German "a cappella metal" band VAN CANTO — which consists of five singers and one drummer (no guitars, no bass, no keyboards) — has been confirmed for the Metal Female Voices Fest VII, set to take place October 17, 2009 at Oktoberhallen in Wieze, Belgium.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

AMBERIAN DAWN
AUTUMN
FLOWING TEARS
KIVIMETSAN DRUIDI
MANIC MOVEMENT
MIDNATTSOL
UNSUN
VAN CANTO
WHYZDOM

For more information, visit www.metalfemalevoicesfest.be.

The official video for VAN CANTO's version of the NIGHTWISH classic "Wishmaster" can be viewed below. The song is featured on VAN CANTO's new album, "Hero", which was released on September 26, 2008 through GUN Records. The CD features 10 songs, including originals like "Speed Of Light" as well as covers of several metal classics, among them songs by IRON MAIDEN, NIGHTWISH and MANOWAR. The album also includes a bonus DVD.

Australia's THE BERZERKER has inked an exlusive distribution deal with Riot! Entertainment to release "The Reawakening", previously only available via the band's web site.

THE BERZERKER's fifth album, was originally released last year through the group's self-run record label, Berzerker Industries.

"The Reawakening" track listing:

01. Spare Parts
02. Internal Examination
03. Caught In The Crossfire
04. Harvesting A Loved One
05. The Deception
06. Your Final Seconds
07. The Evolution Of Aggression
08. Unforgotten Force
09. Disassembly Line
10. Wisdom And Corruption

THE BERZERKER recently tapped Tim Aldridge (ex-ABRAMELIN) as its new guitarist. A photo of the group's new lineup can be viewed below.

THE BERZERKER previously released four full-length albums — "The Berzerker" (2000), "Dissimulate" (2002), "World of Lies" (2005) and "Animosity" (2007) — through Earache Records. During the early part of their career as a live act, band members were identified only as The Vocalist, The Guitarist, The Bassist and The Drummer, distinguishable on stage only by the intricate monster masks they wore. However, the group has since abandoned this concept. A DVD documentary, "The Principles and Practices of The Berzerker" (2004), includes several hours of live concert footage, as well as the first public images of the band members without their monster masks.

Most of the band's music videos have been banned from broadcast for reasons such as the possible epileptic fit-inducing imagery contained in the video "Forever", and the horrific imagery of "Reality". The latter features graphic images of cadavers and body parts, along with appearances from the band themselves.

Photo credit: Melicious Photography (left to right: Damien Palmer, Todd Hansen, Luke Kenny, Tim Aldridge)

A two-minute video recap of ALICE IN CHAINS' recent successful run as the co-headliner of this year's Soundwave Festival in Australia can be viewed below.

ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell recently spoke with Australia's Courier-Mail about the group's upcoming album, its first full-length set of new material in more than 13 years and first without lead singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002 after a long battle with drug addiction. Handling lead vocals is William DuVall, who has sung with the group ever since it reactivated in 2005. Cantrell said, "The new stuff is cool. It's pretty goddamn crushing. I've stepped up a little bit from where I was before . . . obviously, it'll be a new sound from William being there — but it sounds like an ALICE IN CHAINS record and a kick-ass one. There's everything from the darkest of dark, heavy shit to acoustic stuff. Throw all that together and that's what you'll get."

Cantrell told The Pulse of Radio when the band first got back together that they did not have a set plan to tour or make a new album. "You know, if you were looking at how to really capitalize on this experience and really make dough and make it a profitable thing, a band might, you know, would come out with a singer, have a record ready and all that," he said. "But that's not where we're coming from with this thing. We're coming from the place of 'It feels good, and we're having a good time, so we'd like people to be a part of that.'"

ALICE IN CHAINS is scheduled to play at Columbus, Ohio's Rock On The Range festival in mid-May.

Video footage of ALICE IN CHAINS' February 28, 2009 performance at the Soundwave Festival in Adelaide, Australia can be viewed below (clips uploaded by "backpackdave08").



"Man in the Box" in Adelaide:

A special limited-edition 12" vinyl Paul Romano album artwork picture disc of MASTODON's new single, "Divinations" (see image below), backed with the instrumental score version of the track is available at select Hot Topic retail store locations and at HotTopic.com.

MASTODON will take part in an in-store signing session and performance in their hometown on Tuesday, March 24 at 8:30 p.m. at Criminal Records.

The details are as follows:

1154-A Euclid Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
Phone: (404) 215-9511
http://criminal.com

"Divinations", the new video from MASTODON, can be viewed below. The clip was helmed by director Roboshobo (a.k.a. Robert Schober; METALLICA's "All Nightmare Long"), who previously worked with MASTODON on the "Sleeping Giant" video, and it depicts the bandmembers on a rock 'n' roll mission, trudging through the frozen tundra. "We're climbing a mountain looking for a creature named Brent," guitarist Bill Kelliher told HeadbangersBlog.com. "We were mountaineers — explorers, like in John Carpenter's 'The Thing'."

"It's a really fun video," added guitarist and vocalist Brent Hinds. "I'm an old cavemen trapped in a block of ice. Explorers find me and they put the flying V [guitar] up to the ice and it melts me. I grab the guitar, do the solo and then I kill them."

"Divinations" comes off MASTODON's highly anticipated, long-awaited new studio album, "Crack The Skye", which is scheduled for release on March 24.

MASTODON will embark on a spring U.S. headlining tour in support of "Crack The Skye". The band will perform the album in its entirety along with career-spanning surprises and plenty of visual stimulus in store. This first tour behind the groundbreaking new album will sweep across the U.S. and Canada, playing to smaller theaters and clubs to insure a maximum and up-close intimate environment in which to be exposed to brand new songs and old favorites for MASTODON fans. Support on the trek will come from KYLESA and INTRONAUT.

MASTODON bassist Bill Kelliher told Billboard.com about the band's decision to play the new CD in its entirety, "there's something about ["Crack The Skye"] where it would be weird to leave a song out. We'll incorporate a whole stage show, which will hopefully make it even more exciting for kids to come see and more visually stimulating." The band is also hoping to make a short movie from all the songs, which Kelliher hopes will be MASTODON's version of "The Wall".

