Video footage of '80s hard rock queen Lita Ford performing her Top 10 Billboard hit (originally recorded with Ozzy Osbourne) "Close My Eyes Forever" while being backed by members of QUEENSRŸCHE on October 17, 2009 at Pensacola, Florida's Saenger Theater can be viewed below.

QUEENSRŸCHE and Ford have teamed up for over two dozen dates beginning October 15. Lita is hitting the stage during the QUEENSRŸCHE set to perform three songs, including "Close My Eyes Forever", which she is singing with QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Geoff Tate. For all songs, Lita is being backed by QUEENSRŸCHE — Geoff Tate on vocals, Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren on guitars, Eddie Jackson on bass and Scott Rockenfield on drums.

"Wicked Wonderland", the first album in 15 years from Lita Ford, sold around 2,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 31 on the Top Hard Music Albums chart.

"Wicked Wonderland" was released in Europe on October 2 via earMUSIC/Edel. The set was 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.

"Smells Like Rock & Roll", the Liverpool, U.K. rock radio show broadcast on 99.8fm, conducted an interview with LACUNA COIL male singer Andrea Ferro before the band's August 1, 2009 concert at the the Masque, Barfly, Liverpool. Watch the chat in two parts below.

Three unique artists were approached to remix LACUNA COIL's "I Like It" track for a single, which was made available digitally only on September 21 in Europe and Australia.

Interface: One of New York's longest-running electronic music acts, Interface combines the sonic edge of industrial, the club energy of trance, and a melodic sensibility for a unique experience.

Das Basslaster: Das Basslaster, synthies/samples/computer and vocals as well as producer for electro/pop/emo/trash darlings FRITTENBUDE, went for a more pop mix of the song.

Dan Peace: 20-year-old underground electro/big bass producer and DJ from the Northeast England, Dan Peace emerged from the bedroom mid-September 2008. He has since been knocking out his own brand of dance music and DJing regularly.

LACUNA COIL's latest album, "Shallow Life", was recorded in September/October 2008 at NRG Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Don Gilmore, who has previously worked with LINKIN PARK, TRAPT, AVRIL LAVIGNE, GOOD CHARLOTTE, THE VERONICAS, PEARL JAM, TRUST COMPANY and DURAN DURAN.

LACUNA COIL is currently on the road in North America as part of the "HardDrive Live Tour", which also features ALL THAT REMAINS, MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER, FROM SWORD TO SUNRISE (first leg) and TAKING DAWN (second leg).

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Metal Sanaz recently conducted an interview with SLIPKNOT lead vocalist Corey Taylor about playing this year's Download festival, the upcoming Halloween show, and enduring over 10 years of touring and album releases. Watch the eight-minute chat below.

In a recent interview with ARTISTdirect.com, Taylor was asked if it becomes easier to sift through the darkness as he gets older. "Oh yeah, absolutely!" he replied. "You can compartmentalize a little better. You don't just hone in on one thing and feel like that defines you. I know a lot of guys who get very one-dimensional because they just exist in that plane. Whereas the older you get, the more you feel like you understand yourself — you know your limits, you know your boundaries and you know how far you can take it. The darkness comes when you realize there are so many lines you can cross. That's really what it comes down to. The more you know yourself, the more you can go there. I think that's why it's gotten easier for me to do that."

When asked what he wants people to take away from his new solo project, THE JUNK BEER KIDNAP BAND, Taylor said, "Everybody is multi-faceted and multi-dimensional. I don't want to be that cardboard cutout rock star. I never have, and I never will. I want to be the guy who wants to have it all. I want to be David Bowie. I want to be Trent Reznor. Those are the things I aspire to be. At the end of the day, I merely want to be a great songwriter who has no fear when it comes to that stuff. The older I've gotten, the better my writing's gotten — the more I take risks and say more than I've ever said in the past."

Bassist Tyler Hoare of BLESSED BY A BROKEN HEART has apologized to Dave Mustaine's guitar tech Willie Gee for allegedly making "racist comments" to Gee when BLESSED BY A BROKEN HEART and MEGADETH shared the stage at the Loud Park festival in Japan last weekend.

In an October 21, 2009 post on the MEGADETH forum, Mustaine wrote that BLESSED BY A BROKEN HEART's "blonde band member came close to getting his ass handed to him for racist comments to and about my tech, Willie Gee." He added, "I am glad I didn't hear [what he said] or I would have another story about bodily harm." (Referring to a recent online post in which he threated to put a journalist in the hospital for airing a TV report that Mustaine viewed as unfavorable.)

The members of BLESSED BY A BROKEN HEART "unanimously and sincerely regret this misunderstanding, and all agree that Willie was nothing but 'awesome' to the band when they got to talk with him during Friday night's soundcheck," according to a press release. "They also all unanimously agree that Tyler's sense of humor can sometimes, inadvertently, be a little bit 'out of line' (as Willie characterized Tyler's comments in an e-mail to guitarist Casey Jones, who reached out to Willie after Mustaine's comments hit the Internet) and offer their heartfelt apologies to the guitar tech and the MEGADETH crew."

"Sometimes Tyler's mouth can get him in trouble," said BLESSED BY A BROKEN HEART lead singer Tony Gambino. "He's got a weird sense of humor, and sometimes just shows plain bad judgment. But Willie, and the guys in MEGADETH and their crew, were nothing but awesome to us around Loud Park and we hope they can understand that sometimes you just say things that get taken the wrong way — I think everyone has had that happen to them at some time in their life — and accept our apology."

What follows is a letter from Tyler (pictured below), who wanted a chance to tell his side:

"Hey everyone, my name is Tyler Hoare — I'm the 'blonde guy' from BLESSED BY A BROKEN HEART.

"This whole incident has really taken a toll on me, because I honestly do not have one racist bone in my body. I know people always say that, but those who know me know that's the God's honest truth.

"I promise you that if you talk to anyone who knows me personally, the accusation of 'racist' would be the last thing that anyone would think of. Stupid, maybe, 'weird sense of humor,' maybe, but definitely not racist...

"To share with you a bit of where I'm coming from: I have a mentally handicapped foster brother who is black that I love with all my heart. My ex-girlfriend of three years is black. I am a tattoo artist, and my clients are of all races.

