wild"
47. NEVERMORE - "Dead Heart in a Dead World"
48. ANATHEMA - "Alternative 4"
49. WHITESNAKE - "1987"
50. PARADISE LOST - "Icon"
51. TOOL - "Lateralus"
52. GAMMA RAY - "Land of the Free"
53. MACHINE HEAD - "The Blackening"
54. CANDLEMASS - "Nightfall"
55. DREAM THEATER - "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory"
56. PANTERA - "Vulgar Display of Power"
57. IRON MAIDEN - "Fear of the Dark"
58. NEVERMORE - "Dreaming Neon Black"
59. CRIMSON GLORY - "Transcendence"
60. LED ZEPPELIN - "Led Zeppelin II"
61. BLACK SABBATH - "Master of Reality"
62. MANOWAR - "Into Glory Ride"
63. BRUCE DICKINSON - "Accident of Birth"
64. KREATOR - "Extreme Aggression"
65. ACCEPT - "Balls to the Wall"
66. MÖTLEY CRÜE - "Shout at the Devil"
67. SEPULTURA - "Beneath the Remains"
68. DEATH - "Symbolic"
69. SAVATAGE - "Hall of the Mountain King"
70. AT THE GATES - "Slaughter of the Soul"
71. GUNS N' ROSES - "Use Your Illusion II"
72. W.A.S.P. - "W.A.S.P."
73. SLAYER - "South of Heaven"
74. ALICE COOPER - "Trash"
75. DEF LEPPARD - "Hysteria"
76. BLACK SABBATH - "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
77. BLIND GUARDIAN - "Nightfall in Middle-Earth"
78. TWISTED SISTER - "Stay Hungry"
79. SEPULTURA - "Chaos A.D."
80. SLIPKNOT - "Slipknot"
81. PINK FLOYD - "The Dark Side Of The Moon"
82. W.A.S.P. - "The Crimson Idol"
83. BLIND GUARDIAN - "Imaginations from the Other Side"
84. MASTODON - "Blood Mountain"
85. TOOL - "Aenima"
86. MEGADETH - "Peace Sells, But Who's Buying?"
87. SLIPKNOT - "Iowa"
88. SCORPIONS - "Taken by Force"
89. QUEENSRŸCHE - "Rage for Order"
90. FATES WARNING - "Parallels"
91. VAN HALEN - "Van Halen"
92. MOTORHEAD - "Overkill"
93. SLAYER - "Show no Mercy"
94. NIRVANA - "Nevermind"
95. DEATH - "Spiritual Healing"
96. SODOM - "Agent Orange"
97. SAXON - "Denim and Leather"
98. ROTTING CHRIST - "Theogonia"
99. DEATH - "Leprosy"
100. MANOWAR - "Sign of the Hammer"

MEGADETH has added two headlining shows in Japan in October. The band will perform in Osaka on October 19 and Nagoya on October 20.

MEGADETH's Japanese tour dates are as follows:

Oct. 17 - Chiba, Japan - Makuhari Messe (Loud Park 09)
Oct. 19 - Osaka, Japan - Namba Hatch
Oct. 20 - Nagoya, Japan - Diamond Hall

Tickets for the new dates go on sale on September 19.

30-second audio samples of all the tracks that will appear on MEGADETH's new album, "Endgame", are available for streaming on Amazon.de (scroll down).

Due on September 15 via Roadrunner Records, "Endgame" was recorded at the band's brand new, self-built studio in San Marcos, California — Vic's Garage — which was named after the legendary and iconic Vic Rattlehead character.

"Endgame" track listing:

01. Dialectic Chaos
02. This Day We Fight!
03. 44 Minutes
04. 1,320'
05. Bite The Hand That Feeds
06. Bodies Left Behind
07. Endgame
08. The Hardest Part Of Letting Go... Sealed With A Kiss
09. Headcrusher
10. How the Story Ends
11. The Right To Go Insane

"Endgame" was helmed by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (EXODUS, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY, MACHINE HEAD). Sneap also manned the boards for 2007's "United Abominations".

