Dino Cazares (DIVINE HERESY, FEAR FACTORY) will be the special guest on this weekend's (September 11-13) edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. Jackie will also be premiering new music from AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE and EVERGREEN TERRACE on the program.

To see a full list of stations carrying the show and when it airs, go to FullMetalJackieRadio.com.

"Facebreaker", the new video from DIVINE HERESY, can be viewed below. The clip was helmed by renowned director Brian Thompson (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE) and features the band's frenetic live performance surrounded by an apocalyptic background setting.

"Facebreaker" comes off from DIVINE HERESY's sophomore album, "Bringer of Plagues", which sold around 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 148 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD landed at No. 4 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.

DIVINE HERESY's first album, "Bleed The Fifth", opened with 2,700 units back in September 2007.

"Bringer of Plagues" was released in North America on July 28 via Century Media Records.

DIVINE HERESY teamed up once again with acclaimed producing team Dirty Icon (Logan Mader and Lucas Banker) who recently produced CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, GOJIRA and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH.



(Thanks: Andrew / The Space Lord)

Swiss metallers SAMAEL have been confirmed to perform at the Heavy Christmas Meeting 2009, set to take place December 11, 2009 at Philipshalle in Düsseldorf, Germany.

21ST CENTURY KILLING MACHINE
PARADISE LOST
RAGE
SAMAEL
SUBWAY TO SALLY
U.D.O.

For more information, visit HeavyMeetings.de.

According to a posting on the RUSH fan site RushIsABand.com, RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson and director/writer Rob Stefaniuk were guests on "The Dean Blundell Show" on the 102.1 The Edge radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this morning to talk about the new film "Suck", which features a cameo by Lifeson, and its premier at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The podcast of Lifeson and Stefaniuk's appearance on "The Dean Blundell Show" is available for download at this location. You can also listen to the chat using the audio player below.



"Suck" will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, which runs from September 10 to September 19. The film will be part of TIFF's prestigious Contemporary World Cinema program on Friday, September 11 at 9:00 p.m.

"Suck" is a "rock and roll vampire flick" which also features cameos by Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, Moby and Carole Pope (ex-ROUGH TRADE).

A trailer for the film can be viewed below.

According to a press release, "Suck" follows a group of rock 'n' roll wannabes in search of immortality and a record deal. Seemingly doomed to roadtrip doldrums and dives, the band THE WINNERS break their slump when their female bass player disappears one night with a studly, stylin' vampire. She returns charged with sexual charisma that creates audience frenzy and eventually ensnares the rest of the band. Their "hook" launches them to fame. But fame turns out to be a different kind of hell than AC/DC promised.

Lifeson plays the border guard who gives THE WINNERS a hard time at the border until he discovers that, like himself, they are musicians.

VIOLENT STORM — the band formed by ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN/BLACKMORE'S NIGHT bassist Mick Cervino — is in pre-production for a new studio album, to be released in the winter of 2009.

Regarding the possibility of guest musicians appearing on the next VIOLENT STORM CD, Cervino stated, "I don't rule out the participation of guest musicians on the new recording. I may or may not, depending on what the songs want. We are still on the early stages, so we'll see how things flow as the sessions progress. So far the new songs are shaping up with lots of energy and musicality, without compromising in favor of today's substandard trends."

Video footage of a Mick Cervino bass solo performance in Saint John, New Brunswick during VIOLENT STORM's April 2009 Canadian tour can be viewed below.

VIOLENT STORM's latest album, "Storm Warning" was produced by JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing (his first production credit outside of PRIEST), and features guest appearances by Downing, Malmsteen and Roy Z (HALFORD, BRUCE DICKINSON). The CD was released in the U.S. on July 17, 2007 via Gold Storm Records.

An October 2006 interview with Downing conducted by "Pandora's Rock Box" for U.K.'s Radio Caroline station about about his involvement with VIOLENT STORM is available for download in MP3 format at this location.

TheRightToRock.com has issued its latest podcast (episode #86), featuring German metal queen Doro Pesch.

The interview lasts approximately 40 minutes is available for download as an MP3 audio file at this location. It can also be streamed using the audio player below.



Pesch has been forced to postpone her previously announced shows in Arizona because they conflict with an "emergency meeting in New York which could not be changed due to its nature," according to a statement on her MySpace page.

The affected dates are as follows:

Sep. 18 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock
Sep. 19 - Mesa, AZ - U.B.'s

Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.

According to the statement, Doro "will make these shows up at a later date and hopefully include additional shows in some of the cities [she was] unable to reach on this leg."

DORO's June 16, 2009 concert at Museumsmeile in Bonn, Germany was professionally filmed by WDR's (German public TV) series "Rockpalast" and was premiered earlier this month.

The entire concert can be viewed at this location.

