Guitarist/vocalist Michael Poulsen of Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT has started posting regular updates from the band's current North American tour as the support act for METALLICA. Check it out at www.volbeat.dk. An excerpt from the first entry follows below.

"The challenge is not the fact that we're playing in the same room as METALLICA or that we're playing for their audience, but to play on their stage which demands quite a bit of reorganization for any band. Furthermore, we are only allowed to play 100 db (which isn't very loud) so that we won't play as loud as the headliner. It's a very common thing to ask the warm-up bands. It is not something we have ever asked our warm-up bands to do, though, as we think they should have the pleasure of playing with a full volume. But we respect the rules and it is not something we whine about.

"Many people/fans don't know about these kinds of rules that big bands make for their warm-up bands, so I thought I would mention it. Not to put METALLICA in a bad light, because they are true gentlemen, but to explain how it is.

"The crew of METALLICA and the people who work at the venue [in Toronto, Ontario, Canada] have treated us really nice, so the atmosphere here is really great.

"A funny incident happened when I overheard a technician who works at the venue answer a call from his cell phone saying, 'Yeah, today there is a new support band coming, I think the name is VOLB... VOL... uhh... VOLLEYBALL or something.' Ha ha ha:-D We laughed a lot at this.

"After the line check, I said hi to James Hetfield who was talking to his assistant. We talked a little about our arrival and about the 'soundcheck' etc. Good vibes/atmosphere."

Read more at www.volbeat.dk.

In a recent interview with AOL's Noisecreep, Poulsen said that when he received a phone call from Hetfield's assistant during the summer, he admitted he was skeptical. "The caller said, 'I'm James Hetfield's assistant,'" Poulsen told Noisecreep. "I said, 'Yeah, I'm fucking Santa Claus. What do you want?'"

But when he came to the conclusion this call was real, he was thrilled. "The assistant said, 'No, James really wants to hook up with you. Do you want to do something?'" Poulsen recalled. "The first thing we did was we went out eating. I took James to an old-school, typical Danish place where you eat Danish food. Then we to a blues club.

"One or two days later, I got a call again from James' assistant that James really wanted to hook up again. 'Maybe we could go and eat something.' I said, 'No. Why don't you come over to my house and my wife can cook you some dinner.' I called up my wife at work. I said, 'You have to get home and do some cooking.' She said, 'Shut up I'm home when I'm home.' I said, 'Yeah, but James Hetfield will be here in two hours.' We had a good time, eating, relaxing, playing some acoustic guitar, listening to music. We had so many good conversations about different stuff — not only about music. That's the most easy part to talk about. There was a lot of different angles to talk about with James."

"He's a true gentleman," Poulsen said of Hetfield. "He's really got good karma and energy. I have so much respect for that guy. He's been a big inspiration for many years. Those months [of the tour], we were actually supposed to be in the rehearsal room doing new songs for the next album. We just postponed that. Of course you can't say no to METALLICA. That's a dream come true."

Maldivian metallers NOTHNEGAL have issued the following update:

"As you may have noticed, recently there have been almost no updates or any news by NOTHNEGAL. We have been busy with writing new material for our debut album which would be recorded soon for a release in 2010. This would be our first recording with the new lineup and instead of continuing from the point we left with [the 2009 EP] 'Antidote of Realism', we have decided to focus on creating the actual NOTHNEGAL sound this time which we will be revealing more details of the album. There would be no live dates before the album. Apart from that, we recently re-recorded 'Web of Deceit' from our previous EP with Kevin [Talley; DAATH, MISERY INDEX, CHIMAIRA] drumming and Marco [Sneck; POISONBLACK, KALMAH, CHARON] doing the keyboards again, right now its being mixed by producer Mark Lewis. This was done for the fans of the EP and to test the sound of the new lineup. We will also be releasing the trailer for the long- delayed video 'Web of Deceit' on our YouTube channel and MySpace."

NOTHNEGAL's "Antidote of Realism" EP was self-released by the band earlier this year. The CD was produced by Anssi Kippo who has previously worked with CHILDREN OF BODOM and NORTHER, among others.

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".

A couple of photos taken during Tony's appearance on the program can be viewed below.

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."

Iommi, who is left-handed, lost the tips of the middle and ring finger of his right hand in an accident when he was a sheet metal worker, aged 17.

Iommi said: "The hospital told me that I should give up the guitar but I went back and made these thimbles from melted Fairy Liquid bottles. I melted them down and soldered them to make a fingertip. It was a crude version but I still have to use them today."

According to The Times, the Robens Centre for Health Ergonomics at the University of Surrey has researched musculoskeletal disorders that affect electric guitar players.

Peter Buckle said: "We have found a whole set of injuries affecting the hand, arms and wrist which you would normally associate with working on a hard, fast production line.

"Strain injuries result from overexertion and the way that guitarists hold their instruments. The temptation for younger musicians is to press too hard on the strings and try to force the frets.

"Holding the instrument away from the body to excite an audience may look good but it can put a huge pressure on the shoulder and upper arms."

Baz Anderson of Metal Storm conducted an interview with vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher of Florida death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE on October 30, 2009 in Sheffield, England. Watch the chat in three parts below.

CANNIBAL CORPSE kicked off the European Plague Tour earlier this month with direct support from DYING FETUS. On the mainland, the package is completed by EVOCATION and OBSCURA, while TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED and ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY will support the bands in the U.K.