"To Willie: I am very sorry I made you feel uncomfortable, it was not my intention AT ALL. If you knew me, you would know that I joke around alot and say stupid things, but a racist I am not. I guess I overstepped my boundaries because I didn't know you that well, but it's only because I felt really comfortable hanging with you.

"For those of you who've read enough, please know that I apologize to Willie, who was nothing but super-cool to me, and anyone else in the crew that may have been offended.

"I hope this will serve to clear things up.

"For those of you who want to know how one thing led to another, the details are below.

[Tyler recalls how he stuck his foot in his mouth. Again.]

"When we got to the venue and started setting up, MEGADETH was doing a soundcheck on the same stage where we would play. I noticed that their guitar tech was black and actually thought to myself that that was sweet, because we don't see many black guys in the metal scene. I went over, shook Willie's hand and chatted a bit. Later, we started talking and I brought up that 'South Park' episode where Cartman is trying to form a band. Willie was familiar with it, and we laughed together about it, and I was like, 'You should be a bass tech.' I was making fun of the stereotype, which was also done in 'South Park'. In no way do I think black people cant play guitar — that's just crazy, obviously!

"We continued to chat and hang for another 5-10 minutes, and I was not getting a vibe that I had offended, or I would have straight out told him 'Sorry, dude.' I was just making a joke, making fun of people that have these stereotypes.

"I'm sorry that this got misconstrued or overheard by folks who did not understand the context of our conversation, or the fact that I am sometimes, indeed, a little 'stupid.'"

U.K.'s Internet television channel Channel Bee has uploaded a short video clip of MOTÖRHEAD mainman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister recalling "the best story he ever heard" involving legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT). Watch the clip below.

Official Metallica.com footage from METALLICA's October 18, 2009 concert at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina — including clips of the pre-show meet-and-greet and tuning-room jam and the actual performance — can be viewed below. Also available is footage of Mario Duplantier's (of support band GOJIRA) art show on what was GOJIRA's last night on the tour as the opening act for METALLICA.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. For Whom the Bell Tolls
04. The Four Horsemen
05. One
06. Broken, Beat And Scarred
07. Cyanide
08. Sad But True
09. Turn the Page
10. The Judas Kiss
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Fight Fire With Fire
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
16. Too Late Too Late
17. Phantom Lord
18. Seek and Destroy

Over the past month, there's been talk about a massive tour featuring metal's "Big Four" — METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX. But now METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett says the outing won't see the light of day. Kirk said in a recent radio interview, "That tour is not gonna happen. I've been hearing that, we've all been hearing that for awhile. I get asked about it regularly. And as far as a tour going on, it's not gonna happen." When asked why, Hammett said, "Conflicting schedules, conflicting personalities, a lot of conflicting things. It's a good idea though. And, personally, I can see the significance of playing a tour like that, but... it's not gonna happen."

There have been conflicting reports about whether the tour would ever take off, with band members saying they'd like to see the tour happen, but aren't sure that it would actually get off the ground.

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

New temporary one-time-use KISS make-up decal is available from KissMuseum.net.

Much like one of those temporary tattoos, this make-up decal goes on only once. The advantage to this is speed of application as well as accuracy. You get razor-sharp details every time!

To apply, just clean your face, peel off the clear backing, place over your face and then hold a damp cloth on top. In 30 seconds, peel off the backing and there you go — ready to rock! Washes off with soap and water.

Dutch symphonic metallers WITHIN TEMPTATION took part in an acoustic performance on October 16, 2009 on the Radio 538 morning show "Evers Staat Op". Watch video of their appearance below.

WITHIN TEMPTATION's new live album, "An Acoustic Night At The Theatre", will be released on October 30 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and November 2 in the rest of Europe. The CD will contain a brand new song called "Utopia" as well as acoustic live tracks that were recorded during the band's sold-out theater tour in November 2008. "These were very special concerts, as we added an acoustic set to our live show, making our show more intimate," the group says. "Besides this we used film projections emphasizing the great theatre ambiance."

"An Acoustic Night At The Theatre" track listing:

01. Towards The End
02. Stand My Ground
03. Caged
04. All I Need
05. Frozen
06. Somewhere (feat. Anneke van Giersbergen)
07. The Cross
08. Pale
09. What Have You Done (feat. Keith Caputo)
10. Memories
11. Forgiven
12. Utopia (feat. Chris Jones)

On October 23, WITHIN TEMPTATION will release a new single containing the "Utopia" track, which is a duet between Sharon den Adel and Chris Jones. The single will also contain "Restless", recorded live at WITHIN TEMPTATION's 2007 show in Eindhoven, Holland.

WITHIN TEMPTATION states: "In April next year we will be doing a rerun of [the acoustic] tour, where we will be doing this particular show for the last time. After that, we will prepare ourselves for the new album, new show, etc."

Sharon den Adel and WITHIN TEMPTATION guitarist Robert Westerholt welcomed their second child, Robin Aiden Westerholt, on June 1. The couple also has a three-year old daughter named Eva Luna den Adel.

WITHIN TEMPTATION released a double-DVD, titled "Black Symphony", on September 22, 2008. It is also available as a double-CD.

"Utopia" (featuring Chris Jones):



"The Cross":

Steven Seaweed of 107.7 The Bone, the San Francisco Bay Area's rock station, conducted an interview with legendary rocker Alice Cooper on October 21, 2009. Watch the chat in four parts below.

Alice Cooper celebrates his eternal love for the infernal holiday on his syndicated classic rock radio show "Nights with Alice Cooper" with a week of Halloween-themed programming, plus a special bonus sixth night with a spook-tactular Halloween night show on Saturday, October 31. The week of programming will feature an impressive array of ghoulish Halloween guests and contests hosted by the shock rock icon.

Alice hosts the internationally syndicated show for five hours each weeknight from 7:00 p.m. to midnight, and for the Halloween holiday season, the shows airing the week of October 26 will be packed with unexpected guests, contests and music, as Cooper celebrates his favorite holiday by "Keepin' Halloween Alive!" Additionally, Alice will do a special sixth night of programming on Saturday, October 31, giving all his ghoul and boils an extra night of Halloween fright — plus creepy classic rock, terrifying trivia, spooky stories and songs and tales from Alice's own crypt!