Video footage of Doro Pesch performing an acoustic song backstage at the Bonn show can be viewed at Rockpalast.de.

"Fear No Evil", the new album from Pesch, was made available in North America on June 2 via AFM/Dismanic/Ryko Distribution.

Released in Europe on January 30 via AFM Records, "Fear No Evil" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 11. This was the highest chart entry for Doro in her home country in almost 20 years.

DARKOLOGY, the Texas-based band featuring guitarist Michael Harris (VITALIJ KUPRIJ), drummer Brian Harris (ex-FIREWIND), bassist Mike Neal and vocalist Kelly "Sundown" Carpenter (BEYOND TWILIGHT, OUTWORLD), has signed a worldwide deal with an as-yet-undisclosed record label. The group's forthcoming debut album, entitled "Altered Reflections", is described in a press release as "riffy metal with face-melting solos, thunderous drumming and howling vocals."

In related news, Carpenter has contributed vocals to the metal concept project "Samuel Arkan's Origins", which is nearing completion. The singer states, "It's a powerful album with a great story and features a host of well known artists from bands such AYREON, VIRUS IV, THUNDERSTONE, DIAL, PAIN OF SALVATION and more."

Carpenter is one of the guest singers who will perform with Florida melodic metallers CRIMSON GLORY during their headlining set at the ProgPower USA X festival on September 11, 2009 at the Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia.

"This is truly exciting, as it is rare to be given such a unique opportunity to show respect and admiration for one of my favorite artists," says Kelly. "On this very special night, myself and many other vocalists from the metal community will pay tribute to the late and great Midnight [CRIMSON GLORY singer]!"

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

Fan-filmed video footage of ALICE IN CHAINS performing two new songs — "Check My Brain" and "Acid Bubble" — last Friday (September 4) at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. can be viewed below (courtesy of "RapeJesus").

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Rain When I Die
02. Angry Chair
03. Man in the Box
04. Them Bones
05. Dam That River
06. A Looking In View
07. We Die Young
08. Nutshell
09. Love, Hate, Love
10. Sludge Factory
11. Acid Bubble
12. Again
13. Junkhead
14. Would?

Encore:

15. Check My Brain
16. No Excuses
17. Rooster

Check out reviews of the show:

Live-Metal.net
Rock N Roll Experience

ALICE IN CHAINS will be IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson's guests on Friday, September 25 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.

As previously reported, ALICE IN CHAINS will celebrate the release of its highly anticipated new album, "Black Gives Way To Blue", with an outdoor mini-concert on ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Tuesday, September 29 (which will actually air the morning of Wednesday, September 30).

If you pre-order ALICE IN CHAINS' new album, "Black Gives Way To Blue", via iTunes, you will receive two exclusive bonus tracks: "Your Decision" (live) and "Black Gives Way To Blue (Elton John Piano Mix)".

ALICE IN CHAINS recently tapped U2 and WHITE STRIPES video director Alex Courtes to shoot a clip for "Check My Brain", the first official single from "Black Gives Way To Blue".

"Black Gives Way To Blue" arrives in stores on September 29 and is the first all-new ALICE IN CHAINS album in 14 years.

The disc features the recording debut with the group of singer and guitarist William DuVall. Original frontman Layne Staley died in 2002.

"Before the Frost...", the new studio album from THE BLACK CROWES, sold 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 12 on The Billboard 200 chart.

In other news, THE BLACK CROWES frontman Chris Robinson is expecting a baby with girlfriend Allison Bridges. A rep for the singer, who has a 5-year-old son with actress Kate Hudson, confirmed Bridges' pregnancy.

Robinson and Bridges began dating in 2007.

"Before the Frost..." was released on September 1. A second album, titled "…Until The Freeze", was given away for free exclusively through a unique download code which is included in "Before The Frost…" as a "thank you" to their fans for two decades of continued support.

THE BLACK CROWES' set on the band's current tour features over two hours of music culled from the new release and the band's deep catalogue. Widely known for varying their nightly set lists performing new material, album cuts, rarities and covers in addition to their hits, THE BLACK CROWES consistently deliver a fresh and unpredictable live show.

For more information, visit the band's MySpace page.

A new NONPOINT track entitled "Shadow" has been posted on the band's MySpace page. The song will appear on the Florida-based group's new album, tentatively due in early 2010.

NONPOINT in January announced that it was parting ways with longtime label Bieler Bros. Records. Drummer Robb Rivera explained in a statement, "After so long, I think it was in the best interest of both NONPOINT and Bieler Bros. to part ways. I will say this that in the [last] 10 years, Bieler Bros. have been amazing to us. Not only were they a management company and our label, but also our friends. I have always considered them family and this move does not change the friendship or family connection we have. I will always cherish and be thankful of everything they did for us as a band and on a personal level. And also want to thank all of you [the fans] for always supporting us. Right now it is a new door and chapter open in our lives. We will be searching for new management and label."