As previously reported, CANNIBAL CORPSE issued a limited-edition 96-page comic book exclusively at the Hot Topic booth on this past summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Drawn entirely by Vince Locke, who illustrated the acclaimed graphic novel "A History of Violence" and each of the band's album covers, the "Evisceration Plague" comic graphically depicts a story for every song on the band's album of the same name — arranged in order, no less. As an added bonus, each copy comes with a copy of the album.

The comic book can now be purchased at all Hot Topic stores listed at this location.

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:

IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain — who lives in South Florida — has partnered up with close friend, guitarist, and restaurateur Rick "Moby" Baum to open Rock 'N' Roll Ribs. A barbecue joint with a musical bent, RnR Ribs will showcase the pair's love for smokey Southern cooking with food like barbecued pork and chicken and clever takes on MAIDEN songs like "Run to the Hills" wings. New Times spoke with McBrain and Baum about their plans for the rib shack, their BBQ background, and how it all came together in the first place.

New Times: So Nicko, sounds like you're something of a foodie.

Nicko: Oh, without a doubt. I'm a right snob when it comes to food. I know what I like and what I don't like.

New Times: So when did you first get into barbecue?

Nicko: I don't know when I became a fan exactly, but touring America [with MAIDEN] we came to a lot of barbecue joints, probably because most of them had a nice bar. And then I fell into back garden parties and barbecuing in general.

New Times: How did you two meet?

Nicko: We actually met through Rick's friend Nathan who is a friend of my son Justin. After we met we got to know one another a bit and beat each other up a couple of times. Then we started playing music together and we've had a great friendship ever since. Later on, I found out Rick was a chef extraordinaire.

New Times: When did you guys start barbecuing together?

Nick: In a nutshell, Rick came 'round my house one day and said, "Nicko, I have these amazing ribs I want you to try." And he cooked them up for me and I thought, "Well, I've always loved spare ribs but these are to die for." So I finally squeezed his bullocks a bit to get his recipe.

Rick: He actually did. [Laughs]

Nicko: Yes, I squeezed it right out. [Laughs] So we started concocting these ribs together. I'd do some ribs, he'd do some, and we'd go back and forth. One day I put a sauce together; I basically added some things to what he already had and he actually complimented me and said, like, [in a thick British accent] "Blimey, this sauce is lovely!"

New Times: So when did the idea for a restaurant come about?

Nicko: We were down at the pub one night and down a few beers and I said, "This is a fucking great idea, let's open a rock 'n' roll rib joint together." That was about five or six years ago. We had a couple of false starts looking for the right location and all, but Rick has some experience in setting up restaurants over the last 20 years or so, so he knows what to do. And a friend of ours works for Cheney Brothers, so we had access to the right ingredients. We just had to find the right location and funding. Another friend of ours, Mitch Tanne, and I brought the financing, and Rick brings his expertise and knowledge of cooking and running a small kitchen. Our kitchen is small, and the place seats about 70 people. The cooking will be mayhem I think, but it's going to be quite rock and roll.

Read the entire interview from New Times.

Rock 'N' Roll Ribs
4651 State Rd. 7, Suite 1, Coral Springs 33076
561-909-8334
www.rocknrollribs.com

Omar of Metal Monthly recently conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford. The chat is now available for streaming at this location.

Halford will debut 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" revised released dates:

North America: November 3
U.K. and European Union (except Germany): November 9
Germany: November 13

"Halford III - Winter Songs" will begin shipping from MetalGodShop.com on November 3. A limited-edition radio promo will be included in all orders while supplies last.

"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.

"Well, I've always said I wanted to produce a Christmas CD," commented 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'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".

Zakk Wylde, legendary guitarist for OZZY OSBOURNE and founder of the heavy metal band BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, hosted a special "meet-and-greet" yesterday (Friday, October 30) at New York's renowned 48th street Sam Ash music store.

Video footage and photos from the event can be viewed below (courtesy of Fullshred).

Gibson Guitar, Epiphone and Monster Cable have partnered to celebrate the launch of two new signature model guitars and pro headphones with a special event in New York on Halloween, October 31, 2009. Zakk Wylde is set to perform at a free concert event at the Hard Rock Café New York in Times Square beginning at 8 p.m. The event will feature a major nationwide promotional radio campaign, special online contesting and viral marketing and a first-hand look at the special line of the signature Zakk Wylde Gibson BFG USA guitar and Epiphone Graveyard Disciple. The event is also co-sponsored by Dunlop Pedals.

The new Zakk Wylde Epiphone Graveyard Disciple is dying to be played. Designed by Zakk in cooperation with Epiphone, the new Graveyard Disciple combines killer sound with equally killer looks. Shaped like a coffin, the edges of the body are tapered and pin-striped in silver giving it a striking visual appearance and depth while providing for a comfortable feel.

As with most all Zakk's guitars, the neck is made of Hard Maple for bright attack and glued into a solid Mahogany body adding a touch of warm and of course, sustain. The neck features a "D" profile, SlimTaper neck with a smooth, satin finish for fast and effortless lead work. It is topped off with a bound, Ebony fingerboard and medium-jumbo frets with easy access to all 22 frets.

The Graveyard Disciple combines an original Floyd Rose tremolo with EMG HZ pickups. The tremolo cavity allows for serious dive bombing as well as pull-ups. The EMG HZ-4A is positioned in the bridge position for optimized lead performance while the EMG HZ-4 is voiced for and positioned in the neck position. Designed to emulate the sound of their active counterparts (the EMG 81 and 85), these HZ's are probably the quietest passive pickups available.