"Crack the Skye" follows 2006's "Blood Mountain", which has sold nearly 150,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY have scheduled two free live acoustic sessions — in Augusta, Georgia on March 12 and in Nashville, Tennessee on March 29.

For more information, visit band's MySpace page.

BLACK STONE CHERRY released "the southern bluesy love track" "Please Come In" as the second single from its sophomore album, "Folklore and Superstition".

"Folklore and Superstition" sold 13,600 in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 28 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee at Black Bird Studios, which is owned and operated by country music star Martina McBride. It was produced and mixed by veteran Bob Marlette (OZZY OSBOURNE, SALIVA).

BLACK STONE CHERRY's "Blind Man" video was shot on July 10, 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky at the famous Waverly Hills Sanatorium.

Former PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN and current HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott was interviewed on the first episode of the second season of VH1 Classic's hit weekly series "That Metal Show". Watch his apearance on the program below.

"That Metal Show" premiered last season to rave reviews and featured special guests RUSH, AC/DC, TWISTED SISTER, Lita Ford, Ace Frehley of KISS and a very special appearance by former baseball star Mike Piazza. This season the gang is back as hosts Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine ("Crank Yankers", "Inside the NFL", "Meet The Creeps"), and Don Jamieson ("Inside The NFL", "Dice Undisputed", "Meet The Creeps") lead this loud, proud, and headbanger approved talkfest.

VH1 Classic has mixed the best of "The View" with "Headbangers Ball" to create "That Metal Show". This season metal heads will join Eddie, Don, and Jim as they welcome former GUNS N' ROSES bassist and VELVET REVOLVER member Duff McKagan, Frank Bello from ANTHRAX, PANTERA founder Vinnie Paul and HEAVEN AND HELL, to name just a few.

Each week the hosts discuss the latest rock news, share stories, take to the streets for man on the street pranks, and argue about their favorite bands. Whether they're arguing over the best Canadian metal band of all time in "The Throwdown" or tracking down one of your favorite metal artists who disappeared in a "Whatever Happened To" segment or Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson hitting the streets to connect and hang out with the fans for some "Man-On-The Street" pranks, everything is covered and no metal band or metal moment is left behind.

But "That Metal Show" isn't just a roundtable discussion; it's about comedy too. The comedy continues in-studio, as host Eddie Trunk takes on the metal maniacs in the studio audience in the "Stump the Trunk" metal trivia contest. If the audience can stump Eddie, they win a metal-worthy prize.

"That Metal Show" is a hilarious 30 minutes of mayhem that all fans of hard rock and heavy metal are bound to love! It is the perfect combination of music and comedy in one show. Tune in to VH1 Classic on March 7 at 11:00 p.m to join the debate and rock on!

Fans can also catch all of season one and season two online at VH1Classic.com. New episodes will launch online every Monday morning following the show's on-air premiere. Additionally, fans can also ask a "whatever happened to" question to the guys via the VH1 Blog. Select questions may end up on air.

Upcoming "That Metal Show" guests:

March 14: Frank Bello (ANTHRAX)
March 21: Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME)
March 28: Steve "Lips" Kudlow, Robb Reiner (ANVIL)
April 04: Duff McKagan (VELVET REVOLVER), Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD)
April 11: Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE), Lars Ulrich (METALLICA)
April 18: Scott Gorham (THIN LIZZY)
April 25: Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler (HEAVEN AND HELL)

"That Metal Show" is a production of VH1 Classic. Lee Rolontz and Keshia Williams as executive producers for VH1. Jeff Baumgardner serves as producer for the series for VH1.

California deathcore masters SUICIDE SILENCE have finished recording their new album, "No Time To Bleed", with acclaimed producer Machine (LAMB OF GOD) for a summer release via Century Media Records.

The band will debut some new material on the upcoming CARCASS tour, which kicks off this week. The group will be direct support and deliver a blistering 45-minute aural assault. Immediately following this trek, the group will join up with the Music As A Weapon IV festival to headline the second stage, performing alongside such acclaimed acts as DISTURBED and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, among a slew of others.

Commented vocailist Mitch Lucker: "There is absolutely no doubt that this is our strongest effort to date. We've all grown quite a bit as musicians over the last few years. The last record was tracked in a live setting over a period of two weeks and this time around we've carefully crafted a record on an even larger scale with Machine's services at the helm. This is a huge step in the right direction for us and we will be debuting a few new tracks on this tour with CARCASS, so we hope to see you all soon."

Video footage from the recording studio can be viewed below.

Former GUNS N' ROSES and current ADLER'S APPETITE drummer Steven Adler was interviewed on the "Opie & Anthony Show" yesterday morning (Tuesday, March 10). A two-and-a-half-minute clip of his appearance on the program can be viewed below.

ADLER'S APPETITE has been confirmed for this year's South Texas Rock Fest, set to take place May 22-24, 2009 in downtown San Antonio, Texas at Hemisfair Park.

Singer Sheldon Tarsha of ADLER'S APPETITE was a guest on the February 21 edition of the "Maximum Threshold" show. You can now download the program as an MP3 audio file at this location.

ADLER'S APPETITE's current lineup is rounded out by Alex Grossi (HOOKERS 'N' BLOW, ex-QUIET RIOT) on guitar, Michael Thomas (FASTER PUSSYCAT) on guitar, and Chip Z'nuff (ENUFF Z'NUFF) on bass.

ADLER'S APPETITE commemorated the 20th anniversary of GNR's classic debut "Appetite for Destruction" in 2007 by touring South America. However, Adler was forced to cancel a European tour with the band due to "personal issues."

Adler is featured in "Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House", an eight-episode, one hour series that premiered on January 15 on VH1.

Norwegian death metal tyrants BLOOD RED THRONE have finished recording their fifth studio album at Studio Deadline in Trollhattan, Sweden with Valle Adzic (who also mixed the band's two previous studio CDs). Entitled "Souls Of Damnation", the new LP's release will coincide with the band's 10th anniversary, which will be celebrated in the form of a DVD, to be included in a special version of the album. The DVD will feature an in-depth studio diary, documenting the recording process of the new CD, along with an exclusive new interview with the band.

"Souls Of Damnation" is scheduled for release on June 1 through Earache Records.

The band will preview new material on the opening day of the Inferno festival in early April in Oslo, Norway, and is currently booking other shows in support of the new CD.