NONPOINT's fifth studio album, "Vengeance", was released in November 2007. The CD was recorded at Bieler Bros. Studios in Pompano Beach, Florida with producer Matt LaPlant (SIKTH).

"Vengeance" is the follow-up to the acclaimed "To The Pain" CD, which featured the breakout single "Bullet With A Name".

NONPOINT teamed up with MUDVAYNE and IN THIS MOMENT for a U.S. tour in February/March.

Terminal Press and Nuclear Blast Records have teamed up for their next comics/metal crossover with "Exodus: Death Begets Death".

Utilizing the lyrical, artistic and musical concepts from the Bay Area thrash legends, Terminal Press plans to bring the world of EXODUS alive in a big way.

Set in a ruined America of the near future, the story follows two war generals who rule over military fiefdoms the size of time zones. General Scraw controls the west coast, while his twin brother General Scraggg reigns from a seat in Las Vegas. The twins amuse themselves by sending the military's toughest war toys, the Shovel Headed Kill Machines, into the deserts of the MidWaste to exterminate the human rabble that scrabbles for survival there. But when General Scraw learns that his military has been wiped out by a supernatural being calling herself the Earth Mother, he sends five crazed men who may or may not be the members of EXODUS from the bowels of his own prison to stop her. But many more people will die before the strange woman gets what she wants, and the twin generals will learn the price of their own misdeeds.

"Exodus: Death Begets Death" is a one-shot apocalyptic horror comic loaded with over-the-top violence and a dark sense of humor. Incorporating themes and imagery from EXODUS' entire body of work, focusing specifically on "Bonded By Blood", "Tempo of the Damned", "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" and "The Atrocity Exhibition - Exhibit A" this book promises to teach you a moral lesson — while kicking your fucking ass.

"As many things as we get to do as a band, traveling the world, getting paid to drink and play thrash metal, I don't think anything can touch being immortalized in our own comic book! I am so stoked about this, you have no idea! This thing is sick and I can't wait for it to come to life for the world to see!" says EXODUS' Gary Holt.

"EXODUS is the living embodiment of thrash metal, doing it right and blowing audiences away to this day. To say getting to work on this project is an honor would be an understatement. It is our responsibility to make sure this book slays and we happily take that challenge on," says Terminal Press publisher and "Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress" writer Brian Ferrara.

"Exodus: Death Begets Death" is written by Keith McCleary ("Killing Tree Quarterly", "Deep Throat"), with art by Russ Manning nominee Rolo Ledesma ("Debbie Does Dallas") and colors by Narek Gevorgian ("Silent Assassin", "Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress").

"Exodus: Death Begets Death" will be available early 2010 from Terminal Press. Visit www.terminalpress.com for updates and the Terminal Press Facebook fan page for a look at some "Exodus: Death Begets Death" concept art.

Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of GlamMetal.com conducted an interview with Texas heavy rockers DROWNING POOL on September 5, 2009 on the last date of Crüe Fest 2 at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Lake, New York. Watch the second part of the chat below.

Regarding how the band has grown over the past few years after acquiring lead singer Ryan McCombs (formerly of SOIL), drummer Mike Luce told The Buffalo News, "[I'm] kind of comparing it to buddies dug into the trenches. You've kind of been through some stuff that you can't really put into words. It just makes you a tighter-knit family."

"We were starting to see our attributes," he added. "We've all grown up quite a bit regardless of the ups and downs. Everybody's matured, older, and we better handle what's expected of us when recording. We're writing some of the very best stuff we've ever been a part of. We're starting to learn the ins and outs of Ryan and he of us. Writing [is] a more tighter, easier experience."

Luce said that while 2007's "Full Circle" explored the band's horizons to the max, the band has been working on an album that mirrors the newly channeled approach to recording.

"It sounds like we're zeroing in on these attributes," Luce said. "I think we're diving into a more soulful, passionate delivery of it. I think people are gonna trip out. [We're] exploring soulful melodic kind of stuff, not just hammering at you the whole time."

Kurt Bachman (guitar, vocals) and Joey Daub (drums) of reactivated late '80s/early '90s technical-thrash metallers BELIEVER will guest on the "Metal Warriors" show on Allentown, Pennsylvania's 91.7 FM WMUH radio station tonight (Wednesday, September 9) between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. EST with host Tony The Metal God.

The program can be heard online at www.muhlenberg.edu/wmuh.