Other features on the new Graveyard Disciple include a multi-bound headstock with mother-of-pearl "cross" inlay, black hardware with premium 16:1 ratio Grover machine heads, Mother-of-Pearl topped metal knobs, Epiphone's non-rotating output jack and Zakk's signature silhouette on the back of the headstock. For added comfort and convenience while playing in the seated position, the guitar features the brilliantly designed and patented Steinberger LegRest. Fold it down and rest it on your leg. Fold it up and it practically disappears. It comes with a custom-made Coffin case featuring the Graveyard Disciple artwork on it. And for this limited edition model, you also get a Certificate of Authenticity.

The new Zakk Wylde Gibson USA BFG Guitar embodies the mammoth tone and over-the-top rock attitude of its name sake and offers all the equipment necessary to undertake your own scorched-earth attack on your local music scene. It features a rough-hewn book matched maple top, a rounded '50s spec neck with ebony fingerboard, sizzling EMG 81 and 85 humbucking pickups all approved by Zakk Wylde himself. The guitar comes in two Zakk-certified finishes to choose from, a Bullseye graphic or Buzzsaw graphic over a satin natural nitro finish all produced by the world’s most famous guitar manufacturer, Gibson USA.

Two weeks after the mysterious disappearance of Virginia Tech University student Morgan Harrington, no clues or leads as to her whereabouts are known to exist — but members of METALLICA remain optimistic about the safe return of the young woman last seen at the band's October 17 concert.

"We are staying positive that she will be found soon," METALLICA lead guitarist Kirk Hammett told People.com at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame concert in New York City Friday. "We are all hoping for the best and praying for her and her family."

"We all have children and as parents ourselves, it's our worst nightmare for a child to go out and not come back home," added Hammett, 46. "We empathize with that greatly, so we are doing what we can to help find her. We are staying positive."

Read more from People.com.

According to Roanoke.com, Harrington sustained a facial injury before she vanished from the concert in Charlottesville, Virginia State Police confirmed Friday.

State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said investigators didn't disclose the fact earlier because the injury was consistent with what a person would sustain after falling and doesn't appear to be related to her disappearance.

"Many of those we've spoken to during the course of this investigation recalled seeing a minor scrape or cut on the face of the young woman they saw fitting Miss Harrington's description," Geller said. "This injury would be consistent with a slip or fall. In no way would such a minor abrasion be associated with an assault."

Police decided to disclose the injury after reporters began inquiring about it.

FILTER has returned to the airwaves with its brand new single, "Fades Like A Photograph", which hit rock radio on October 30. The track will also be featured in the upcoming action sci-fi thriller movie and accompanying soundtrack, "2012", starring John Cusack; both to be released November 10. "Fades Like A Photograph" marks the first new music from the band since the 2008 release of "Anthems for the Damned".

FILTER is no stranger to movie soundtracks. Their music has been featured on soundtracks such as "Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight", "Cable Guy", "Crow: City of Angels", "Songs in the Key of X: Music Inspired by 'The X-Files'", "Spawn: The Album"; "X-Files Original Soundtrack"; "Crow: Salvation" and "Little Nicky".

FILTER is currently is in the studio recording material for its next album, to be released in 2010. In the meantime, fans are getting a sneak peek into the process and upcoming music with "View From The Studio" videos posted by front man Richard Patrick on the band's YouTube page.

"Fades Like A Photograph" will be available for download on November 10.

MetalInsider.net recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

MetalInsider.net: So I'm going to start with the elephant in the room that I'm sure you're getting asked at every single interview lately. The "Big Four" tour with MEGADETH, SLAYER, METALLICA and ANTHRAX — any truth to that rumor?

Mustaine: You know, there's no way to answer any questions about METALLICA for me. If I answer them politely, I get reamed. If I answer them funny, I get reamed. If I say something like when I said I believed my record was better than theirs, and even in that comment I said that they've got plenty of records that are better than anything that I've done, except this one… And for once it's nice to be on the opposite side. That was taken apart. "I think my record's better than theirs." Well, you didnt finish the sentence, you twat. I have no desire to answer any questions, at all, about METALLICA. If something comes up, you'll know, but as far as I'm concerned, I can't say anything about those guys, and I won't.

MetalInsider.net: Fair enough, I'm definitely not trying to draw you into controversy.

Mustaine: It's not you my friend, it's the readers and the listeners. And then it's the tabloid-rag-sensationalism writers that don't really deserve a place in the metal community because one of the things that was really great about the metal community is we weren't these back-biting bottom-feeders that we've become right now. In the beginning, it was all about a sense of community. The writers and the bands were friends of one another. They had the right and they had the respect of the bands even to give their opinion about the music. While you might not have gotten a great review, it wasn't one of these reviews where you walk away feeling like youre subhuman, and "God, what a dumbass I am to have written such a stupid record." When you walk away feeling like that and you're the artist and they're not, it just makes you feel kind of dirty. There's some magazines that I can't even read anymore. Magazines in the beginning that were the only credible source of heavy metal, and now they don't even cover heavy metal, now it's like alternative music and stuff. How can you cover alternative music if you were built on metal?

MetalInsider.net: I told a co-worker that I was interviewing you, and he said, "Does he have any idea how 'Holy Wars…The Punishment Due' holds up today stronger than it even has?" Do you think about that, or is it just another song from your body of work that happens to line up with current events?