BLOOD RED THRONE's video for the song "Taste of God" can be viewed below. The track comes off "Come Death", which was released in Europe in August 2007 via Earache Records.

VH1 has acquired the exclusive rights for the critically acclaimed documentary "Anvil! The Story of Anvil". VH1 will handle the television and DVD release and distribute the film theatrically in association with Abramorama. The world television premiere on VH1 this summer and the subsequent DVD release of the film follow a network-wide, multi-platform promotional campaign supporting the theatrical film release April 10, 2009 in New York and Los Angeles followed by a national roll-out.

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is the directorial debut of screenwriter Sacha Gervasi ("The Terminal") and was produced by Rebecca Yeldham ("The Kite Runner" and "The Motorcycle Diaries"). The film follows Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner and their band, ANVIL, which released one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982's "Metal on Metal". The album influenced an entire musical generation of rock bands, including METALLICA, SLAYER, and ANTHRAX, who all went on to sell millions of records. ANVIL, on the other hand, took a different path — straight to obscurity. The film is both entertaining and touching as it follows their last-ditch quest for the fame and fortune that has been so elusive to them. "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is a timeless tale of survival and the unadulterated passion it takes to follow your dream, year after year.

Ironically, life is now looking up for the band. After years of playing to empty bars and working dead end jobs, the band is beginning to find the success that evaded them for decades. They have recently been signed by manager Rick Sales (SLAYER), U.S. agent Scott Sokol (MEGADETH, HEAVEN AND HELL), and U.K. agent Steve Strange (COLDPLAY). The band is being welcomed with open arms everywhere they go. Their latest fan, Sarah Brown (wife of the Prime Minister), attended the red carpet premiere of the film in the UK. Now with a U.S. tour, the support of VH1 and VH1 Classic, a feature documentary, and an immeasurable amount of will and determination, the band is picking up where they left off twenty five years ago.

"When I was sixteen years old, ANVIL was my favorite band in the world," said Sacha Gervasi, director of the film. "I couldn't believe it when I met Lips and Robb in London and they invited me to come out on the road with them. Running away to join the rock and roll circus was, of course, an experience I never forgot. When I met the band again twenty years later I was completely awed and inspired to discover that they simply refused to give up on the dream they had had as kids. It makes me intensely happy and proud to see the band finally getting the recognition they so richly deserve. ANVIL rocks!"

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it received acclaim from critics and audiences alike. It went on to win the Audience Awards at the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival, 2008 Sydney Film Festival, and 2009 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, as well as the Best Documentary Feature Awards at 2008 Galway Film Fleadh, 2008 Calgary Film Festival, 2008 Edmonton Film Festival, and 2009 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. The film was also nominated for the Truer Than Fiction Award at the 2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards. The film was released in the UK to critical acclaim on February 20, 2009.

"This film is so much more than a documentary about the roots of metal. It's a story about the power of perseverance and friendship and the passion that drives them," said Tom Calderone, President of VH1. "'Anvil! The Story of Anvil' has a huge heart and will resonate with all of our viewers. This is the type of project that drew me into the VH1 fold and makes me especially proud to work here."

Praised as "the best documentary I've seen in years," by documentarian Michael Moore, the London Times calls it "possibly the greatest film yet made about rock and roll;" "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" contains appearances by an array of heavy metal icons, including METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, former member of GUNS N' ROSES Slash, ANTHRAX's Scott Ian, and SLAYER's Tom Araya, among others.

"Sacha knew from the beginning that this was not just a 'metal' film. In my first encounter with ANVIL, it was impossible not to be moved by their loyalty, determination and mad, blind faith. How sweet it is to see them now ride this tide of success — not just to be heard, finally — but to be heralded for their humbling tenacity and devotion to their art and to each other," said producer Rebecca Yeldham.

VH1 has thrown the full support of the network behind ANVIL, the band's music and the film on all platforms. The timing of this support from not only VH1 but from the music and film industry coincides with the realization of ANVIL's lifelong dream to "make it."

Timed to the release of the film in April, VH1 Classic will serve as the exclusive presenter for the band's U.S. tour. "VH1 Classic Presents: The Anvil Experience" will cover seven markets and upcoming dates, venues and ticket information will be available immediately on the film's website anvilmovie.com and VH1Classic.com. At each tour stop, the film will be played immediately followed by a short performance by the band.

Tour Dates:

April 06 - New York, NY - Blender Theater
April 12 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
April 14 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
April 16 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
April 17 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
April 21 - Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Ballroom
April 22 - Chicago, IL - Metro

Additional elements include:

* In an unprecedented move, for the first time ever the network will run the full length movie trailer of the film like a music video throughout all VH1 video hours — morning, overnights, on VH1 Classic and on VH1.com and VH1Classic.com.

* In the weeks leading up to the theatrical release, VH1 will be creating a VH1 News package that will include a new interview with Lips and Robb.

* On VH1.com and VH1Classic.com, Robb and Lips will be featured on an episode of the original series "My Playlist" as they discuss their influences and favorite classic rock songs.

* VH1 Classic will air an episode of its original talk show "That Metal Show" with Robb and Lips and will center on ANVIL's career, music, upcoming tour and the film. This episode will run timed to the film's April theatrical release and will then repeat promoting the film's television premiere on VH1 and the film's availability on DVD.

The DVD release and world television premiere of the film on VH1 and VH1 Classic this summer will be supported by significant on-air promos on VH1 and VH1 Classic and dedicated online promotion on VH1.com. Each telecast will include a customized on-screen graphic supporting the DVD release which will be made available to fans at a later date yet to be announced. Promotional excerpt clips of the film will also be supported and streamed on FVOD, online and wireless.

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is directed by Sacha Gervasi and produced by Rebecca Yeldham, with cinematography by Chris Soos, editing by Jeff Renfroe and Andrew Dickler, and music supervision by Dana Sano.

ANVIL members Steve "Lips" Kudlow (vocals, guitar) and Robb Reiner (drums), along with director Sacha Gervasi, were recently interviewed by U.K.'s Moviebeat about their acclaimed documentary, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil". Watch the three-minute report below.

A short interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett about the forthcoming Guitar Hero: Metallica game can be viewed below.