Scheduled guests, contests and segments for the week of October 26-31 include:

* "Keepin' Halloween Alive" "Cooper-oke" contest. Sing Alice's single, make a video, win $1,000, $500 or $250 at nightswithalicecooper.com

* "Halloween", "Clockwork Orange" and "Entourage" actor Malcolm McDowell

* Rocker/director/writer Rob Zombie

* "Exorcist" queen Linda Blair

* Metal monsters GWAR

* Singer Joe Elliott from DEF LEPPARD

* Win "Killer" and "School's Out" vinyl signed by Alice Cooper and original drummer Neal Smith

* SyFy Channel's "Ghost Hunters"/TAPS founders Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson

* "Star Wars" segment: Ace Frehley Vs.. KISS

"Nights with Alice Cooper" is produced and distributed by the United Stations Radio Networks. Alice anchors 30 hours per week of original classic rock programming which boasts 110 affiliates broadcasting a combination of weeknight and weekend programming around the globe. Alice's time slot reaches 1.1 million listeners (12+) each week, and his affiliates have a weekly reach of over 6 millions listeners.

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TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan's side project, PUSCIFER, is set to release its first new music in two years with a six-song EP titled "C is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference Here) E.P." on November 10.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Polar Bear
02. The Mission (Renholder Mix) (feat. Milla Jovovich)
03. Momma Sed (Alive @ Club Nokia)
04. Vagina Mine (Alive @ Club Nokia)
05. Potions (Deliverance Mix)
06. The Humbling River

"Polar Bear" is now available for streaming on the PUSCIFER MySpace page.

Meats Meier just completed a video for "The Mission".

PUSCIFER will kick off its first tour with a swing through the Western U.S. on October 29 in Las Vegas (a Midwest/East Coast run is in the works for 2010).

In a recent interview with Noisecreep, Keenan stated that fans can expect nothing but to be surprised on the upcoming PUSCIFER tour, which runs through early December.

"Whenever you see a city with a double booking, it will be a different performance both nights," Keenan said. He went on to describe PUSCIFER as "a gathering place for other solo projects, as well as mine. Eventually, it will become more of a stable, core band, but initially it is definitely an experimental phase, with people coming and going."

Keenan was interviewed by Cort and Fatboy of Portland's Rock 101 KUFO on September 18. The program is available for download as an MP3 audio file at this location. It can also be streamed using the audio player below.

Amy Kelly of Ultimate-Guitar.com recently conducted an interview with DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell. A few excerpts from the chat follows below.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Do you still look forward to taking the stage after 30 years in the business?

Campbell: I thoroughly enjoy playing live. That's the main reason why you pick up your instrument in the first place. You get that instant gratification in front of an audience. We've done it all before, but I still get very excited about doing it. As far as getting nervous before a gig, I don't really. I get apprehensive, but I wouldn't say it's really nervous. There is an excitement and an adrenaline. I enjoy it for what it is. Like everything else, nothing lasts forever. I try to enjoy it every day.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: I'm sure that each member of DEF LEPPARD has a unique way of approaching the songwriting process. Do you wait until you get off the road or are you someone who might bring along a makeshift studio on the tour bus to record demos?

Campbell: I don't normally write on the road, but occasionally I have. You never know when you're going to be inspired by something. I come up with something while I'm on tour, but all I'll do is make a note of it. I don't demo it on the road. I do have a full Pro Tools rig at home. We did bring that on tour once in 2006 when we were writing "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge". That was the exception because I had my portable Pro Tools on my laptop. So it was easy for me. That was the only time I've ever actually demoed something while on tour. Normally I collect ideas and then when I go home, I have the home studio and do it there. We all have very different styles. And to be honest, it's a bit of a struggle for me to write for DEF LEPPARD. It's not really my natural inclination to write LEPPARD-like songs. I always find that I have to kind of step outside of the box and try to be objective about what I'm doing. I'll say to myself, "Is this going to work for Joe [Elliott, DEF LEPPARD singer]?" I especially think that because of the way I sing. On my demos I tend to be more of a soul-type singer. I've come to realize that Joe doesn't naturally follow the same thought process in terms of the melodies. I'm not a good enough songwriter where I can write to order. If somebody says, "Write a song for Britney Spears" — I can't do that. I'm not a prolific songwriter. I'm not one of these songwriter hacks who can churn out a song a day for so-and-so. It's a painful process for me. I'm also not a great technician when it comes to engineering. I rely on the generosity of my clever engineering friends who help me to do things that I can't.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Was the recording process of your blues album a different experience altogether from your work with DEF LEPPARD in the studio?

Campbell: Yeah. It certainly is the polar opposite of the way DEF LEPPARD records. With LEPPARD, we totally do everything separately. In recent years, for "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" and a couple of tracks on the "Yeah!" album, Phil [Collen, DEF LEPPARD's other guitarist] and I would record together. There is one track where we actually recorded the guitar solos live because we trade off in a couple parts. That was the first time we had ever done that. Other than that, everything is one guy at a time. It's very piecemeal and it's a very tedious process. Although with the first DIO album that we did, we did tracking live with Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice and myself. Then Ronnie would be singing the vocals. With "Two Sides Of If", we were taking it a stage further. Not only was I cutting all the guitars live, but I was also cutting the vocals at the same time. When I listen back to it, it's kind of hard for me to listen to sometimes. I'm always thinking about my performance. If I'm singing I'll say, "Oh, I'm a little flat there" or "That guitar was a little sharp." If it was a rock record or a regular record, you could fix it. To me, there had to be a certain integrity to it. It had to be live.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Are there any techniques or methods that you would suggest for a beginning guitarist?

Campbell: Yeah. I think that it's because I taught myself that I am here where I am. I believe that the idiosyncrasies in your playing and your style make you unique. That becomes your signature. There is no one in the world that plays like me, and therefore there is no one in the world that sounds like me. That got me the first gig with DIO. He auditioned Jake E. Lee and a bunch of other guitar players in L.A. While they're all fine guitar players and amazing technicians and certainly technically better than me, there was something about my playing that was unique. That's why I got the gig. It becomes about passion. It's about trying to find the right expression. It's not about technique. That's one thing that I tell kids when they come up to me. Yes, you need a certain amount of technique. You have to get over that hump to be able to play your instrument. It's not about trying to play fast. It's about playing in time, in key, in pitch, and expressing yourself. It's finding your place.