Mustaine: I think it would be absolutely disrespectful to say that "Holy Wars" was just another song. It would be disrespectful to myself to even say that. It's an anthem. It's a song that speaks the truth of every man that is walking the face of the earth right now. We don't know why we kill one another, but we do it. We go and we blindly follow our leaders and we don't even know what were doing. I just did an interview with [syndicated radio host] Alex Jones the other day and it is so frightening what is going on in politics right now with Obama becoming the president of the UN and the president to the U.S. He is the single most powerful man in the world right now. You can hear the bells of the new world order ringing itself into power.

MetalInsider.net: What do you think of the current regime?

Mustaine: He's my president. I'm a patriot. All I'm talking about is events and stuff like this. As far as taking any credibility shots at our president, I would never do that. I think that looking back when they're out of office, you can look at an administration's work and you can certainly have your opinion, but for me, I really try to not be disrespectful to our incumbent president. It's real easy to make fun of Bush, because he was just such a clod and he couldn't help it for himself. I wouldn't have the song "Endgame" if it werent for him. And thank god for Lou Dobbs, because if it wasn't for him, he would have never brought to the light this whole thing with NAFTA and with New World Order. George H. W. Bush said from the podium in the House of Representatives (that) he welcomed in the New World Order. You don't say stuff like that. "New world" and "order" in a sentence being uttered by a president with no words or pauses in between, that's scary. The other thing, too, is that when you look at one currency, well, we have the euro that's already established in Europe and they're trying to develop the amero right now, and once that's done, you've got world currencies narrowed down now to two huge territories that use a single currency for each one. That stuff is frightening. Now do I believe that Jesus was an alien? Do I believe in Hanger 18? Do I believe that Obama shook hands with a Martian? No, but do I believe that there's higher life forms than us? It's funny when you think about dudes that sit around and eat LSD and they just trip out on the world. When you really think about what that is, your mind is just being opened up to the splendor of the universe and things are so magnificently made. When you get to a point in your life where you get grateful, you really start to appreciate stuff. Sometimes you wonder how come people, when they get older, get kind of mellow in their old age. Well, I dont know that it's mellow, they kind of stop being a prick because they get grateful and some point. Some people learn really early on to be grateful. I've been grateful my entire career. In my personal life, there's been times where I've been an ingrate, but that's part of learning and growing and I made a huge change in my life back in 2002. And, you know, it's a daily walk every day.

MetalInsider.net: SLAYER obviously isnt too keen on Christianity or religion in general, do you have any qualms about playing with a band like that?

Mustaine: I don't really know where you're getting that from, because we hear conflicting stories. Tom [Araya; SLAYER bassist/vocalist] is supposed to be a Christian or a Catholic, I believe, and I believe Dave Lombardo [SLAYER drummer is] a Christian too, but it's none of my business. I know Kerry's [King, SLAYER guitarist] a good guy deep down inside. People don't really understand him. I remember him back from when he was really young and we were friends back then. Does me praying for Kerry make his butt itch at night? But if he knew what I was praying for, he'd probably smile, because I'm personally praying that we'll be friends again. Praying that we'll have a great tour and that it will be fun for them to be out with us because three of the guys from MEGADETH weren't even in the band when this happened. It's not their fight. What I said was 19 years ago and it was regrettable, but it certainly wasnt unprovoked. We were all just high octane at that time, Mike Muir [SUICIDAL TENDENCIES vocalist] was out on that tour too, and Muir wanted to fight me, if you remember. I had to go up to him and say, "Look, dude, if we're going to fight, let's fight after the tour like gentleman. Fortunately for me, he respected that because he was a big guy and he probably would have stamped me pretty good. I doubt that I would have lost. I don't know that anybody doesn't lose. When you get in a fight, there's never a winner. And the thing is I totally respect Mike, always have, but we had this difference; it was so bad. The problem was I said something and it was taken out of context again by a journalist.

Read the entire interview at MetalInsider.net.

Video footage of Toronto, Canada's hardcore/metal band CANCER BATS performing a new song called "Darkness" on October 25, 2009 at Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland can be viewed below.

CANCER BATS has set "Bears, Mayors, Scraps And Bones" as the title of its new album, tentatively due in early 2010. Vocalist Liam Cormier recently told U.K.'s Rock Sound magazine, "I need to make sure everyone gives it the thumbs up, but I got the album title in a dream probably three or four days while I was listening to SMASHING PUMPKINS while I was going to sleep. I mean the title has nothing to do with SMASHING PUMPKINS but it's sleeping music and in the middle of my dream I woke up and thought of the record title and texted it to Mike (Peters, drums)."

Liam previously told Rock Sound the new CD — which is currently being recorded in Canada — would sound like "Glenn Danzig going on a camping trip with BLACK FLAG's Greg Ginn, a reanimated Vincent Price and the BEASTIE BOYS. It will sound like those people sat round a campfire telling ghost stories."

Liam added, "I think the record, in our opinion, sounds like biker metal or driving music so maybe this record is now more if we were driving to the camp with DANZIG and BEASTIE BOYS!"

CANCER BATS's sophomore full-length CD, "Hail Destroyer", came out last year via Black Market Activities. The album was co-produced by Eric Ratz (BIG SUGAR, THEORY OF A DEAD MAN, BILLY TALENT), Kenny Luong (BILLY TALENT), and Greg Below (ALEXISONFIRE) and recorded at Vespa Studios.

RollingStone.com caught up with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett just prior to the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25th anniversary performance last night (October 30) at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

"We really like how things are sounding," he said just hours before the big show. "You're going to see me with the biggest shit-eating grin from here to here tonight when I'm onstage. One of my favorite moments was when Lou Reed turned around to the monitor guy [during rehearsal] and said, 'Hey, I need more Kirk Hammett in my monitor!' …. Lou Reed wants to hear more of me! That's right on."