Guitar Hero: Metallica is due out in North America on March 29. The track listing for the game is as follows:

METALLICA tracks:

* All Nightmare Long
* Battery
* Creeping Death
* Disposable Heroes
* Dyers Eve
* Enter Sandman
* Fade To Black
* Fight Fire With Fire
* For Whom The Bell Tolls
* Frantic
* Fuel
* Hit The Lights
* King Nothing
* Master of Puppets
* Mercyful Fate (Medley)
* No Leaf Clover
* Nothing Else Matters
* One
* Orion
* Sad But True
* Seek And Destroy
* The Memory Remains
* The Shortest Straw
* The Thing That Should Not Be
* The Unforgiven
* Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
* Wherever I May Roam
* Whiplash

If you downloaded the "Death Magnetic" album for Xbox and PS3, those ten songs will play in their entirety in the full game mode. PS2 and Wii versions (coming in the spring, most likely in early May) will include "Broken Beat & Scarred", "Cyanide" and "My Apocalypse" since they are not compatible with the "Death Magnetic" downloadable content.

Other artists:

* ALICE IN CHAINS - No Excuses
* BOB SEGER - Turn The Page
* CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - Albatross
* DIAMOND HEAD - Am I Evil?
* FOO FIGHTERS - Stacked Actors
* JUDAS PRIEST - Hell Bent For Leather
* KYUSS - Demon Cleaner
* LYNYRD SKYNYRD - Tuesdays Gone
* MACHINE HEAD - Beautiful Mourning
* MASTODON - Blood And Thunder
* MERCYFUL FATE - Evil
* MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP - Armed and Ready
* MOTÖRHEAD - Ace of Spades
* QUEEN - Stone Cold Crazy
* SAMHAIN - Mother of Mercy
* SLAYER - War Ensemble
* SOCIAL DISTORTION - Mommy's Little Monster
* SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - War Inside My Head
* SYSTEM OF A DOWN - Toxicity
* THE SWORD - Black River
* THIN LIZZY - The Boys Are Back in Town

RollingStone.com got a sneak preview of Guitar Hero: Metallica, which is only the second in the popular gaming franchise to be based around a specific artist. According to RollingStone.com's report, the game's storyline was conceived by frontman James Hetfield and lets players begin as METALLICA's opening act, eventually getting to play as the members of METALLICA themselves if they can make it that far.

The menu art is done by longtime METALLICA artist Pushead, while the venues and stage sets are taken from all eras of the band's quarter-century career. The virtual band members each do signature moves, from drummer Lars Ulrich popping up from behind his kit to bassist Robert Trujillo's trademark crabwalk across the stage. The members all start out looking like they do today, but can also revert back to younger versions of themselves. Previous bassists Jason Newsted and the late Cliff Burton do not appear in the game.

Trujillo told The Pulse of Radio why he thinks the Guitar Hero franchise is great for music. "I'm not a gamer, but I actually think it's a great thing in the sense that it's helping to educate our youth and older people about rock 'n' roll and heavy metal in particular, you know, bands like IRON MAIDEN and BLACK SABBATH, and I think that's important," he said.

The band had to go through an extensive motion-capture process in order to make them come to life in the game, and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett told The Pulse of Radio the final result was a little unsettling. "Once they've actually made a virtual you and you start seeing that virtual you playing METALLICA songs, it's a trip, man," he said. "It's like watching a hologram of yourself or, you know, a cartoon of yourself or whatever. It's strange because it's weird and different but oddly familiar at the same time."

Gameplay is available on vocals, guitar, bass, and drums, with an added skill level for double-bass drumming. There is not, however, an option for two players to play lead and rhythm guitar at the same time, like Hetfield and Hammett do in real life.

The game also comes with bonus features such as live videos, footage of the band being filmed for the game, and archival material from the group's history.

According to The Pulse of Radio, former NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic told DailyWorld.com in a new interview that fans should not expect to hear any music from the band emerging from the vaults. But while previously unreleased music may be scarce, Novoselic added, "What there is, is video. There's a lot of video. There's not going to be any new NIRVANA records." Novoselic was interviewed when he participated in an oral history for the Washington State Legacy Project, which is dedicated to profiling influential residents of the state who have helped shape its history.

Novoselic did not indicate what kind of video footage is in the band's archives, nor did he say whether it will ever see the light of day.

The last NIRVANA studio song released was "You Know You're Right", issued in 2002 as part of a boxed set. The track's release was held up for years by a legal battle that pitted Novoselic and NIRVANA drummer Dave Grohl against Courtney Love, widow of late NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain. The tune was recorded in January of 1994, three months before Cobain committed suicide.

Asked if he was now on good terms with Love, Novoselic said, "It's not bad terms."

NIRVANA was crucial in bringing mainstream attention to both the Seattle music scene and alternative music in general. Novoselic told The Pulse of Radio a while back why he thought the band took off so explosively. "Well, it was a phenomenon. I think a lot of it was timing as what was going on in the music business. And a lot of the Sunset Strip hair bands were past their prime and people were ready for something new. NIRVANA always tried to be sincere."

The bassist told DailyWorld.com that he wished he had done more to stop Cobain from killing himself, saying, "There's regrets. I was angry. It's just a waste . . . Kurt called me the first time he did heroin and he told me he did it. And I told him, 'Don't do it man. You're playing with dynamite.'"

Novoselic has continued a low-key music career since NIRVANA's demise, playing in EYES ADRIFT, SWEET 75 and punk act FLIPPER. He is also active in local Washington politics and has his own show on a community radio station.

"From Hell To Texas", the long-awaited fifth album from Atlanta's NASHVILLE PUSSY, sold 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at No. 87 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.

The CD was recorded and mixed at Pedernales Studio in Spicewood, Texas with producer Daniel Rey and was engineered and mixed by Gordie Johnson and Jacob Sciba. It was mastered by Howie Weinberg and Matt Agoglia at Masterdisk.

"From Hell To Texas" track listing:

01. Speed Machine
02. From Hell To Texas
03. Drunk Driving Man
04. Lazy Jesus
05. I'm So High
06. Ain't Your Business
07. Dead Men Can't Get Drunk
08. Late Great USA
09. Pray for The Devil
10. Why Why Why
11. Stone Cold Down
12. Give Me A Hit Before I Go

A gydget for the album can be found below. Also available is fan-filmed video footage of NASHVILLE PUSSY performing a couple of the new songs live.