Read the entire interview from Ultimate-Guitar.com.

36 CRAZYFISTS vocalist Brock Lindow will be the special guest on this weekend's (October 23-25) edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show.

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

On January 9, 2009, 36 CRAZYFISTS filmed their very first live DVD in their hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. The effort, aptly titled "Underneath A Northern Sky", was directed by good friend Todd Bell, who joined the band for a week's worth of revisiting old stomping grounds, listening to stories of the formation of the band and all the antics that come along with a band who is in their 15th year and counting.

"Anchorage, Alaska has a small music scene," explains Lindow. "Pretty much everyone knows each other. Growing up in here, shaped us to be aware of the beauty of isolation and creating your own self. We had MTV just like everyone else, but as people, we adapted to dark winters and summers where the sun never went down. That in itself created so many amazing rituals and memories of the season.”

The DVD will include footage of the very first 36 CRAZYFISTS show as well as countless other rare scenes of globetrotting by a band from Alaska who has defied the odds of coming from a place of obscurity to touring and playing major festivals around the world. Along with the live show, ridiculous backstage antics and band member interviews, all the bands videos are also present on the DVD.

"There are interviews from band members sharing their thoughts on our career and all the wonderful things we have been able to experience because of this band," continues Lindow. "Our fans have been waiting for something like this to surface for some time and for that I'm very grateful to Todd Bell, AKSOUL and Ferret for giving us the opportunity to finally put out our very first DVD. This is for the ears and eyes of the interested, for the fans who have been there through thick and thin!"

Look for "Underneath A Northern Sky" to hit stores October 27.

(Thanks: Andrew / The Space Lord)

DELAIN — the Dutch gothic rock/metal project founded by ex-WITHIN TEMPTATION keyboardist Martijn Westerholt (brother of WITHIN TEMPTATION's Robert Westerholt) — has issued the following update:

"Because our bandmate Rob [van der Loo, bass] has a lot of personal stuff going on in December, he will not able to accompany us at our European tour with SONATA ARCTICA. However, we already found a really good replacement for Rob. Bass guitar player Roel Vink wil take care of Rob's job at this tour. They know each other from their mutual former band SUN CAGED. However, Rob will play the Dutch gigs of the tour."

For a list of dates, go to this location.

"Stay Forever", the new video from DELAIN, can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's second album, "April Rain", which entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 96. The CD was released in North America on June 30 via Sensory Records (with U.S. distribution through Ryko and Canadian distribution through Sonic Unyon). The North American version of the album features a bonus track — "Come Closer" — which was previously only available on the limited-edition digipack version of the LP.

"April Rain" benefits from the return of NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala who sings male vocals on two tracks, as well as world-renowned cellist Maria Ahn.

DELAIN has been confirmed as one of the headliners of the Femme Metal Festival, set to take place November 7-8, 2009 at The Asylum (Saturday) in Birmingham and The Peel (Sunday) in London, United Kingdom.

Video footage of California rockers STEEL PANTHER performing an acoustic version of the song "Community Property" can be viewed below. Also available is a previously released question-and-answer session with the band interspersed with an acoustic performance of "Girl From Oklahoma".

STEEL PANTHER's first collection of original material, "Feel The Steel", was produced by Jay Ruston and was officially released in the U.S. on October 6.

"When you hear the title, 'Feel The Steel', you're going to feel some stuff you probably weren't used to feeling before, and that's the feeling of heavy metal going through your loins," lead singer Michael Starr said.

STEEL PANTHER is the '80s metal/hard rock tribute act formerly known as METAL SKOOL. The four-member band, known for its outrageous stage presence and gargantuan guitar riffs, has been entertaining fans and scores of rock and entertainment VIPs with its raucous antics via L.A.'s longest-running heavy metal show on the Sunset Strip for nearly a decade (now running at the infamous Key Club every Monday night). The band also holds residencies at the Green Valley Resort and Casino on Friday and Saturday in Las Vegas and the Typhoon Saloon in San Diego every Wednesday.

Canadian modern metallers THREAT SIGNAL have replaced DAATH as direct support on EPICA's upcoming North American tour.

Commented THREAT SIGNAL in a statement: "This will be THREAT SIGNAL's first tour supporting our new album, 'Vigilance'. We are excited to be tearing apart North America with EPICA and also promoting our new record on the road. We will be performing songs from both albums, 'Under Reprisal' and 'Vigilance'. Expect to find us in the crowd hanging with friends and fans, so come hang out and be prepared to drink!"

EPICA, THREAT SIGNAL and BLACKGUARD tour dates:

Jan. 26 - Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA
Jan. 27 - Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
Jan. 29 - The Blender Theater at Gramercy - New York, NY
Jan. 30 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA
Jan. 31 - Club Soda - Montreal, QC - CANADA
Feb. 02 - MOD Club - Toronto, ON - CANADA
Feb. 03 - Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
Feb. 04 - The Pearl Room - Mokena, IL
Feb. 05 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
Feb. 06 - Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
Feb. 08 - Royal Albert Arms - Winnipeg, MB - CANADA
Feb. 10 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB - CANADA
Feb. 11 - Warehouse - Calgary, AB - CANADA
Feb. 13 - Sugar Nightclub - Victoria, BC - CANADA
Feb. 14 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
Feb. 15 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
Feb. 17 - Slims - San Francisco, CA
Feb. 18 - Key Club - Hollywood, CA
Feb. 19 - U.B's Bar - Mesa, AZ
Feb. 20 - The Rock - Tucson, AZ
Feb. 22 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
Feb. 23 - Marquee - Tulsa, OK
Feb. 24 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
Feb. 25 - Scout Bar - San Antonio, TX
Feb. 27 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
Feb. 28 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA

"Vigilance" sold around 1,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 32 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.

Released on September 8 in North America and September 11 in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was produced by vocalist Jon Howard and mixed by Greg Reely (FEAR FACTORY, FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY).

THREAT SIGNAL members Jon Howard (vocals) and Pat Kavanagh (bass) are also involved with ARKAEA, the band featuring FEAR FACTORY members Raymond Herrera (drums) and Christian Olde Wolbers (guitar).

The "Through My Eyes" video can be viewed below.