As previously reported, BELIEVER has scheduled the following dates:

Sep. 25 - Sterling Hotel - Allentown, Pennsylvania
Oct. 03 - Mojo 13 - Wilmington, Delaware
Oct. 30 - The Note - West Chester, Pennsylvania (6:00 p.m.; all ages) *
Oct. 30 - The Note - West Chester, Pennsylvania (10:00 p.m.; 21+) *

* With CKY

BELIEVER's fourth album, "Gabriel", was released in March through KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Howard Jones's new imprint label Cesspool Records via Metal Blade. The CD features guest appearances by Jones, Joe Rico (SACRIFICE), CKY/WORLD UNDER BLOOD guitarist/vocalist Deron Miller and Rocky Gray (EVANESCENCE, SOUL EMBRACED, LIVING SACRIFICE).

Regarding the musical direction of the album, Kurt Bachman told Decibel magazine, "We think that fans will hear some of each record but the writing is a bit different. It's still BELIEVER but we wanted to offer something new as we have in the past. Some people would like us to put out another 'Sanity Obscure' or 'Dimensions' but we didn't want to rehash the past. Those close to us have said that the new material sounds like a natural progression from 'Dimensions'. We wanted to have fun with this and get back to our emotional metal roots. Getting together to write and record was exciting. It's when the creativity and insanity was let loose."

Toronto, Ontario, Canada's Mount Sinai Hospital has announced a special addition to its online charity auction, a rare collection of items of the legendary group LED ZEPPELIN.

Among the assortment of rare collectibles, vintage photographs, concert footage, CDs and books is a hard-cover program from the group's 2007 reunion concert at London's O2 Arena, autographed by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones.

To bid on these items visit MountSinaiAuction.com.

For more information, send an e-mail to Sam Rapallo at webmaster@ledzeppelin.com.

To view the items, go to this location.

Swedish melodic death metallers DARK TRANQUILLITY will embark on their "first proper tour through Turkey" in December. The band says, "The response to our 2001 and 2008 shows in Istanbul was nothing short of amazing, so we're very much looking forward to experiencing some other cities as well."

The dates are as follows:

Dec. 02 - Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park - Istanbul, Turkey
Dec. 03 - Ooze Venue - Izmir, Turkey
Dec. 04 - 222 Park - Eskisehir, Turkey
Dec. 05 - Ankara Saklikent - Ankara, Turkey

DARK TRANQUILLITY will release its new DVD, "Where Death Is Most Alive", on October 26 in Europe and November 17 in North America via Century Media Records.

Check out the cover artwork by Niklas Sundin below. Also available is a trailer for the DVD.

DARK TRANQUILLITY entered the studio on August 28 to begin recording its ninth album for an early 2010 release via Century Media Records. The band previously said, "We'll keep the recording setup completely in-house this time. Drums will be tracked in Daniel Antonsson's [bass] studio, while the remaining instruments will be immortalized in Martin Brändström's [electronics] newly renovated Rogue music facilities. The mixing duties will once again be handled by Tue Madsen in his Antfarm studio in Denmark.

"As for the music itself, it's a bit too early to delve into details, but the material feels diverse and fresh and covers all the facets of the DARK TRANQUILLITY sound. Those who are familiar with our songwriting process know that we always keep re-arranging and experimenting with the material until the recording starts, and while we currently have the basic foundations for around 10 songs, many things are still open. The final result is likely to surprise ourselves as well as you people.

"Some tentative song titles are 'I Am The Void', 'Zero Distance', 'The Burden Of Love Alive', 'Archangelsk' and 'Memories In Reverse', though these are subject to change as usual."

Video footage of British producer Andy "Undie" Sneap (EXODUS, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY, MACHINE HEAD) talking about the recording process for MEGADETH's new album, "Endgame", can be viewed at this location. It is also available below.

30-second audio samples of all the tracks that will appear on "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 Sneap.

MEGADETH filmed a video for the song "Headcrusher" on July 28 in the Los Angeles area. Mustaine previously described the clip — which will feature mixed martial arts — as "'Gladiator'-meets-UFC-meets-inside-of-Dave-Mustaine's-brain."

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

MEGADETH will perform on NBC-TV's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" on Thursday, September 17. (Note: The program will actually air the morning of Friday, September 18).

"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 12:35 a.m. EST.

If you would like a chance to be close to the group's performance on the show, click here and you will be directed to the "Band Bench" sweepstakes entry form. Enter for a chance to win seats on the band benches and an opportunity to surround the stage during MEGADETH's performance. Please make sure to include the band code "MEG" in your entry form.

THEM CROOKED VULTURES — the new supergroup consisting of FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE singer/guitarist Josh Homme and LED ZEPPELIN bassist John Paul Jones — will tour Australia in January. The dates are as follows:

Jan. 19 - Perth, Australia - Challenge Stadium
Jan. 22 - Melbourne, Australia - Festival Hall
Jan. 25 - Brisbane, Australia - Riverstage
Jan. 26 - Sydney, Australia - Hordern Pavilion

A 52-second instrumental preview video of the THEM CROOKED VULTURES track "Scumbag Blues" can be viewed below.