NASHVILLE PUSSY's live DVD, "Live! In Hollywood", came out on September 30, 2008 via MVD Visual. According to a press release, the disc features "NASHVILLE PUSSY rifling through 19 blistering songs at the Key Club in Hollywood. Blaine Cartwright, Ruyter Suys, Jeremy Thompson, and newcomer Karen Cuda give the crowd exactly what they want and more. All your favorite tracks are here, plus a bonus feature entitled 'Pussy Home Movies' has been added. So sit back, grab your bottle of whatever, and let the pussy do the work!"

ROSS THE BOSS and FREEDOM CALL are among the confirmed bands for the third edition of the Roadgrill metal festival, set to take place Saturday, July 18, 2009 at Spaanse Polder in Rotterdam, Holland.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

ROSS THE BOSS (USA / GER )
FREEDOM CALL (GER)
ROADKILL (NL)
IVORY NIGHT (GER)
CELL 29 (NL)
DAWN OF DESTINY (GER)
CONORACH (NL)

For more information, visit www.roadgrill.nl.

(Thanks: Metal-Experience.com)

Los Angeles metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will release their first U.K. single, "The Bleeding", on April 6. Taken from the band’s debut outing, "The Way Of The Fist", released in Europe in January, this track — dubbed a "concert anthem" in the U.S. – played a significant part in taking domestic sales of the aforementioned album up to the 300,000 mark and beyond, holding a Top 10 position at rock radio.

For its U.K. release, "The Bleeding" will be available on red vinyl 7", CD single and download; all formats will feature bonus content, including a FAITH NO MORE cover ("From Out Of Nowhere"), an acoustic version of the lead track plus a filmed interview with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory.

As previously reported, "The Bleeding" will be featured in forthcoming movie "Highgate Vampire", directed by Asa Bailey.

"Highgate Vampire" tells the story of four American teenagers — Cathy, Amy, Salem and Alex — who all meet on the Internet, and decide to get together for a weekend of fun in London's gothic Camden town. As they take a guided tour around one of London's Victorian cemeteries, they hide among the ancient graves and are locked in for the night. Darkness falls, and mysterious things start to happen as the spirit of the Highgate Vampire takes over. Being a vampire has its challenges, and through the film we watch the characters battle with good and evil, love and hate, and with what it means to have been granted the ultimate power to kill.

Bailey has produced a brand new version of the music video for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's "The Bleeding", including footage from the film. Watch the clip below. The bandmembers may also shoot a cameo for "Highgate Vampire" when they return to Europe in the summer for further live work.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in January confirmed the departure of guitarist Darrell Roberts, as first rumored at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) convention in Anaheim, California. The band issued a statement saying, "Every band has its growing pains, and after 18 months in the trenches, relentless touring and living together, we all came to a conclusion that a change had to be made." The statement said that the decision for Roberts to leave was "mutual," adding, "It was a swift and smooth transition and we all remain good friends. All cliches aside we really wish him the best on his musical endeavors."

Roberts's replacement is Jason Hook, most recently seen playing with ALICE COOPER. Lead guitarist Zoltan Bathory said about the new guitarist, "He's an unbelievable player, and a good friend of all of us, so we hope our fans will welcome him in the DEATH PUNCH crew."

U.K. atmospheric rock band ANATHEMA has scheduled the following dates:

Apr. 04 - Acropolium of Carthage - Cathage - Tunisia
Apr. 29 - Palace Hal - Bucarest - Romania
May 05 - Incrivel Almadense - Lisbon - Portugal
May 06 - Teatro Sá da Bandeira - Porto - Portugal
May 07 - Santana 27 - Bilbao - Spain
May 08 - Penelope - Madrid - Spain
May 09 - El Tren - Granada - Spain
May 10 - Nave 8 - Alicante - Spain
May 11 - Salamandra 1 - Barcelona - Spain
May 27 - Hard Rock Live - Mexico City DF - Mexico
May 28 - La Bunga - Quito - Ecuador
May 31 - ND Ateneo - Buenos Aries - Argentina
Jun. 02 - Teatreo Caupolican - Santiago - Chile
Jul. 04 - Fonofest - Cesis (near Riga), Latvia
Jul. 05 - With Full Force Festival - Leipzig - Germany

ANATHEMA's latest album, "Hindsight", was released on August 25. 2008 via Kscope. The CD features old and new favorites from the band's career, with new arrangements utilizing acoustic, electrical and orchestral instruments to construct the deep, emotional landscapes ANATHEMA has become renowned for. This album also features the beautiful cello playing of Dave Wesling from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. A close friend of the band, Dave previously toured with the band in 2004 and is featured on the DVD "A Moment in Time". The record has been arranged, recorded, performed and produced solely by the band.

Hungarian metal magazine "Kettõnégy" conducted an interview with ANATHEMA's Danny Cavanagh in Budapest, Hungary. Watch the chat below. (Note: The clip also features performance footage.)

Swedish metallers TORCH have apparently backed out of their previously announced deal with Italy's Heart Of Steel Records. According to the label, "Out of the dark, this morning [Wednesday, March 11[ we got a very short message from the TORCH management, letting us now that the band just signed with another label, simply 'cause a bigger amount of money was offered to them. And with no chance to discuss with them any possible new agreement. This happened AFTER that the band's management confirmed to have sent to our label both, the final audio master and the signed contracts, and AFTER the same management already supplied us with the final artwork, and AFTER we've talked with their management about future plans of touring, etc."

TORCH's new album, entitled "Dark Sinner",is scheduled for release this spring. The CD is said to be "best-of" collection of sorts, featuring re-recorded versions of the band's biggest and best songs as well as two never-before-released cuts.

"Dark Sinner" track listing:

01. Warlock
02. Beyond The Threshold Of Pain
03. Fire Raiser
04. Watcher Of The Night
05. Battle Axe
06. Hatchet Man
07. Gladiator
08. Sweet Desire
09. Electrikiss
10. Hot On Your Heels
11. Sinister Eyes
12. Thunderstruck
13. Beauty And The Beast
14. The Dark Sinner (previously unreleased track)
15. We Will Fight (previously unreleased track)

Following the release of "Dark Sinner", TORCH will embark on an European tour, plus they will spread some classic Swedish steel at one of biggest heavy metal festivals in Europe, the mighty Sweden Rock Festival, which will be held June 3-6, 2009.