TRIXTER members Pete Loran and Steve Brown, along with GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, have been added to the list of guest musicians appearing on Christian rockers LIBERTY N' JUSTICE's ninth studio album and fifth "all-star" project, "Light It Up" (formerly "The Cigar Chronicles"). They will all appear in the song "Wrestling With God", which was co-written by Brown (who also produced the track) and LIBERTY N' JUSTICE founder Justin Murr.

"Light It Up" was produced by Vic Rivera, Mike Layne, C.J. Snare (who also pre-mastered the disc), and Stephen Chesney. The album will be mastered by J. Powell at Steinhaus Mastering.

Matt Hunt of Retroactive Records stated, "I've been a lifelong fan of hard rock and this is one of the best albums I have ever heard!"

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Light It Up
02. The Other Thief
03. Blink
04. Do What You Believe
05. Man vs. Mother Nature
06. Treading On Serpents
07. Uncle Sam
08. Every Reason To Believe
09. Wrestling With God
10. Best Time You Never Had
11. Beautiful Decision
12. Drunk Dead Gorgeous
13. Greed
14. For Better Or Worse

"Light It Up" guest musicians (among others):

Bill Leverty (FIREHOUSE)
C.J. Snare (FIREHOUSE)
Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.)
Dale Thompson (BRIDE)
Eddie Ojeda (TWISTED SISTER)
Harry Hess (HAREM SCAREM)
Jeff Pilson (DOKKEN, FOREIGNER)
Jerry Dixon (WARRANT)
Kelly Keeling (BATON ROUGE)
Keri Kelli (ALICE COOPER)
Les Carlsen (BLOODGOOD)
Lynn Louise Lowery (VIXEN)
Marc Danzeisen (BULLETBOYS, LITTLE CAESAR)
Marq Torien (BULLETBOYS)
Oz Fox (STRYPER, BLOODGOOD)
Pete Lesperance (HAREM SCAREM)
Phil Lewis (L.A. GUNS)
Robert Mason (WARRANT, LYNCH MOB)
Sheldon Tarsha (ADLER'S APPETITE)
Ted Poley (DANGER DANGER)
Terry Ilous (XYZ)
Troy Thompson (BRIDE)
Vic Rivera (CRUNCH)
Pete Loran (TRIXTER)
Steve Brown (TRIXTER)
Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES)

Commented Murr: "With 'Light It Up', we wanted everything bigger and louder! The album features big guitars, big hooks, big vocals, and the thing that makes a LIBERTY N' JUSTICE project... big names! This is the most commercial sounding record we have ever released and I promise this record rocks!!"

"Light It Up" is scheduled for a January 19, 2010 release via Retroactive Records.

New Orleans sludge metallers CROWBAR will take part in this year's Stillborn Fest. The five Northeast shows will also include HATEBREED, THE ACACIA STRAIN, THE CASUALTIES and THY WILL BE DONE.

The dates are as follows:

Dec. 26 - Syracuse, NY - Lost Horizon
Dec. 27 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Dec. 28 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
Dec. 29 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
Dec. 30 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theater

CROWBAR's forthcoming box set, which will be released via DOWN/ex-PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo's record label Housecore Records, will include the full self-titled demo from THE SLUGS (pre-CROWBAR) that was recorded in April 1990. Songs include "Subversion", "A Breed Apart", "My Agony", "No Quarter" (LED ZEPPELIN cover), "My 4 Walls" and the unreleased track "Brain Freeze".

The lineup on the demo was as follows:

Kirk Windstein: Vocals, Guitars
Jimmy Bower: Drums
Kevin Noonan: Guitars
Todd Strange: Bass

CROWBAR will re-release the majority of its back catalog through Housecore Records. Also planned is a new live record and a CD of new material.

Metal Mind Productions re-released three CROWBAR albums — "Crowbar" (1993), "Time Heals Nothing" (1995) and "Live+1" EP (1995) — in Europe in April 2008. Each limited-edition digipack title (limited to 2,000 copies) was made available on golden disc, digitally remastered using 24-bit technology. The "Time Heals Nothing" album also contains six bonus tracks — four audio and two video.

CROWBAR's video for the song "Slave No More" was included on the band's DVD, "Live: With Full Force", which came out in North America in January 2007. Filmed at the popular German open-air festival of the same name, "Live: With Full Force" was captured on CROWBAR's world tour supporting their 2005 release "Lifesblood for the Downtrodden". The live performance DVD also includes candid backstage footage plus the band's second (and previously unavailable) promotional video for "Lifesblood for the Downtrodden" album track "Slave No More".

Guitarist Christofer Malmström of Swedish thrashers DARKANE will take part in a guitar clinic at the Eric Ruuth culture center in Höganäs, Sweden on Wednesday, October 28 at 18.00. He says, "I will talk about my perspective of songwriting and practicing, and also play some songs by DARKANE and my solo album NON-HUMAN LEVEL, and also show my Ibanez guitars."

Entrance is free, but you have to register in advance by sending an e-mail to mail@ericruuth.se.

For more information, visit www.ericruuth.se.

"Demonic Art", the fifth album from DARKANE, debuted at No. 104 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.

"Demonic Art" was released in North America on February 10 via Nuclear Blast Records. The North America version of the CD, which came out in Europe on October 24, 2008 via Massacre Records, contains a bonus track and a bonus DVD.

Photo below is courtesy of Christofer Malmström's MySpace page.

As heavy metal reaches its 40th birthday, VBS.TV brings you a four-episode documentary titled "Heavy Metal Roadshow", a roadie-led international scene report on the state of heavy metal. It consists of an inside look at the people who make up the fabric of heavy metal in the U.K., the U.S. and Sweden from both a historical and current perspective.

For any metal fan growing up before widespread Internet access, fanzines were the bibles of underground music. Scene reports, in particular, were the vital feature that kept local scenes connected. VBS.TV correspondent Iano Dovi brings the scene report into the digital age.

Episode 1 sees Iano in the U.K., exploring the birthplace of heavy metal with key metallers such as Neil Kaye and Talita Jenman.

Episode 2 travels to one of metal's other great lands, Sweden to hang out with Jenny Walroth of independent metal giants Century Media.

Episode 3: Over in Los Angeles, Iano reminisces on METALLICA's early days, and Mike Conte from Whiplash! praises the Internet for recapturing DIY in the metal scene.