THEM CROOKED VULTURES have announced the dates and venues for their first North American tour, which will begin on October 1 at the kick-off party for the Austin City Limits festival in Austin, Texas. The trio will tape a performance for the "Austin City Limits" TV program one day earlier on September 30, with an airdate to be determined. Tickets for the tour go on sale this Saturday (September 5) at 10:00 a.m. local time. THEM CROOKED VULTURES have played only one show in the U.S. so far, on August 9 at a Lollapalooza afterparty in Chicago.

The band has just finished a short run of European festival dates.

Although a debut album has been completed, reports of an October 27 release are said by the group's publicist to be just rumors, according to The Pulse of Radio.

Several short clips of both live and studio performances by the trio have already surfaced on YouTube.

KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley was interviewed earlier today (Wednesday, September 9) on Rockford, Illinois' WXRX 104.9 FM radio station. The chat is now available for streaming in two parts below.

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.

Part 1:



Part 2:

Swedish death metallers AEON have parted ways with bassist Max Carlberg and replaced him with Victor Brandt (TOTALT JÄVLA MÖRKER, ex-SATYRICON)

Commented the band: "First of all, we want to state that Max is a great bass player and a real nice person. Unfortunately, he couldn't handle the life on the road all that well. We noticed how he struggled through the last tour we did. He really loves the actual moment on stage, but everything else around that comes with the life on the road was just a great deal of pain for him. So both AEON and Max agreed that this way of life wasn't exactly made for him.

"Being on tour in a not-so-known death metal band like AEON often means really tough conditions and bad economy. We totally understand that not everyone can put up with this way of life. There are no hard feelings from any of the parts.

"We would like to thank Max for the time with the band and we wish him all the best with his future endeavors. Take care, bro.

"When one leaves, a new one has to come... and there is no difference in this case. Our new bass player is a great, well-experienced musician who is really into death metal. We think that this guy is absolutely perfect for the spot.

"We are looking forward to all the great death metal madness we got ahead of us with our new member."

AEON entered Empire Studio in Östersund, Sweden on September 1 to begin recording the band's third, as-yet-untitled album for an early 2010 release via Metal Blade Records. The group says, "As of today, we are about halfway through the recording-process and it's going exactly as planned. 10 new songs are being put on tape (hard drive) and we are pretty confident that all of you who liked our previous efforts or death metal in general will love this.

"When we are done tracking the songs, none other than Erik Rutan from HATE ETERNAL/ex-MORBID ANGEL at Mana Studios in Florida will be mixing the album. You may know his killer work from such bands as CANNIBAL CORPSE, NILE, VITAL REMAINS, GOATWHORE among others. We are absolutely confident that this death metal maniac will give us the mix/production we are looking for. Erik is a really great guy, an awesome studio engineer/producer, a killer musician and he really knows his death metal A/Bs. This will, without a doubt, kick some serious ass.

"A note on the recording: Since we recently replaced our bass player, Daniel [Dlimi, guitar] and Zeb [Nilsson, guitar] are handling all the bass on this album. There wasn't enough time for Victor to learn the songs and both studios where already booked. No worries though, both Daniel and Zeb can handle a bass so this is not a problem."

AEON's latest CD, "Rise to Dominate" was released in the U.S. on September 4, 2007 via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2005's "Bleeding the False" (Unique Leader) was recorded at Empire Studio and contains "twelve tracks of technical death metal," according to a posting on the band's web site. The CD was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY) at Unisound Studios.

CANNIBAL CORPSE bassist Alex Webster previously stated about AEON: "AEON's musicianship is among the best in death metal, but their songwriting is what truly sets them apart. It's rare to find a death metal band that is simultaneously crushingly brutal and infectiously catchy. AEON is one of those rare bands!"

Video footage of AEON's January 17, 2009 performance in Vienna, Austria can be viewed below.

"Across Heracles Towards", the new video from Spanish death/black metallers NOCTEM, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's debut album, "Divinity", which was released in April via Austria's NoiseHead Records. The CD features guest appearances by Christos Antoniou (SEPTICFLESH, CHAOSTAR) and Leal (FOREVER SLAVE). It contains 11 tracks based on the story of the disappearance of Atlantis "from a dark and subjective point of view, speaking about its blood's desire in the battle, the darkest rituals for reaching the immortality or its society based in a polytheistic theocracy with longings of glory," according to a press release.

"Divinity" track listing:

01. Atlas Death
02. In The Path Of Heleim
03. Realms In Decay
04. The Sanctuary
05. The Call Of Oricalco's Horn
06. Across Heracles Towards
07. In The Aeons Of Time
08. Necropolis Of Esthar's Ruins
09. Divinity
10. Religious Plagues
11. Under Seas Of Silence

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

BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by legendary rapper Ice-T, made an appearance this past Sunday night (September 6) at the Vans Warped Tour 15th-anniversary party at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. The group played a 20-minute set, covered SLAYER, talked a ton of trash and closed with their controversial classic "Cop Killer". Also on the bill were NOFX, KATY PERRY, PENNYWISE, BAD RELIGION and RISE AGAINST.