SLAVIOR/ex-FATES WARNING drummer Mark Zonder has issued the following update:

"Last weekend I sat down in the studio and knocked out my first homemade DVD, entitled 'Me, Two Cameras And A Computer'. This is not an instructional video, but an audio and visual representation of the 13 songs and ideas that I use at my clinics. There is a good camera angle of the hands and a camera on the bass drum foot. My friend, Chris Grosso at Take Two Visual Media in New York, will be doing the editing while Joe Marlett, who engineered the SLAVIOR album, is going to mix the audio. It should be available in the next couple weeks."

Mark Zonder has scheduled the following drum clinics:

March 24
Guitar Center
10831 Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90064
6:00 pm
310 475-0637

March 26
Guitar Center
12479 Foothill #G
Etiwanda CA 91739
6:00 pm
909 899-9843

March 31
Guitar Center
8825 Murray Dr.
La Mesa CA 91942
6:00 pm
619 668-8400

April 11
Sam Ash Music
20934 Roscoe Blvd.
Canoga Park CA 91304-4308
2:30 pm
818 709-4308

April 17
Sam Ash Music
4449 Mill Circle
Ontario CA 91764
6:30 pm
909 484-3550

April 21
GC San Marcos
712 Center Dr.
Sam Marcos CA 92069
6:30 pm
760 735-8050

Video footage of Mark Zonder's October 27, 2008 clinic at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California can be viewed below.

SLAVIOR's self-titled debut album was released on April 3, 2007 via Inside Out Music. A versatile, melodic hard rock/metal act, SLAVIOR's debut album features elements familiar to Zonder's progressive metal past, but also introduces a wide array influences including reggae, hip-hop, and modern rock.

Heavy Artillery has announced the signing of Phoenix, Arizona-based futuristic thrashers VEKTOR. The group's debut full-length album, "Black Future", is tentatively due in August.

Refusing to be pigeon-holed into any metal sub-genre, VEKTOR employs an array of intricacy, virtuosity and a wholly unique sound that sets it clearly apart from the growing legions of color-by-numbers thrash bands.

Conceived in 2004 by frontman/guitarist David DiSanto and lead shredder Erik Nelson, VEKTOR quickly forged a formidable name for itself among the Phoenix metal contingent for its unique mix of technical, speed thrash and progressive influences. Going against the grain of the Phoenix metal scene, VEKTOR created a wave of interest with its self-released CD "Demolition" (2006) and the ferocious two-track demo "Hunger for Violence" (2007).

After four years of local and regional gigging opening for such national acts as TESTAMENT, HIRAX, ICED EARTH and MUNICPAL WASTE, VEKTOR is preparing to hit the road for its first national tour alongside labelmates EXMORTUS.

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

DIRGE, the new extreme metal band featuring ex-SOIL guitarist Shaun Glass, THE DOOMSDAY SOCIAL drummer James Knight (ex-THE BLANK THEORY, CHACOPA), former A TEXAS FUNERAL vocalist Jeremy "Jerms" Genske, bassist Brian Paz and guitarist Matt Szlachta, recently entered the studio to begin recording 13 songs for a spring 2009 release via an as-yet-undisclosed label. Edsel Dope (DOPE) is producing alongside Chris Djuricic (Studio One). The CD will feature guest appearances by Corey Beaulieu of TRIVUM and Michael Angelo Batio of NITRO fame.

Commented Glass: "Well, shit has been mega-busy as hell for us. We just wrapped up all tracking for our album and we are looking into mixing end of this month. We are dying for all to hear the new stuff in the proper form (no leaks yet!). Also we have been asked to take part of some wicked shows this month, starting off with the mighty return of CARCASS at their Mokena, Illinois show Sunday, March 15 (Pearl Room) as well as supporting DOPE in lovely Madison, Wisconsin on March 26 (the Annex). Things are just starting to fire up. Also, we will be making a major announcement in the next few weeks that we know is long overdue."

Shaun previously described the upcoming CD as "one well-rounded album; from shreddin solos and flying double bass to machine-gun riffage, this album really has it all, and is hands down the best album I have ever made; no bullshittin' here, people."

DIRGE recently posted a new song entitled "Confession" on the group's MySpace page.

DIRGE has played shows alongside such acts as GOD FORBID, NILE, DEATH ANGEL and PRONG. DIRGE also took part in the June 2008 Jägermeister Music Tour dates with HATEBREED, TYPE O NEGATIVE, and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD as well as the July 2008 Jägermeister Music Tour dates with DOPE and KITTIE.

REVOLTING COCKS's (REVCO) new album, "Sex-O Olympic-O", sold 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD landed at No. 83 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.

"This is the best REVCO album I've ever done," founding member Al Jourgensen (MINISTRY) commented. "As a matter of fact, I think this is the best album — including MINISTRY, PAILHEAD, LARD — anything I've ever done, period. Production-wise, song-wise, I'm really, really happy with this record. It's the first CD I've ever gotten back from the mastering studio that I didn't have anything to bitch about. No complaints. I listened to the whole thing and just went, 'OK, that's a wrap. Let's go'!"

"Sex-O Olympic-O" retains the unmistakable REVCO industrial-dance-metal sound, and sees guitarist Sin Quirin, vocalist Josh Bradford and Clayton Worbeck (keyboards) let first-wave glam rock seep into their already rich sound. Case in point, the soon-to-be quirky anthem (and first single from the album), "I'm Not Gay", which debuted on MINISTRY's 2008 "C U LaTouR" live shows and is now a solid staple on MySpace and Facebook homepages around the world.

Tracks such as "Hookerbot 3000" and "The Red Parrot" show evidence that REVCO's affection for frequenting strip clubs has certainly rubbed off on them musically, as many of the songs sound like a custom-made soundtrack for strippers worldwide to strut their stuff to. But if you dig deep into the lyrics, you'll be afforded a direct look into the warped and twisted mind of Bradford. "Josh recorded a lot of these vocals in his apartment, really thin walls with no soundproofing," points out Worbeck. "He was tracking in the middle of the night with headphones on, yelling at the top of his lungs these bizarre phrases that are in the song. If you think about it, his neighbors weren't hearing music, all they were hearing was him yelling these strange lyrics. His neighbors must think he's insane."