Video footage of Hammett talking about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25th anniversary concert can be found at RollingStone.com.

In addition to Lou Reed, Ozzy Osbourne (BLACK SABBATH), Ray Davies (THE KINKS) performed with METALLICA during last night's show.

MetalKult.com has posted a video interview with John Baizley, the singer/guitarist for Georgia-based progressive hardcore rockers BARONESS.

The footage was shot a few weeks ago when Baizley visited New York City to promote his band's third album, "Blue Record".

Go to MetalKult.com to hear Baizley talk about dealing with increased expectations, new producers and journalists who ask questions about hidden wieners in his artwork.

Baizley's first gallery show, "The Art of John Baizley" opens on November 6 at the Metropolis gallery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and runs through November 30.

As the singer/guitarist for BARONESS, Baizley has toured the world over, releasing several critically acclaimed albums on the iconic Relapse label — also home to MASTODON, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, NEUROSIS and countless others.

As an artist, John has created the album art for all the BARONESS releases as well as many other classic albums, including PIG DESTROYER's "Phantom Limb" and "In Return" by TORCHE. The newest release by HBO supergroup FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS will also feature John's album art.

John's lush artwork shows the influence of two major artists — Pushead, through his morbid subject matter and fine-line detail, as well as Art Deco godfather Alphonse Mucha. The few available prints John has made, most culled from album art, or specially made tour-only posters have all been hopelessly sold out, resulting in a fanatic fanbase competing for the precious available works on sites such as ExpressoBeans.com — putting John in the same rabid collector conversation as Shepard Fairey, Emek, and others.

John's first foray into the fine arts world came in September 2008 at a group show for Upper Playground's Fifty24Sf Gallery, along with peers Stephen O'Malley — of the band SUNN O))), Aaron Turner (from the band ISIS), as well as noted printmaker Aaron Horkey.

For more information, visit www.metropolis-store.com.

MEGADETH's "predictably unpredictable" Artist Personal Experience radio station, "Megadeth Radio", has launched its first-ever Halloween show. The program kicked off at midnight this morning with "The Munsters" theme song by LOS STRAITJACKETS.

Commented MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine: "I have hand-picked the entire day's worth of Halloween based songs for this day from lists compiled by [the fans], by me, and by my band and very select staff members, like world-famous Willie Gee [Mustaine's guitar tech]! We have songs that are for Halloween, songs that are just plain scary, and songs that are silly songs. There are also going to be many scary surprises! So, make Megadeth Radio your Halloween party's music for the rest of the night, if you make it through the night, and have a frighteningly good time!"

Mustaine has complete creative control in the programming of his 24-hour channel, which features interviews, news, personal commentary, and playlists of his favorite music.

According to LiveDaily, an earlier sampling of "Megadeth Radio" revealed cuts from MEGADETH, as well as a varied mix of tunes heavy on classic rock and metal, including vintage cuts from METALLICA, KISS, QUEEN, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, ALICE IN CHAINS, DIO, THE ROLLING STONES and AC/DC. Other tracks included live versions of MEGADETH's "Symphony of Destruction" and FAITH NO MORE's "Epic", as well as studio cuts from LAMB OF GOD and MACHINE HEAD.

Between the musical selections, Mustaine can be heard talking about a variety of topics, including his band's influences, the subject matter for their songs, and his soon-to-open San Diego guitar/music school, where he plans to teach underprivileged youths.

More video footage of METALLICA's October 30, 2009 performance at Madison Square Garden as part of the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame can be viewed below. Joining the San Francisco heavy metal giants for the performance were Ozzy Osbourne (BLACK SABBATH), Ray Davies (THE KINKS) and Lou Reed joined METALLICA.

METALLICA's setlist was as follows:

01. For Whom The Bell Tolls
02. One
03. Turn The Page
04. Sweet Jane (w/ Lou Reed)
05. White Light White Heat (w/ Lou Reed)
06. Iron Man (w/ Ozzy Osbourne)
07. Paranoid (w/ Ozzy Osbourne)
08. You Really Got Me (w/ Ray Davies)
09. All Day And All Of The Night (w/ Ray Davies)
10. Stone Cold Crazy
11. Enter Sandman

Check out a review and photos at Metallica.com.

METALLICA was inducted into the Hall of Fame this past April.

Last night's show also featured U2, BECK, BUDDY GUY, ARETHA FRANKLIN, ANNIE LENNOX, LENNY KRAVITZ and JERRY LEE LEWIS.

Highlights of both nights' (October 29-30) Madison Square Garden concerts will be part of a four-hour broadcast next month on HBO.

MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP (MSG) will play the following U.K./Ireland dates in December:

Dec. 16 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Academy 3
Dec. 17 - Sheffield, UK - Sheffield Academy
Dec. 18 - Dudley, UK - JB's
Dec. 19 - Belfast, IRE - Ulster Hall
Dec. 20 - Bristol, UK - Bristol Academy
Dec. 21 - Milton Keynes, UK - The Pitz Club (Woughton Center)
Dec. 22 - Newcastle, UK - Newcastle Academy
Dec. 23 - Oxford, UK - Oxford Academy

The band's touring lineup for the shows will be as follows:

Michael Schenker (guitar)
Gary Barden (vocals)
Wayne Findlay (guitar, keyboards)
Chris Slade (drums)
Chris Glen (bass)

MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP's latest album, "In the Midst of Beauty", was released in May 2008 via Inakustic GMBH. The CD features returning MSG singer Gary Barden, drummer Simon Philips (THE WHO, TOTO), bassist Neil Murray (BLACK SABBATH, WHITESNAKE) and keyboardist Don Airey (DEEP PURPLE, OZZY OSBOURNE).

