ABIGAIL WILLIAMS has been forced to drop off the "Conquered & Cursed Tour" due to "sickness within the band," according to a press release. The nine-week trek has seen the group travelling the country — alongside GOATWHORE, DAATH, ABYSMAL DAWN and SUCCESS WILL WRITE APOCALYPSE ACROSS THE SKY — and battling the flu the entire way. Several members have had to visit emergency rooms in the past week and are under doctor supervision to regain their strength.

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS will resume touring in September when they hook up with GOD DETHRONED for another run of U.S. dates prior to taking a break from the road.

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS' full-length debut, titled "In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns", was released in October 2008 via Candlelight Records. The CD was produced by James Murphy and features contributions from Trym Torson (EMPEROR, ZYKLON).

A six-minute interview with IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain conducted at the Sonisphere festival, which was held on August 1-2, 2009 at the legendary Knebworth Park, United Kingdom, can be viewed below.

IRON MAIDEN's award-winning film "Flight 666" was screened in over 500 digital cinemas in 42 countries worldwide in April. The subsequent release of "Flight 666" on DVD secured another global triumph for the band by flying into the music DVD charts at No. 1 in 22 countries, including the U.S. and U.K.

The countries in the five continents where "Flight 666" flew in at No.1 were Australia, Arabia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil (international chart), Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan (international chart), Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, U.K. and the U.S. Elsewhere in the world it entered at No. 2 in Spain and Portugal, and at No. 3 in France and Hungary, and No. 4 in Holland.

"Iron Maiden: Flight 666" follows the IRON MAIDEN bandmembers on the first leg of their "Somewhere Back In Time World Tour" in February and March of 2008.

For "Iron Maiden: Flight 666", IRON MAIDEN was accompanied everywhere by award-winning documentary makers Banger Productions from Toronto in Canada, who have received international critical acclaim for their previous movies "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" and recently "Global Metal". Producer/presenter Sam Dunn and his team bring an intimate, behind-the-scenes view of this remarkable journey, with a close look at the logistics involved and following Team Maiden in the cockpit, on the plane and on and offstage, getting to the heart of this global adventure of a band that has very rarely even let cameras backstage before.

Shot in high definition and with superb 5.1 surround sound, mixed by the band's producer Kevin "Caveman" Shirley, "Flight 666" brings to the screen all the drama, excitement and hysteria that followed the band around the world every time Ed Force One (the band's plane) touched down in a new country. The film documents the intensity of the punishing show schedules, the struggle with the time zones, the pressures of ensuring that every performance matched the energy of the many thousands of ecstatic and expectant fans from many cultural backgrounds, unusual angles from the spectacular shows... and, of course, the fun had on the way!

IRON MAIDEN is currently taking time off before getting together later in the year to start work on a new album, planned for release in 2010.

Gary Graff of Billboard.com reports that Meat Loaf, YES singer Jon Anderson and former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley will be the headline "counselors" at this year's Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp, which will take place November 17-22 in Hollywood. A shorter and less expensive session will also be held November 12-15.

"Meat Loaf has been to baseball fantasy camps before," Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp founder David Fishof tells Billboard.com, "so I wrote a letter to his manager to invite him to ours. He's a fun guy. You have to have a certain kind of personality, and Meat Loaf is that personality. He's a character. He is what Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp is about; he's the kind of guy you want to hang with and talk music with and talk career and jam with."

Read the entire article from Billboard.com.

Santa Barbara, California's DEVILDRIVER has posted the second webisode (see below) from the second annual Thrash And Burn Tour, which is set to run through August 30. DEVILDRIVER is headlining the trek, which features support from EMMURE, DESPISED ICON, MY CHILDREN MY BRIDE, VEIL OF MAYA, FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS, OCEANO, PERIPHERY and THY WILL BE DONE.

"Pray For Villains", the fourth full-length album from DEVILDRIVER, sold around 14,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

DEVILDRIVER's previous album, 2007's "The Last Kind Words", shifted a little more than 14,000 copies during its first week of release to debut at No. 48 — around 40 percent more than the opening-week number of 2005's "The Fury of Our Maker's Hand", which premiered at No. 177 with sales of 10,400.

"Pray For Villains" was released on July 14 via Roadrunner Records. The effort — which was also made available as a special-edition CD/DVD package featuring three bonus tracks, a behind-the-scenes DVD and expanded artwork — was recorded at Edge of the Earth studios in Los Angeles with producer Logan Mader (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, GOJIRA, DIVINE HERESY).

HardTimes.ca conducted an interview with reactivated Long Island, New York hardcore/metallers VISION OF DISORDER when the band played in Clifton Park, New York on August 7, 2009 as part of the 10 for $10 Tour. Watch the 20-minute chat below.

VISION OF DISORDER is currently crafting material for the band's long-awaited comeback album, which is tentatively due sometime next year via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

"We're just writing now, and things are going pretty good," frontman Tim Williams told Noisecreep. "We're staying busy. We're not rushing too much, and we've got like nine or 10 songs/ideas going for the new record."