Episode 4: Iano heads to Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, the biggest metal festival in the U.S.

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4:



(Thanks: SoundShock.net)

TEAM CYBERGEIST, the industrial project founded by Angel (a.k.a. Andrew Bartolotta) — best known as the past/present drummer of such bands as DOPE, GENITORTURERS, PIG, CROSSBREED, SWITCHED, THE UNDEAD, and many others — has inked a deal with RB Records for the Japanese release of the band's new album, "How To Destroy Something Beautiful". Due on November 18, the first official full-length CD from TEAM CYBERGEIST will feature collaborative performances by past and present members of DOPE, STONE SOUR, KITTIE, GODHEAD, MORBID ANGEL, ADEMA, SALIVA, GENITORTURERS, PIGFACE, DARK NEW DAY, PSYCLON NINE, SWITCHED, KMFDM, KIDNEYTHIEVES, PIG, HANZEL UND GRETYL and many others.

The Japanese version of the album will feature a different track listing, different artwork, and exclusive bonus tracks.

"How To Destroy Something Beautiful" will be released in the United States (through Toxic Shock Records) later this year.

"How To Destroy Something Beautiful" track listing:

01. Crash And Burn
02. Human Nature
03. Justified
04. The Dream
05. The End Of All We Know
06. My Last Call
07. Radiation Romance
08. Everything
09. A Way Out
10. How To Destroy Something Beautiful
11. Self Centered (Spelling Love With Dollar Signs)
12. 1 Knife 1 Throat 2 Hearts
13. The World ends Tonight
14. Sand Castles
15. Second Coming
16. On Broken Wings
17. Tomorrow (Japan Mix)
18. Radiation Romance (PsyKill Remix)

Check out audio samples at www.teamcybergeist.com.

TEAM CYBERGEIST has announced its lineup for the "Blackheart Revolution" tour with Florida-based "shock-rockers" GENITORTURERS.

TEAM CYBERGEIST's touring lineup will consist of the following musicians:

* Angel Bartolotta (DOPE, GENITORTURERS) - Drums, Tracks
* Rachelle Holscher (FOREVER OEUVRE) - Vocals
* Ronny Paige (FUEL, REV THEORY, FIVE BOLT MAIN) - Vocals
* Jason K (PIG) - Guitar
* J Schmidt (DOC RUCKUS) - Guitar
* Sally Debauchery (PSYKILL) - Bass

TEAM CYBERGEIST will support GENITORTURERS on the following dates:

Nov. 06 - The Ritz - Tampa, FL
Nov. 07 - The Rocket Club - Asheville, NC (21+)
Nov. 08 - Sonar - Baltimore, MD
Nov. 09 - Mexicali Live - Teaneck, NJ
Nov. 10 - Club Hell - Providence, RI
Nov. 12 - Penny Arcade - Rochester, NY
Nov. 13 - Blondies - Detroit, MI
Nov. 14 - Peabody's - Cleveland, OH

"TEAM CYBERGEIST was never meant to be a live band," Angel previously said. "I always saw it as just a studio project. But through the years, people have been asking when I was going to do live shows. When writing songs, I collaborate with different musicians. Every song has different guests. I had no idea how I was going to pull it off live!"

After three years of being locked in the studio, Angel decided to bring some select musicians together to form the TEAM CYBERGEIST live band.

TEAM CYBERGEIST's video for the song "Justified" can be viewed below. According to a press release, "It is a look into the recording process of a brand new song off the upcoming full-length TEAM CYBERGEIST album, 'How To Destroy Something Beautiful'. The vocals [for the track] were recorded in Stockholm, Sweden; the bass in Ocala, Florida; the synths and programming in North Port, Florida; the guitar solo in Cleveland, Ohio; and the rest was recorded at Redline Recording Studio in Venice, Florida, where the song was mixed. This is an example on how TEAM CYBERGEIST works. Musicians from all around the world collaborating to create music through the Internet."

"Justified" features the following musicians:

* Angel Bartolotta (DOPE) - Production, Composition, Arranging, Programming, Drums, Samples, Synth, Keys, Guitar, Gang Vocals
* Lizette von Panajott - Vocals, Lyrics
* Jason Schmidt - Additional Production, Guitar, Gang Vocals
* BC Kochmit (DARK NEW DAY, SWITCHED) - Guitar Solo
* Sally Debauchery (PSYKILL) - Bass

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

Legendary heavy metal guitarist Tony Iommi (HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH) was a guest on the October 20, 2009 edition of BBC Radio 2's "The Radcliffe And Maconie Show". The program is now available or streaming at this location. (Note: The Iommi interview begins around the one-hour, 10-minute mark.)

Regarding recent reports that he was due to undergo surgery on his hand, Iommi said, "I've had this problem with my hand and I've had this stem cell treatment on it. [I have to wear a guard on my hand] to stop me from banging it. But it's coming on good. The cartilage [was worn out between] the joints, and the joints [were] rubbing on the joints. It was bone to bone and it was getting a bit painful. And I've done it for quite awhile — 18 months — and I've been taking anti-inflammatories and painkillers. But I just wanted to stop doing it, 'cause it upsets your stomach, and get it done. This is the latest thing, so we'll see if it works."

According to ArmyTimes, stem cells are cells found in all multicellular organisms that can renew themselves through division and morph into a diverse range of other specialized cell types.

A stem cell is a sort of "beginner cell" that has not yet assumed a specific function or form such as bone, blood or nerve. The younger a person is, the more stem cells are present; they start to diminish around age 20, when most people finish growing.

As previously reported, Iommi will be IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson's guest on Friday, October 23 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.

The management for HEAVEN & HELL vocalist Ronnie James Dio released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET on August 27 in an attempt to "quash any rumors that [the group] have broken up." The statement read in part, "Tony Iommi has to have surgery on his hand and [needs] some down time for recovery. Therefore DIO [the band] will be performing some dates in the U.K. and Europe in November/December during this time off. HEAVEN & HELL are already making plans for dates next year."

Photo below courtesy of Tony Iommi's MySpace page.

FLYLEAF will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Monday, November 2 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with FLYLEAF by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625).

For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.