Video footage of former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen performing a new song, "Witch-Hunt", on October 30 in Tampere, Finland at Tampere Hall with the Tampere Filharmonics (led by Benjamin Vary) can be viewed below.

Tarja performed four songs in total during this special Halloween concert: "Witch-Hunt" and "In For A Kill" (world premiere), along with "Oasis" and "I Walk Alone" from her debut solo album, "My Winter Storm".

Check out photos of the performance at this location.

Turunen recently recorded three songs for a Finnish Christmas album, produced by Olli Ahvenlahti. According to Turunen, this is "a charity project for missionary workers in Finland and it is going to be released in the beginning of November in Finland."

Regarding the title of her forthcoming CD ("What Lies Beneath"), Turunen recently said, "With [2007's] 'My Winter Storm', I chose the name of the album in the early stages and that helped me to create the concept for the album. With the new album, I decided to do it the same way, so I searched for an inspiring title and all the songs are one way or another related to it."



(Thanks: Metal From Finland)

Jacob Lynam of the Birmingham-based hard rock band LYNAM was the special guest on a recent edition of "Hard Rock Nights", the nationally syndicated hard rock radio program. The chat is now available for streaming in two parts below.

LYNAM's latest effort, "Tragic City Symphony", was re-released in August via the band's has deal with Mascot/Megaforce Records. it features the additional track "Get Me Off".

LYNAM's "Save My Soul" single was self-released and it made it to #5 on the Active Rock independent chart. The band's latest single, "Lindsay Says", impacted radio on August 18.

The follow-up to 2006's "Slave To The Machine", "Tragic City Symphony" was produced by Jason Elgin (MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER, COLLECTIVE SOUL) and Jacob Lynam. The band says, "Elgin brings out the best in us and on this new record he has pushed us to new levels. The songs are straight-ahead, melt-your-face rock songs in true LYNAM style. We have some really cool special guests on the new record, including the band HINDER and Tom Keifer of CINDERELLA."

Along with Jason Elgin, the band also enlisted Mike Shipley (GREEN DAY, MAROON 5) and Beau Hill (RATT, STEVIE NICKS) on mixing.

LYNAM's previous album, "Slave to the Machine", was released through DRT Entertainment. The album peaked at #21 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart and #19 on the Heatseekers chart. The first single, "Tanis", went on to achieve the #1 spot on both the Active Rock independent and Mainstream Rock independent charts.

The band is managed by Union Entertainment Group (NICKELBACK, HINDER, RED).

For more information, go to www.myspace.com/lynam.

Part 1:



Part 2:

SCALE THE SUMMIT, the Houston-based progressive metal band, was recently interviewed for Episode 1 of Prosthetic TV. Watch the chat below.

SCALE THE SUMMIT's Prosthetic Records debut, "Carving Desert Canyons", came out in February. The CD was recorded last year at New Jersey's Nut House Recording Studio with producer Tom Beaujour.

"Carving Desert Caravans" is the follow-up to SCALE THE SUMMIT's self-financed full-length debut, "Monument", which received critical praise upon its release in 2007.

Capital Chaos conducted an interview with vocalist Andrew Carey of Jacksonville, Florida's EVERGREEN TERRACE on October 28, 2009 at The Boardwalk in Orangevale, California. Watch the chat below.

"Almost Home", the new album from EVERGREEN TERRACE, sold around 2,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at position No. 17 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.

Continuing its blistering combination of melodic hardcore and metal, EVERGREEN TERRACE has gone back to its roots on "Almost Home". "I think this record will surprise the new listeners as well as have the old ones stoked," stated guitarist Josh James. " I'd say its best described as a good mixture of 'Burned Alive by Time' [2002] and 'Wolfbiker' [2007]."

Splitting the recording process of the album in half, the band tracked all the music at Martell Studios and all of the vocals at AudioHammer (AUGUST BURNS RED, BURY YOUR DEAD, TRIVIUM, etc.).

"We've always had a lot of pop culture references in our song titles and this record is no exception," said James. "Before we even started writing new songs, we already have a list of titles from books, movies, and comedians. Half of the song titles on this record are pulled from the lyrics. The others are pop culture references that relate to the lyrical content."

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

The Evil G. of BareBonesMusic.com recently conducted an interview with lead vocalist Brian Fair of Massachusetts metallers SHADOWS FALL. Watch the chat below.

SHADOWS FALL's new album, "Retribution", sold around 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Retribution" was released on September 15 via Everblack Industries, the label SHADOWS FALL created in conjunction with Warner Music Group's ILG, Ferret Music and ChannelZERO Entertainment. The CD was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, MUNICIPAL WASTE), with vocal production by Elvis Baskette (INCUBUS, ALTER BRIDGE). The cover artwork was created by Sons of Nero (UNEARTH, EVERY TIME I DIE, BRING ME THE HORIZON).

Canadian metallers CRADLE TO GRAVE have commenced work on their long-awaited, third studio album and follow-up to 2007's "Texas Medicine". The veteran band — which features in its ranks Denis "Sasquatch" Barthe of AGGRESSION and Matt Fowler of ASSAULT/KARRION — just completed pre-production with producer Clay Haluk (INFERNAL MAJESTY, AGGRESSION) and has entered Screen Machine Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia "with the ultimate target to release material as relevant as VENOM's 'Black Metal' or VOIVOD's 'War and Pain' albums," according to a press release.