"Sex-O Olympic-O" track listing:

01. Hookerbot3000 (3:30)
02. Keys To The City (Vegas Mix) (3:38)
03. Red Parrot (4:32)
04. Robo Banditos (4:14)
05. Cousins (4:16)
06. Touch Screen (4:02)
07. I'm Not Gay (6:15)
08. Abundant Redundancy (4:28)
09. Lewd Ferrigno (4:05)
10. Wizard Of Sextown (7:20)
11. Hookerbot3000 (Disco-A-Go-Go Mix) (4:27)

German thrashers KREATOR have been confirmed for the Derrame Rock festival, set to take place July 10-11, 2009 in Pravia (Asturias), Spain.

The complete festival billing can be viewed below.

"Hordes Of Chaos", the new album from KREATOR, registered the following first-week chart positions:

Germany: #16
Finland: #16
Austria: #33
Czech Republic: #35
Hungary: #39
Sweden: #47
Switzerland: #57
Holland: #66
Norway: #73
France: #85
USA: #165

"Hordes Of Chaos" sold around 2,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at No. 7 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.

KREATOR's video for the song "Hordes Of Chaos" can be viewed below. The clip was shot on November 2, 2008 in Berlin, Germany with director Jörn Heitmann (RAMMSTEIN), who has also worked on the band's video for the song "Enemy Of God".

KREATOR guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza told HeadbangersBlog.com about the clip: "It's a little cliché, of course. It's a sword-and-sorcery, 'Conan the Barbarian 300' kind of thing, but it's pretty brutal and I think it's fun. I really like the director and I think he did a good job. It was hard for him, but for us it was easy, because our part took only two ours. But we had to wait a lot because they had to shoot these fighting scenes the whole day. So, we worked for two hours and waited for eight.

"In the video there's a pile of dead people on the ground and we're in the middle of them. Of course, they weren't really dead, but it still felt kind of strange to be between all these people lying on the ground on this hill and it was kind of funny, too because they were there pretending to be dead and we had to perform above them while they just lay there. But they did a great job and I'm really happy."

Gary Graff of Billboard.com reports that POISON frontman Bret Michaels will publish his autobiography, "Roses and Thorns: The Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy to My Reality" (Simon & Schuster), in June.

"It will give people the untold story," Michaels tells Billboard.com. "It gives you the sex, the drugs, the rock 'n' roll, but it also gives you the diabetes. It gives you every aspect of my life and what I'm going through. I think it's pretty frank. It's honest. It's at times self-deprecating. It's about what happens when you try to live out your dream and the reality of it all sets in and it's the hardest and the strangest thing you will ever do. I think when you read it you'll really get the understanding of what it's all about."

Read more from Billboard.com.

GORGUTS, the acclaimed technical death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, has reportedly reformed with a brand new lineup and is currently working on material for a new studio album. Four songs are said to have already been completed, with several more on the way.

GORGUTS' current lineup is reportedly as follows:

* Luc Lemay (NEGATIVA) - Vocals, Guitar
* Kevin Hufnagel (DYSRHYTHMIA, WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, BYLA, EUCLID STREET, THE FIFTH SEASON, GREY DIVISION BLUE) - Guitar
* Colin Marston (DYSRHYTHMIA, BEHOLD... THE ARCTOPUS, BYLA, KRALLICE, INDRICOTHERE) - Bass
* John Longstreth (DIM MAK, ORIGIN, THE RED CHORD, SKINLESS, POSSESSION, ANGELCORPSE) - Drums

Back in November 2006, Metal Mind Productions reissued the classic GORGUTS albums "Considered Dead" and "Erosion of Sanity". Both CDs came in new digipack editions on golden discs, digitally remastered using 24-bit technology, and were limited to a hand-numbered 2,000 copies. Each title included two demo tracks as a bonus.

GORGUTS' last studio album, "From Wisdom to Hate", was released in 2001.

THE HAUNTED and SUFFOCATION will team up for one special show on April 16 at Le Medley in Monteal, Quebec, Canada. The two bands will headline the event, with support coming from all the groups that THE HAUNTED and SUFFOCATION are scheduled to be touring with throughout the spring.

The billing for the Montreal concert is as follows:

THE HAUNTED
SUFFOCATION
WHITECHAPEL
NACHTMYSTIUM
DECREPIT BIRTH
VEIL OF MAYA
PSYCROPTIC
MERAUDER
THE AGONIST

THE HAUNTED recently completed an extremely successful European co-headlining tour with ALL THAT REMAINS.

The band's latest album, "Versus", sold around 1,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Versus" entered the Swedish chart at position No. 14 and the Finnish chart at No. 12.

The CD was recorded in part at PUK studio in Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (HEAVEN SHALL BURN, DARK TRANQUILLITY, MOONSPELL, etc), who previously worked with the group on its two most recent LPs, "rEVOLVEr" (2004) and "The Dead Eye" (2006).

SUFFOCATION entered the studio on January 31 with Joe Cincotta (who worked on the band's last two releases) to begin recording its new album, "Blood Oath". The follow-up to 2006's self-titled record will be mixed by Zack Ohren (ALL SHALL PERISH, DECREPIT BIRTH) and cover artwork will once again be brought to life by Jon Zig (DEEDS OF FLESH, DISGORGE, GORGASM). Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Dismal Dream", "Undeserving", "Confines of Disillusion", "Blood Oath", "Come Hell Or High Priest" and "Provoking the Disturbed".

"Blood Oath" is tentatively scheduled for an early summer release in Europe and North America via Nuclear Blast Records.

Death metal butchers ABORTED will embark on their first European headlining tour in May.

Commented the band: "We are proud to announce our first European headline run, which will go from end of May until June 21, ending at France's renowned Hellfest festival. The tour will include several other festivals and the bands we will be sharing the stage with on this run are: THE ACACIA STRAIN (USA) and SALT THE WOUND (USA). The tour has been booked by our new booking agency Avocado Booking and will also take us through Russia for the first time!

"Needless to say, we are damn excited about all this and to see everyone out there on the road once more, make sure you come out and share the bloodshed with us! A new video for 'The Enterrement Of An Idol' has also been finished, shot live by Steven Henry, and edited by Svencho [vocalist Sven de Caluwé] and will be premiered soon! So, stay tuned!"