A full review is available at ConcertConfessions.com.

Check out video footage of BODY COUNT's performance below.

BODY COUNT's last album, "Murder 4 Hire", came out in 2006 via Escapi Music. Lyrically, the songs ranged from political ("The End Game"), personal ("You Don't Know Me [Pain]"), and religious ("The Passion Of The Christ"), to obsession ("In My Head"), armegeddon ("Dirty Bomb"), hate ("Lies") and relationships. A eulogy for fallen band member D-Roc was also included ("D Rocs [RIP]") as was a hilarious take on deep south rednecks ("Down In The Bayou"). The CD closed with "Mr. C's Theme", a show-stopping hard-rock instrumental.

A new audio interview with SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray about the 10th anniversary of the release of the band's seminal self-titled debut album can be heard below.

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

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

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

According to Pollstar.com, Ticketmaster Entertainment CEO Irving Azoff announced during the 2009 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference earlier today (Wednesday, September 9) that VAN HALEN will hit the road in 2010. No further details were made available.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that 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.

Fan-filmed video footage of GORGOROTH' August 29, 2009 performance at the Hole In The Sky festival in Bergen, Norway can be viewed below (courtesy of Demonia's Blogg).

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Bergtrollets Hevn
02. Aneuthanasia
03. Katharinas Bortgang
04. Revelation Of Doom
05. The Rite Of Infernal Invocation
06. Unchain My Heart!!!
07. Forces Of Satan Storms
08. Ødeleggelse Og Undergang
09. Blood Stains The Circle
10. Destroyer
11. Incipit Satan
12. Profetens Åpenbaring
13. Possessed (By Satan)
14. Maaneskyggens Slave

Check out photos from NRK Nyheter.

GORGOROTH will release its ninth album, "Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt", on October 21 in Europe and November 11 in the U.S. via Regain Records. The CD was recorded at Tomas Asklund's Monolith Studio and features Infernus on guitar, Frank Watkins (OBITUARY) on bass, Pest on vocals and Tomas Asklund on drums.

"Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt" will receive a limited-edition picture disc vinyl release on Infernus' own label, Forces of Satan Records. More information on this will be posted at a later time at the label's web site.

"Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt" was produced by Infernus and co-produced/engineered by Tomas Asklund. It was mastered at the Cutting Room in Stockholm.

"Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt" track listing:

01. Aneuthanasia
02. Prayer
03. Rebirth
04. Building a Man
05. New Breed
06. Cleansing Fire
07. Human Sacrifice
08. Satan-Prometheus
09. Introibo ad Alatare Satanas

A snippet of the song "Prayer" is available for streaming on the Regain Records MySpace page.

Since Infernus wrote all the music for the album and extensive rehearsals and a pre-production recording had also been completed before second guitarist Tormentor rejoined the band last year, it was decided that it would be more convenient for Infernus to record all the guitars on the LP.

Twilightheart of Sheol-Magazine.com and Zero Tolerance visited GORGOROTH in Stockholm, Sweden in June while they were recording "Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt". You can read her report, which includes a number of photos, at this location.

Atlanta, Georgia-based progressive metal band HALCYON WAY has parted ways with singer Sean Shields due to creative differences.

Taking over on vocals for the Nightmare Records recording artist is Steve Braun, known for his work with Italian progressive metallers ASHENT, who have released two records via Lion Music.

"I'm really excited and humbled by the opportunity to jam with these guys, and I'm looking forward to help take the band to the next level on the new record," said Steve.

"We're very excited about having Steve in the band; he's got a fantastic voice and will have no trouble whatsoever with the older songs," stated guitarist Zane Matthews. "He's adding a lot of new life to the material for the new album, and he's a professional in every sense of the word — he's got a great attitude, and our fans will be thrilled with our choice. The new album is going to be crushing and it will be a great way for Steve to introduce himself to our fans."

HALCYON WAY is currently tracking the follow-up to "A Manifesto For Domination" for a tentative spring 2010 release. The album is being produced by Jon Bodan and Lasse Lammert, and the drums are being engineered by Mike Froedge (DOUBLEDRIVE, BLOODSIMPLE, DIXIE INCORPORATED) at Open Sky Studios in Atlanta. The band also just completed tracking a guest appearance by Pamela Moore of QUEENSRŸCHE fame.

The band will not miss any scheduled shows due to the move, and is scheduled to play at Pathfinder Metalfest on October 24, 2009 with ASKA, TWISTED TOWER DIRE, and many other acts.