In other news, FLYLEAF and ShockHound are giving away 30 pairs of free tickets to the band's secret "Shock Sessions" performance, which will be taped somewhere in the Los Angeles area on the late afternoon of Tuesday, October 27.

For more information, go to this location.

FLYLEAF's new album, "Memento Mori", is scheduled for release on November 10 via A&M/Octone. For the follow-up to the band's hit 2005 self-titled debut, the band again teamed with producer Howard Benson, who is known for his work with PAPA ROACH, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS.

"Memento Mori" track listing:

01. Beautiful Bride
02. Again
03. Chasm
04. Missing
05. This Close
06. The Kind
07. In The Dark
08. Set Apart This Dream
09. Swept Away
10. Tiny Heart
11. Melting (interlude)
12. Treasure
13. Circle
14. Arise

Disc 2 (Deluxe Edition):

01. Break Your Knees
02. Enemy
03. Have We Lost
04. Who Am I

The album's title comes from the well-known Latin phrase that, through the ages, has been uttered as a reminder of the mortality we all share. According to ancient texts, memento mori was historically acted out as a kind of ritual tableau in ancient Rome when a victorious general was welcomed back to the city with a parade: "Standing behind the victorious general was a servant, and he had the task of reminding the general that, though he was up on the peak today, tomorrow was another day. The servant did this by telling the general that he should remember that he was mortal, i.e. 'Memento mori."

THEM CROOKED VULTURES — which consists of FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl on drums, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE singer/guitarist Josh Homme and LED ZEPPELIN bass player John Paul Jones — will release its self-titled debut album will be in stores on November 17 via DGC/Interscope Records. The first single from the CD is called "New Fang" and it will arrive at radio stations on Monday, October 26.

"Them Crooked Vultures" track listing, according to Billboard.com:

01. No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
02. Mind Eraser, No Chaser
03. New Fang
04. Dead End Friends
05. Elephants
06. Scumbag Blues
07. Bandoliers
08. Reptiles
09. Interlude with Ludes
10. Warsaw or the first Breath You Take After You Give Up
11. Caligulove
12. Gunman
13. Spinning in Daffodils

Quality fan-filmed video footage of THEM CROOKED VULTURES performing the song "New Fang" on October 11, 2009 at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts can be viewed below (courtesy of "HowellKenny").

THEM CROOKED VULTURES officially kicked off its first North American tour on October 5 in Nashville. The group has been the subject of furious international buzz since making its official live debut on August 9 in Chicago.

FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins told The Pulse of Radio he's heard the VULTURES' record and likes it. "It's really great," he said. "I'm really proud of Dave, and I think he's having a real blast not having to shake his booty at the front of the stage for a while, you know?"

THEM CROOKED VULTURES taped a performance for the Austin City Limits TV program on September 30.

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

CHICKENFOOT will perform on ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Thursday, November 5 (which will actually air the morning of Friday, November 6).

CHICKENFOOT's self-titled debut album was certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) on September 10, 2009 for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States. The LP — which has actually shifted 329,000 units so far, according to Nielsen SoundScan — is packaged in heat-sensitive artwork, which means when you put your hand on the CD inlay, photos of the band members are revealed behind the CHICKENFOOT band logo.

International rock music record label earMUSIC will release a new, "deluxe edition" of the eponymous debut album by CHICKENFOOT in the U.K. on November 23. The two-disc deluxe edition includes a bonus DVD disc featuring exclusive live footage, behind-the-scenes interviews and both of the band's official music videos ("Oh Yeah" and "Soap On A Rope").

CHICKENFOOT's September 23 concert at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona was filmed for possible use on a future DVD release. The band's August 30, 2009 show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia was also recorded for the same purpose.

CHICKENFOOT was formed last year by ex-VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar, who enlisted former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani, and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith to complete the lineup, which has toured the U.S. and Europe since the release of the CD.

Hard rock band RETURN TO EARTH — composed of COHEED AND CAMBRIA and ex-THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN drummer Chris Pennie, guitarist Brett Aveni, and vocalist Ron Scalzo — has completed the recording of its second album. The rock trio its currently preparing for the upcoming release, entitled "Automata", scheduled for early 2010 on Bald Freak Music. In an effort to build an early buzz, the label (which is owned and operated by Scalzo) has decided to make one of the new album tracks available for free download.

The song, which is called "You Will Be Replaced", will be made available for streaming and free download starting October 22, 2009, through the band's MySpace page, as well as their web site, www.returntoearthmusic.com. Scalzo has hinted that more free tracks from the album will follow all the way up to the release of the full-length.

Of the marketing strategy, Scalzo says, "We're taking a page from some our favorite bands like RADIOHEAD and NINE INCH NAILS, and offering up some songs from the new album to the masses for free. The full album won't be polished up for a few more months, and we're all so psyched about how great the tunes are sounding, so we figured we'd give everyone a free taste a little early in the game. Hopefully our fans, both new and old, will spread the word and generate some excitement over the forthcoming music."

"Automata" is currently being mixed and mastered by GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.

Drawing upon the synergy of their first collaboration, 2007's "Captains of Industry" (also available through Bald Freak), Pennie, Aveni, and Scalzo feel confident in the strength of the new material. Says Pennie of the new song, "'Replaced' is a very clever song in so many ways. The song is essentially in an odd meter, but because of the catchy riff and melody lines, that never gets in the way of the vibe. I feel there are so many great tunes on 'Automata', but 'Replaced' has this vibe where I wanna smack someone right in the face when I hear it."

Alice Cooper's ninth annual Christmas Pudding event will be held on Friday, December 18 at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. A night of comedy and music will feature Dee Snider, WARRANT, Lita Ford, ROGER CLYNE AND THE PEACEMAKERS, GARY MULE DEER and others. Brad Perry will be the MC for evening as well as perform with his band. Tickets will be on sale the first week of November.

Christmas Pudding is an annual fete to raise money for Cooper's charity, the Solid Rock Foundation, a non-profit Christian corporation that provides a recreation center (The Rock Teen Center) for teenagers. This holiday-themed variety show, held every December at the Dodge Theatre, is designed to be an entertaining blend of comedy, music, dance and surprise performances. Driving the musical ingredients is a mixture of talent in all genres including bands, soloists and dancers. In addition to the artists performing their own hits, they also perform popular Christmas songs.

For more information, visit www.alicepudding.com.