U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine and The Quietus have both posted track-by-track reviews of "Endgame". Check them out by following the links below:

* Metal Hammer
* The Quietus

Finland's annual all-star heavy rock Christmas show RASKASTA JOULUA will hit the road once again with a Finnish tour in November and December to celebrate its fifth anniversary. The project that began with the album "Raskasta Joulua" ("Heavy Christmas") in 2004 and released a follow-up effort, "Raskaampaa Joulua" ("Heavier Christmas"), in 2006 has toured every year since 2005; it started with just three gigs and has since expanded into a 17-show tour in 2008, climaxing with two sold-out shows at Helsinki's legendary Tavastia club in front of more than 1,500 people.

"It's amazing that we're still doing this and it has grown to these proportions," says the project's producer/arranger and guitarist Erkka Korhonen (NORTHERN KINGS, ARI KOIVUNEN). "Every year has been bigger for us and this year doesn't seem to be an exception. This show has become a tradition for so many people. They are really looking forward to seeing us before the holidays. Even people who haven't celebrated Christmas for several years have found it's spirit again through what we do. We want to give our friends a special show this year with new song arrangements and some other surprises!"

Inspired by TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, the project has really worked hard on its song arrangements, which is not always the case when it comes to holiday music. A lot of rock artists and bands release "novelty" Christmas albums which are nothing more than the same songs with distorted guitars. This is not the case here. You can find elements of several metal subgenres in the songs, from fast power metal through NIGHTWISH-style epics to slow doom. Sometimes it may even be difficult to recognize the original song...

Some of the singers featured on this year's tour are:

* Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH, TAROT, NORTHERN KINGS)
* Jarkko Ahola (TERÄSBETONI, NORTHERN KINGS)
* Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto (CHARON, HARMAJA, NORTHERN KINGS)
* Tommi "Tuple" Salmela (TAROT)
* Ari Koivunen (AMORAL)
* Ilja Jalkanen (KIUAS)
* Antony Parviainen (MACHINE MEN)

The band features:

* Erkka Korhonen (NORTHERN KINGS, ARI KOIVUNEN) - Musical Direction, Lead Guitar
* Vili Ollila (ARI KOIVUNEN) - Keyboards
* Erkki Silvennoinen (ARI KOIVUNEN) - Bass
* Tuomas Wäinölä (KOTIPELTO) - Rhythm Guitar
* Mirka Rantanen (THUNDERSTONE, KOTIPELTO) - Drums

RASKASTA JOULUA tour dates 2009 (more shows to be announced):

Nov. 20 - Lohi, Lohja
Nov. 23 - On The Rocks (VIP Christmas Party), Helsinki
Nov. 24 - Red Onion (VIP Christmas Party), Vantaa
Nov. 27 - Night Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä
Dec. 04 - Raahesali, Raahe
Dec. 05 - Rytmikorjaamo, Seinäjoki
Dec. 10 - Puijonsarvi, Kuopio
Dec. 11 - Vaakuna, Mikkeli
Dec. 12 - Rikala-Sali, Salo
Dec. 16 - Klubi, Turku
Dec. 17 - Yo-talo, Tampere
Dec. 18 - Nosturi, Helsinki
Dec. 18 - Nosturi, Helsinki
Dec. 19 - Osmantupa, Eura
Dec. 25 - Puustelli, Nivala
Dec. 26 - Puustelli, Alavus

Hietala and Ahola took part in the December 20, 2008 performance at Tavastia in Helsinki, Finland by RASKASTA JOULUA (Heavy Christmas) — a special project which celebrates Christmas and its music tradition mixed with metal. Watch fan-filmed video footage of the performance below.

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

Marco Hietala and Jarkko Ahola – "Pieni Rumpali" (Live)