HALCYON WAY has appeared at Rocklahoma on three occasions, Nightmare Metal Festival II, and at ProgPower USA twice, and has shared the stage with HELLOWEEN, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, KAMELOT, SYMPHONY X and DORO, among others.

"A Manifesto For Domination" was released in November 2008 on Nightmare Records. The album was produced by guitarist Jon Bodan, with assistance from James Murphy (TESTAMENT, DEATH, OBITUARY), and was mixed by Lasse Lammert (ALESTORM). It also featured guest appearances by Jonah Weingarten (PYRAMAZE, AVIAN) and Blaze Pearson (THE SOULS UNREST).

For more information, visit www.halcyonway.com.

Guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal will be the special guest on this week's (September 11-17) edition of "Hard Rock Nights", the nationally syndicated hard rock radio program.

Thal is best known for his work with GUNS N' ROSES on the "Chinese Democracy" album as well as his prolific solo career album, and is the current touring guitarist with LITA FORD.

Thal will talk to "Hard Rock Nights" host JT about his favorite songs on the "Chinese Democracy" record, the best songs to play in concert with Lita, and give his fans a little teaser about "another band" he is in that is preparing to record new music.

"Hard Rock Nights" can be heard each week on over a dozen radio stations. A list of affiliates can be found at this location.

"Sci-Fi Crimes", the fifth studio album from the Chicago-based trio CHEVELLE, sold around 46,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band spent seven weeks co-producing the follow-up to 2007's smash album "Vena Sera" with Brian Virtue (JANE'S ADDICTION, 30 SECONDS TO MARS, DEFTONES) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Formed in 1995, the Chicago-based band has remained a staple in the rock scene with six Top 5 Modern Rock hits under its belt, including the #1 songs "Send the Pain Below" and "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)" as well as fan favorites "The Red" and "The Clincher". The band is made up of Pete Loeffler (vocals, guitars), brother Sam Loeffler (drums), and brother-in-law Dean Bernardini (bass).

The title "Sci-Fi Crimes" was inspired by some off-road adventures with one "friend," whom Pete describes as "this really off-the-wall character, who was driving us around, who believes so whole-heartedly in aliens and UFOs that the subject just really piqued my interest."

"Jars", the new video from CHEVELLE, can be viewed below.

Boston Massachusetts metallers THE RED CHORD will release their fourth full-length album, "Fed Through the Teeth Machine", on October 27 in the U.S. via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded at Jonny Fay Backyard Studios, which is owned by the band's former guitarist Jonny Fay, and it was mixed and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with HATEBREED and SHADOWS ALL, among others.

The track listing for the album is as follows:

01. Demoralizer
02. Hour Of Rats
03. Hymns And Crippled Anthems
04. Embarrassment Legacy
05. Tales Of Martyrs And Disappearing Acts
06. Floating Through The Vein
07. Ingest The Ash
08. One Robot To Another
09. Mouthful Of Precious Stones
10. The Ugliest Truth
11. Face Area Solution
12. Sleepless Nights In The Compound

Commented guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie: "We spent the last year working hard on this one and we're excited for everyone to finally hear it. It's a lot faster and, in my opinion, more straight-forward in a structural sense. We're really happy with the great work Jonny Fay and Zeuss did, too. It's not a concept record, but there are some loose conceptual elements to it: hygienic obsession, delusional compound-dwellers and Maniac Mansion.

"Get ready to make fun of us on the Internet!"

THE RED CHORD has uploaded the track "Demoralizer" to the band's MySpace page.

"'Demoralizer' kind of sums up what the record is about. It's aggressive and fast with some darker melodic parts. Probably one of the angriest-sounding songs we've recorded, which fits the records vibe," states McKenzie.

Regarding the new album title, vocalist Guy Kozowyk told Revolver magazine, "It's from the Discovery Channel show 'How It's Made'. They were talking about this machine they feed zippers through, but we just though the name was creepy."

The disc will be the band's first since the mid-2007 departure of Faye, whom the group chose not to replace. "With the economy being so bad, we figured it was time to downsize," Kozowyk said, only half-joking. "Writing as a four-piece is actually more efficient because there's one less opinion you have to deal with."

According to Kozowyk, the new songs are more intense and mature than those on 2007's "Prey for Eyes". "It's faster and heavier, but it's definitely groove-oriented and melodic where it needs to be," he said.

THE RED CHORD has dates lined up with interplanetary gods GWAR along with labelmates JOB FOR A COWBOY. The nearly two-and-a-half-month trek will take THE RED CHORD across the United States, kicking off in Houston Texas on September 29 and finishing up in New York City on December 13.