Holland's FaceCulture recently conducted an interview with Sven de Caluwé. Watch the first part of the chat below.

ABORTED last fall wrapped up a successful U.S. run with CARCASS, SUFFOCATION, 1349 and ROTTEN SOUND.

Released in June 2008 via Century Media Records, ABORTED's latest album, "Strychnine.213", combines the band's undeniable live energy with a powerhouse production from Eric Rachel (THE RED CHORD, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, GOD FORBID) and a "fuck-you, rock-and-roll" approach to the overly edited, sterile sounding death metal records of today, according to a press release. The album's macabre cover artwork was designed by Colin Marks of Rain Song.

OBITUARY guitarist Trevor Peres has told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine that a Floridian death metal package tour is currently being planned for the U.S. later in the year before possibly going global.

"We've been talking about putting a death metal package together with OBITUARY, MORBID ANGEL, DEICIDE and SIX FEET UNDER," Peres revealed.

"Nothing's happened yet," he continued. "But we've been talking about trying to do that. It would be a States thing at first but we could go globally, do a Florida death metal tour in Asia, Europe...anywhere that's interested."

"We've spoken to [CANNIBAL] CORPSE already and even SIX FEET UNDER said they'd do it... it's just a matter of time basically."

Fan-filmed video footage of OBITUARY performing the song "Final Thoughts" at the HMV Forum in London, England on March 9, 2009 can be viewed below (clip uploaded by Dave Ingham a.k.a. YouTube user "triptykon").

OBITUARY recently completed work on the band's new album for a tentative May/June release via Candlelight Records. Vocalist John Tardy stated, "It came out really sick and I cannot wait for you guys to hear it... it is heavy!!"

The band once again worked with artist Andreas Marschall, who previously created the art for "The End Complete", "Frozen in Time", and the group's last record, "Xecutioner's Return".

Guitarist Ralph Santolla previously said about the new material, "The new stuff is HEAVY, some of my favorite OBI riffs yet. Trevor's [Peres] guitar sounds huge and menacing. If you like OBITUARY, you're gonna love this record."

OBITUARY last year released the "Left To Die" EP via Candlelight Records. The CD contains four songs: two new originals, a new 2008 studio recording of "Slowly We Rot", and a cover of "Dethroned Emperior" by CELTIC FROST. The EP also includes the band's popular "Evil Ways" video.

"Xecutioner's Return" was released in the summer of 2007 via Candlelight Records. The CD was mixed at RedRoom Recorders and was mastered at Morrisound Studios in Tampa.

SEPULTURA, PARADISE LOST, ARCHITECTS, MARYA ROXX, KIUAS, IMICUS and POWER QUEST have been confirmed for the Hammerfest 2009 festival, set to take place April 24-25 at at Pontins, Prestatyn Sands, North Wales. The festival will feature 50 metal acts in total.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

ALESTORM
ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY
ARCHITECTS
ARGENT DAWN
ATTICA RAGE
AVARUS
BLEED FROM WITHIN
BLOOD ISLAND RAIDERS
CATHEDRAL
DREAM EVIL
EVILE
EXIT TEN
FIREBRAND SUPER ROCK
GAMA BOMB
GRAND MAGUS
HAMMERFALL
HOLLOW EARTH THEORY
IMICUS
KIUAS
LETHARGY
MANY THINGS UNTOLD
MARYA ROXX
MENCEA
MUTANT
NEX
OPEN THE SKIES
OPETH
PARADISE LOST
POWER QUEST
SABBAT
SACRED MOTHER TONGUE
SAXON
SEPULTURA
SKINDRED
SWORN AMONGST
SYLOSIS
TESSERACT
THE DEAD LAY WAITING
THE MIRIMAR DISASTER
THE MORNING AFTER
THIRTEENTH SIGN
TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED
TÝR
VOODOO SIX
WARPATH
WAYLANDER
WITH CHAOS IN HER WAKE
WOLF

For more information, visit www.hammerfest.co.uk.

Seattle-based metallers NEVERMORE will perform at the Theatre Club in Tel Aviv, Israel on July 28.

NEVERMORE's "The Year Of The Voyager" DVD last year entered the German DVD chart at position No. 82.

"The Year Of The Voyager" was released in North America on November 25, 2008 via Century Media. The set covers the "This Godless Endeavor" touring cycle, starting with amazing live footage from the U.S. Gigantour 2005, the Metal Mania festival 2006 in Poland, the Wacken Open Air festival in 2006 in Germany and the main DVD show recorded at the Zeche in Bochum, Germany on October 11, 2006. Bonus material includes two songs from Century Media USA 10th Anniversary Party 2001, all promo videos and an interview with singer Warrel Dane which was recorded at the Roax Film Studios in Berlin in the spring of 2008.

"The Year Of The Voyager" was released as a limited-edition 2DVD+2CD, standard 2DVD, standard 2CD and limited 3LP (the latter two containing the audio from the main show in Bochum only).

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen and POISON singer Bret Michaels recently sat down with CNN's Denise Quan to discuss the two bands' upcoming joint North American tour, also featuring special guest CHEAP TRICK. Watch the interview below.

The tour, which kicks off on June 23 in Camden, N.J, promises an unprecedented night for those in attendance. The show will highlight three decades of music from three of rock 'n' roll's greatest bands for a four-hour interactive concert experience that will begin the moment that the doors open. It will feature Bluetooth technology and delivery, text communications prior to and during performances and a host of interactive offerings.

"I'm very pleased that we are coming back to North America," said DEF LEPPARD frontman Joe Elliott. "We're gonna be touring with some new friends and some old friends and can guarantee it will be the rock tour of the summer."

"There is nothing better than an epic summer concert and this tour is a dream come true for rock 'n' roll fans. It will be a night of a thousand hits with three hard-charging rock bands on the road together," said Bret Michaels.

"We'll probably start rehearsing at the end of May and do a Monday to Friday thing. We like to have those be as civilized as we possibly can," Elliott told Billboard.com. "There's no point in leading up to the first gig and having no voice or your fingers bleeding."

"We're going out with three bands, which limits the amount of time we can play to about 90 minutes," he added. "When you do your greatest hits and some new material or extra stuff you might throw in, you have got to push and shove and clamp down. No big long speeches from moi. You have to do the AC/DC thing and just bang through everything."