"Pre-production sessions for the new record were awesome!" states new CRADLE TO GRAVE bass player/singer Demon Mason. "It gave us the opportunity to make our material a little bit more in line with what VENOM did with 'Welcome To Hell' and 'Black Metal'. We can't believe how this band sounds now and we are anxious to show it to the world."

The new CRADLE TO GRAVE CD is slated for an early 2010 release via Year of the Sun Records.

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

TREES OF ETERNITY is a brand new collaboration between Finnish guitarist Juha Raivio (SWALLOW THE SUN) and Sweden-based singer Aleah (whose ghostly voice also can be heard on the song "Lights on the Lake" off SWALLOW THE SUN's upcoming release, "New Moon"). The project has a unique sound that might be described as down-tempo melancholia with clear doom/death influences and hypnotic female vocals.

TREES OF ETERNITY's four-song promo is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

The full lineup of TREES OF ETERNITY is not yet in place, but plans are to include Tobias Sidegård (NECROPHOBIC) on bass and Mike Hellmaker (MALEFICIO) as second guitarist.

Guitarist Steve Blaze of Louisiana-based rockers LILLIAN AXE has issued the following update:

"It's been about four months since we released 'Sad Day on Planet Earth' and only now are things calming a bit.

"Sorry we haven't reported since then but it has been a bit hectic.

"We would like to thank all of the fans across the country who came out and supported us as we trekked from New York to California and all points in between. We met lots of great people and turned on lots of new fans who didn't know we existed 'till now.

"It always baffles me how a band can exist for 20 years and still have a lot of rock fans never hear of them. Oh well, at least they have now.

"We played some great shows, some weird ones, some hot outdoor ones and some amazing ones, all the while busting our tails to spread the word. It was very tiresome but thanks to an amazing crew and manager, the relentless Charlie Bagarozza, we never skipped a beat.

"We were fortunate enough to be invited by Alice Cooper and his organization to share the stage again as we did on the 'Waters Rising' tour. Once again, Alice, his band and crew proved to be the class outfit that they were two years ago. We thank them highly for taking such care of us and going the extra mile to make us comfortable and allow us to put on the show we wanted to.

"I was fortunate to spend the day on the golf course with Alice, Damon Johnson, Chuck Garrick, and Jerry, Alice's assistant, and my friend Chris Norch. I spoke with Alice on many topics and he proved to be an amazing, smart and humble human being. He is truly the legend he is recognized as. Not too shabby a golfer either. He tore everyone up. I was smart enough to simply drive the golf cart. Damon, Chuck and Jerry are my new golf buddies and proved to be truly wonderful people as well.

"After finishing that run, we are now preparing to play the state fair in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Halloween night. Then we will be shooting videos for 'MegaSlowFade' and 'Nocturnal Symphony'.

"I have started writing for the next album already and it feels intense and magnetic.

"It's great to be home and spending time with my six-month-old Jude, and the rest of the band and crew are resting up for 2010.

"We plan on hitting the road hard in January-February to support 'Sad Day on Planet Earth'."

"Sad Day On Planet Earth" was released on June 30 via the Swedish label Blistering Records. The CD is described in a press release as "by far [the band's] strongest album, musically speaking. There are so many different-sounding songs that all forms of radio: Active Rock, Mainstream Rock and Metal radio will embrace this album."

"Sad Day On Planet Earth" contains 14 songs written by Steve Blaze. All the album artwork was created by Peter Tsakiris, who is a major force in the industry, having designed album art for DIO, TWISTED SISTER, DEEP PURPLE, TED NUGENT, OVERKILL, JACKYL and WARRIOR SOUL, to name a few.

LILLIAN AXE is:

Derrick Lefevre - Vocals
Steve Blaze - Guitar/Vocals
Sam Poitevent - Guitar/Vocals
Eric Morris - Bass
Ken Koudelka - Drums

Greek extreme metallers ROTTING CHRIST will embark on their first-ever Australian tour in December/January.

"We are really honored to finally have the chance to celebrate New Year's Eve together with our Australian metal brothers on the roster of Screamfest, one of the country's biggest metal festivals, on the 31st of December 2009 followed by another two shows," the band says in a statement."

Dec. 31 - Screamfest - Sydney, AUS
Jan. 04 - Billboard - Melbourne, AUS
Jan. 05 - The Hi-Fi - Brisbane, AUS

ROTTING CHRIST recently entered Lunatach Studios in Katerini, Greece to begin recording their new album for a February 2010 release. The group, which spent more than a year writing material for the follow-up to 2007's "Theogonia", is promising that the new CD will "have the heavy soulful load to move the band a step forward from their previous output," according to a posting on the ROTTING CHRIST MySpace page. "The well-established style and melodies of the band as well as the so many artistically surprises that always exist with each band's release guarantee their fans a soulful trip."

Exclusive photos from the recording sessions can be found at MetalPaths.com (pictures by Karagiannidis Panagiotis).

ROTTING CHRIST released its long-awaited 2DVD + 2CD digipack, "Non Serviam - A 20 Year Apocryphal Story", in Europe in February via Season of Mist. The set, which was released in the U.S. in May, features the band's most popular and classic songs, including some rare treats, to celebrate their special 20th anniversary show in their hometown Athens in front of a fanatic audience in December 2007. Completing the package is a bonus DVD filled with extra footage from the "Sanctus Diavolos" and "Theogonia" tours, an interview with frontman Sakis Tolis telling the story of the band, bootlegs live videos, promotional clips and much more. Last but not least, these five hours of video are backed by two audio CDs taking up 25 tracks from the Athens show plus seven exclusive tracks recorded live in February 2007 at B-Live in Larisa, Greece.

Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers EPICA have issued the following update:

"With pain in our hearts, we have to announce that the EPICA shows in Madrid [Saturday, October 31] and Lisbon [Sunday, November 1] are cancelled. Simone [Simons] has no voice and the specialised doctor told her to be silent for the next two days. Tickets of these shows remain valid and we're working on the new dates for these two shows (probably March 2010).

"We're really sorry, but what can you do about fate?!

"The doctor told [us] as well that the chance is big that Simone's voice will get better soon so that the concerts in France [November 3-4] and Z7 Switzerland [Novemebr 5] will take place."

EPICA's new album, "Design Your Universe", was released in Europe on October 16 . The follow-up to 2007's "The Divine Conspiracy" was recorded at Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany with producer Sascha Paeth.

EPICA will return to North America for a headlining tour in the beginning of 2010, with THREAT SIGNAL and BLACKGUARD as support. EPICA will offer fans a special VIP ticket which will grant them access to the venue an hour before door times, a pre-show meet-and-greet with EPICA and a event poster customized for the city of the show. Fans are urged to purchase these VIP tickets as only 50 are being allotted for each show.

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King has scheduled the following in-store appearances in Canada:

Nov. 11 - Steve's Music - Montreal, QC
Nov. 12 - Musique Richard Gendreau - Quebec City, QC
Nov. 13 - Steve's Music - Toronto, ON

More information is available on the posters below.

King made several in-store appearances at select B.C. Rich retailers while on the 2009 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. The special events were co-sponsored by EMG pickups.

SLAYER is commandeering MySpace.com's Music homepage and brand new Music Video homepage for the entire Halloween weekend.

The first SLAYER Halloween treat is the exclusive premiere of "World Painted Blood", which is due in stores next Tuesday, November 3. You've probably heard a few morsels from it — "Psychopathy Red", "Hate Worldwide", and the title track — but now you are be able to hear "Snuff", "Public Display of Dismemberment", "Not of This God", and "Beauty Through Order" — the whole thing, start to finish and on demand — until Tuesday when you can own your very own copy.

But if you really want to get creeped out this Halloween, then check out the video graphic novel "Playing With Dolls", which is exclusively available for viewing on MySpace Music only through the weekend, and then on Tuesday as part of the "World Painted Blood" deluxe edition.

No mere music video, the 20-minute "Playing with Dolls" (which is included in the "World Painted Blood" deluxe edition) was created and directed by Mark Brooks ("Metalocalypse") and is a stark, 12-part nightmare that breathes corrupt life into SLAYER's latest syllabus of stalkers, psychopaths and serial killers, merging their aberrant psyches into the supremely focused desire of a single, merciless malcontent. A methodical distillation of one man's lethal frenzy, the film follows the gruesome outbursts of a nameless protagonist. He is not an indiscriminate murder junkie, but rather a highly creative snuff-artist with a deeply personal sense of purpose — a man for whom murder is the only conceivable way forward. With a black heart hardened by tragedy, he chooses his victims carefully. His methods are as grisly and varied as they are poetic.

To complete this seizing of MySpace Music, every slot on the MySpace's Music Video homepage is being filled with SLAYER music videos, shout-outs, digital clips of the band providing some behind-the-scenes perspective on "World Painted Blood", and other terrifying tidbits.

SLIPKNOT performed the song "Snuff" on last night's (Friday, October 30) episode of ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (which actually aired the morning of Saturday, October 31). Watch video of the performance below.

The special-edition CD/DVD reissue of SLIPKNOT's self-titled debut album sold around 4,600 copies in the United States in its first, shortened week of release (the set came out on Wednesday, September 9 whereas new albums usually go on sale on Tuesdays in the U.S.). The album has now shifted more than two million units domestically, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The CD portion of the "Slipknot" reissue 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.

ALICE IN CHAINS performed the song "Check My Brain" on last night's (Friday, October 30) edition of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien". Watch video of the appearance below.

ALICE IN CHAINS will team up with "A Looking In View" director Stephen Schuster once again to shoot a video for the band's next single, "Your Decision". More information will be made available soon.

To coincide with the band's European tour, ALICE IN CHAINS will release the "Your Decision" single on November 16 in the U.K.

"Your Decision" is the second single to be lifted from band's first all-new album in 14 years, titled "Black Gives Way To Blue", which sold 126,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 5 on The Billboard 200 chart (behind latest albums from PARAMORE, MARIAH CAREY, BARBRA STREISAND and BREAKING BENJAMIN).

ALICE IN CHAINS recruited pop legend Elton John to contribute piano to the CD's title track, which is written in tribute to Staley.

Singer William DuVall had played with his own group, COMES WITH THE FALL, as well as in Jerry Cantrell's solo band, before joining up with ALICE IN CHAINS in 2006.

"Black Gives Way to Blue" was recorded with producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, RUSH) at the Northridge, California studio of FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl.

Justis Mustaine, the 17-year-old son of MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine, can be seen hosting the latest episode of "The Turntable" on McDonald's Channel at this location.

"The Turntable" highlights artists' new music and videos, current tour dates and insider fan insight as guided by on-air personality-driven VJs Justis Mustaine and Layla Allman, daughter of legend Greg Allman.

The latest episode of "The Turntable" focuses on Judith Hill, the singer/musician who was a backup singer on Michael Jackson's ill-fated This Is It tour.