THE RED CHORD is:

Guy Kozowyk - Vocals
Mike "Gunface" McKenzie - Guitar
Greg Weeks - Bass
Brad Fickeisen - Drums

Just in time for the 2009 holiday season comes a release that is sure to grab the attention of heavy metal fans worldwide, as legendary singer Rob Halford debuts his first holiday CD "Halford III - Winter Songs" on his new label Metal God Records distributed globally by ADA Global/Warner Music Group, Fontana/Universal Music Group, Conveyor/Universal Music Canada and Sony Music Japan.

"Halford III - Winter Songs" is Rob's first solo release in more than seven years, and includes a collection of new Halford-penned tracks plus traditional holiday favorites presented with original arrangements by HALFORD (Rob Halford on vocals, Roy Z. on guitar, Metal Mike Chlasciak on guitar, Mike Davis on bass and Bobby Jarzombek on drums).

Written, arranged and recorded during 2008 and 2009, "Halford III - Winter Songs" celebrates one of the most exciting holiday periods of the year.

The new HALFORD single "Get Into The Spirit" debuts at radio and RobHalford.com on September 29.

"Well, I've always said I wanted to produce a Christmas CD," comments Halford. "The HALFORD band has assembled a fantastic release, and we're excited to have produced a collection of holiday tracks which all of us have enjoyed from a very early age."

"Halford III - Winter Songs" debuts new HALFORD tracks "Get Into The Spirit", "When Christmas Comes For Everyone", "Light Of The World", "What Child Is This", "Oh Holy Night", "Come All Ye Faithful" and more.

"Halford III - Winter Songs" will be released the week of October 26, 2009 at your favorite retailer, e-tailer, Amazon.com, HMV.com, BestBuy.com, Play.com, iTunes and HalfordMusic.com.

A commercial for "Halford III - Winter Songs" can be viewed at MetalGodShop.com.

HALFORD's last studio album, "Crucible", came out in 2002. "Metal God Essentials, Vol. 1", a 2007 collection containing 15 songs spanning Rob Halford's solo career, featured two new songs, "Forgotten Generation" and "Drop Out".

Halford's Metal God Entertainment recently launched Metal God Records — a new music label providing global physical and digital distribution services for the world's rock and metal performers.

"It's been a long desire of mine to be a co-owner and participate in the operation of a label focused on supporting the rock and metal communities," Halford said in a statement. "The infrastructure we have been assembling at Metal God Entertainment now allows myself and other artists to benefit from Metal God Records global physical and digital distribution networks, promotion and marketing services, apparel products and a broad range of Artist & Repertoire services."

WHITE LION drummer Troy Patrick Farrell, who also plays in HOOKERS 'N' BLOW with GUNS N' ROSES keyboardist Dizzy Reed, has shot down reports that GUNS N' ROSES will perform in India in November. He says in a statement, "The dates in India were to be with Dizzy Reed, Eric Dover (SLASH'S SNAKEPIT) and myself as well as Gilby Clarke's bassist Muddy Stardust. Those dates moved to October (NOT NOVEMBER and not in the city of Bengaluru) and Dizzy Reed CANNOT and WILL NOT be in India for any event as far as I am aware of. At least not any event involving me. (Kids, don't try to read into that, but I simply don't speak for GN'R in any way, shape or form)."

He adds, "This rumor [about GUNS N' ROSES playing India] is the result of an overzealous promoter that mixed up information. I have spoken my direct contacts in India to confirm that they in no way shape or form alluded to the fact that Axl [Rose] or any version of GN'R would perform in India.

"Irving Azoff is their manager and all GN'R-related events go through him, not me.

"I don't know who Rhapsody Inc. [the Indian promoter that claims to be bringing GUNS N' ROSES to India] is, nor do I know or have ever been in contact directly with Chromosome Production Pvt. Ltd.

"I love GN'R rumors as much as the next one, just not one that can somehow through a few degrees of separation involve me.

"If all goes as planned, I will be in India on September 30 and October 3 and the lineup will be confirmed when it comes from my mouth, no one else's.

"If GUNS is playing in India at any time, I have nothing to do with it in any degree.

"I will now go back to my life of 'who the fuck is Troy?'"

The Asian Age article "announcing" GUNS N' ROSES' concert in India:

CIRCLE II CIRCLE, THEOCRACY and SEVEN KINGDOMS are among the confirmed bands for the first annual Florida Powerfest, set to take place November 14, 2009 at Club Bourbon Street in New Port Richie, Florida.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

CIRCLE II CIRCLE
THEOCRACY
SEVEN KINGDOMS
PSYAXIS
UNSPOKEN
RETALIATION
CODE:IRIS
OBLIVIOUS SIGNAL
PARALYSIS

"Finally a festival that Florida can be proud of!" says Powerfest manager Camden Cruz. "This will much like the ProgPower shows of Atlanta but just here in Florida!

"Thanks to everyone who has helped myself and our team make this show happen!"

Tickets will be on sale online at Club Bourbon Street's web site.