Video footage of SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo's recent Australian clinics — on October 15, 2009 in Sydney and on October 6, 2009 in Brisbane — can be viewed below.

Lombardo is a Cuban-American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band SLAYER. Lombardo's music career has spanned more than 25 years, during which he has been involved in the production of 29 commercial recordings spanning a number of major genres with bands such as GRIP INC., FANTÔMAS, and TESTAMENT in addition to SLAYER.

Lombardo's musical interest was sparked by playing along to a SANTANA record with bongo drums and was later influenced by the musical styles of LED ZEPPELIN and KISS.

Lombardo is known as an aggressive heavy metal drummer and his use of the drums have been called "astonishingly innovative"and earned him the title "the godfather of metal double bass" from Drummer World. Over his career, he has had a significant influence on the metal scene, and has inspired many modern metal drummers.

SLAYER will perform on ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Wednesday, November 4 (which will actually air the morning of Thursday, November 5).

30-second, reduced-quality audio samples of all the tracks that appear on SLAYER's upcoming album, "World Painted Blood", can be streamed on Amazon.fr.

"World Painted Blood" is scheduled for release on November 3 via American Recordings. The CD will initially ship with four special collector's edition covers. Each of the four covers will display one-fourth of a provocative continental map illustrated with human skulls and bones; when placed together, the four images form a complete and grisly map of the world.

All four of the initial CD packages will include a special blood-red, see-through top panel with the map displayed beneath it.

Gian Erguiza of Frantikmag.com conducted an interview with Philip Cope and Laura Pleasants of Savannah, Georgia metallers KYLESA on September 30, 2009 prior to the band's show at the Knitting Factory in West Hollywood, California. Watch the chat below.

KYLESA's latest album, "Static Tensions", was released on March 17 via Prosthetic Records. Cope produced the CD, which was recorded at the Jam Room in Columbia, South Carolina. He stated about the group's mindset during the making of the album, "It was definitely a lot more thought out. We have the hindsight of some of the mistakes we've made in the past, so we were able to avoid making them again on this record. I think we came away from the experience with our best stuff yet."

Added Pleasants: "All of our records sound pretty different, but with the same core vibe or sound, and I think the new record has our core KYLESA sound, but branches out even more to incorporate more of our rock and psychedelic influences."

JJ Koczan of The Obelisk recently conducted an interview with KATATONIA frontman Jonas Renkse about the band's new album, "Night is the New Day". A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Obelisk: Do you ever have trouble, either writing or recording, putting yourself in the emotional mindset of the songs?

Renkse: Not really, and that's something I'm really happy about, because I think it would be easy to get distracted if I wasn't able to put myself in the right mood and mindset, I would easily get distracted by other things and I think a lot of time in the studio would be destroyed, so to speak. If I come to the studio to sing and all of a sudden I'm not in the mood to sing and I have to wait until the next day to see if I'm in the right mood. I try to adapt to the situation and make the best out of it. I try to put the lights out and light up some cozy lights and try to get the feeling of the song as fast as possible and sing as much as possible and see where it ends up.

The Obelisk: You personally and the band, are you aware of fan expectations? Is there pressure to live up to the last record?

Renkse: Yeah, I think that's something we felt before the writing process started. Rightfully, people have high expectations, because I think "The Great Cold Distance" was a great album for KATATONIA. We put some pressure on ourselves, of course, but seeing what other people expect is healthy in a way, because it makes you have to really concentrate and do your best. Of course, that's something you want to do all the time, but I think it's even better to have the pressure from outside as well. I think if we felt we wouldn't be able to top the last album, we would still be writing these songs. But when we eventually started writing for this album, I think we immediately felt we had something going that would be on par with "The Great Cold Distance", or even better. Now when I listen back to the new album, I think it's better than "The Great Cold Distance", but I have to say that is a favorite album for me. I think that's a great KATATONIA record.

The Obelisk: Is it strange for you thinking of this as the eighth KATATONIA album? Do you ever stop and think about what you've accomplished in your career and where you are at this point?

Renkse: I don't think we really thought in that way. For us, it was just important to start working on some new music and that was the main focus. If we were to think too much about where we are in the moment, that would make things more difficult than they already are (laughs). Also, focusing on the music for this album, once the ball started rolling, it was a creative journey. Maybe that wasn't the answer to your question (laughs). No, we didn't really think about those more profound things.

The Obelisk: Do you have plans for touring yet? Are you coming back to the U.S.?

Renkse: We're planning a headlining tour of Europe in early spring, and as it looks now — this is not definite — I think we're going to North America straight after the Europe tour, in April or something like that. Right now we're going to support PORCUPINE TREE on a Scandinavian tour, then we're going to England to support PARADISE LOST on their U.K. leg of their European tour. It will be a lot of rehearsals for us and try to find songs we haven't played from the back catalog, then early spring we will be ready to do both Europe and North America. It's busy times ahead, which I really like.

Read the entire interview from The Obelisk.

Mistress Carrie of the Worcester/Boston, Massachusetts radio station WAAF conducted an interview with guitarist Zoltan Bathory of Los Angeles metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH on October 8, 2009 when the band played at the House Of Blues in Boston. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

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

"War Is The Answer" was released in the U.S. on September 22 via Prospect Park Records. The CD was produced by the band and Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, IN THIS MOMENT), and was mixed by Randy Staub (METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, NICKELBACK). According to a press release, "the record evolves the band's already mature sound, ranging from the undeniable melodies in 'Hard to See' to the brutally nihilistic 'Burn It Down' — destined to please fans both new and old."

Bathory recently stated about the new CD, "In terms of the overall style, I would say that we've continued the journey we started on the first album, so there's a healthy balance of melody and aggression, and as always we concentrated on writing strong metal songs in the traditional sense. There's some epic moments on the record, and there's some straight-up home-wreckers, too. All I can say is, those who liked our first album are going to LOVE this one!"

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH kicked off "The Shock And Roar Tour" on September 22 in San Francisco. Joining them on the bill are SHADOWS FALL, OTEP and 2 CENTS.

Video footage of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's October 8, 2009 headlining appearance at the House Of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts can be viewed below (courtesy of "TripKore").

Zoltan Bathory interviewed by Mistress Carrie of WAAF (click on player below to launch audio):