Williams says the songs they've finished so far "sound very V.O.D., kind of old 'Imprint'-y type songs, but with a new, good energy to them. Raw. Good stuff. There's elements of V.O.D.-style hardcore in a couple of songs, which is exciting to see again."

Regarding VISION OF DISORDER's possible new label home, Williams said, "We're not ready. We're about to record a real proper demo. We had recorded a demo earlier, and we gave that to a couple of people. Maybe one or two. The next demo will go out to labels, but we are not going to sign to a big label. We're not signing any lengthy fucking deals with anybody. We want to sign for one record, and we want to own a significant percentage of the record, and whoever's going to field that kind of deal is who we're going to go with.

"V.O.D. doesn't need a label to break us or any bullshit like that," he continued. "We've already done the hard work during the '90s of getting the V.O.D. name out there, so we don't really need a traditional record deal from anybody. We'll probably end up signing with a strong indie label. We're holding all the cards, and when we're ready, we'll know."

VISION OF DISORDER has sold over 200,000 records worldwide, has toured extensively throughout the world and has recorded five albums. The band has headlined and played alongside many renowned acts, such as BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SLAYER, BECK, KORN, PANTERA, SEPULTURA, HATEBREED, etc.

VISION OF DISORDER's "Dead In New York" DVD, which showcases the band's frenetic live shows as well as backstage footage, came out on November 11, 2008. Filmed by Bill Yukich, the DVD includes shows from Long Island and Worcester, Massachusetts in 2006. Yukich was granted full access to the band, both on stage and off stage, capturing behind the scenes moments that encapsulate a historic part of the hardcore scene. V.O.D. dug deep into their personal archives to provide rarely seen and sometimes never-before-seen footage dating back to 1994.

Legendary California metallers ARMORED SAINT will enter the studio on October 3, 2009 to begin recording their new full-length album for an early 2010 release via Metal Blade Records.

A demo version of the new ARMORED SAINT song "Loose Cannon" is available for download as a ZIP file at this location. It can also be streamed below. Other songtitles set to appear on the forthcoming CD include "Chilled", "La Raza" and "Black Feet".

To celebrate ARMORED SAINT's recent first-ever tour of Australia, Riot! Entertainment, in conjunction with Metal Blade Records, produced an exclusive tour best-of compilation to combat the lack of ARMORED SAINT product on the market. This killer compilation covers the band's entire career and features such classic tracks as "March of the Saint", "Last Train Home", "Symbol of Salvation", "Hanging Judge". etc.

"2009 Australian Tour Compilation" track listing:

01. March Of The Saint (2001 version)
02. Reign of Fire
03. Last Train Home
04. Tribal Dance
05. Symbol Of Salvation
06. Hanging Judge
07. The Pillar
08. After Me, The Flood
09. Nervous Man (live)
10. Chemical Euphoria (live)
11. Lone Before I Die (live)
12. Can U Deliver (live)
13. Madhouse (live)

The CD is now available to international buyers by clicking here. For wholesale enquiries, contact John Howarth at john@riotact.com.au.

The band's current lineup is the same as the one on 2000's "Revelation" and 1992's "Symbol of Salvation" LPs:

John Bush (vocals)
Jeff Duncan (guitar)
Phil Sandoval (guitar)
Joey Vera (bass)
Gonzo (drums)

Vocalist John Bush was forced to sit out the final concert on ARMORED SAINT's Australian tour with DEATH ANGEL (on March 15 at The Capitol in Perth) after being taken ill. The rest of the band went ahead and played the show, with bassist Joey Vera and guitarist Phil Sandoval sharing vocal duties.

Demo version of new ARMORED SAINT song "Loose Cannon":

FEJD, the Swedish folk rock/metal band featuring members of NOSTRADAMEUS and PATHOS, has issued the following update:

"The FEJD plan is to start the recordings of our second full-length album around November or December 2009. We already have most of the songs written and are very excited to enter the studio once again, this time knowing that we have a label who supports us and that we will be able to get our music out to our fans. We are also talking about recording the old 'demo' tracks again as we know lots of people wants them and we play many of the old ones live. This will, in that case, be totally new recordings with some different arrangements on some of them. We don't want to put the old recordings on a CD and just release them as they are because we want the owners of the 'demos' to feel that what they bought is something special and rare.

"We'll come back with more information about the recordings as we get closer to our goal."

FEJD released its full-length debut, "Storm", in March via Napalm Records.

FEJD formed in 2001 through a fusion of the folk music duo RIMMERFORS (featuring brothers Patrik Rimmerfors and Niklas Rimmerfors) and a couple of members from the metal band PATHOS. Rimmerfors played folk music with medieval undertones, performing on contemporary instruments, and together with their childhood friends of PATHOS, the transformed into a refined band with the best of both worlds — the weight of heavy metal in symbiosis with the typical melodic language and sadness of the Nordic folk music.

The brothers' interest in Swedish medieval folk music started back in 1995, commenced by music studying and the feeling of wanting to explore new musical ground and try something new. The brothers' musical background, as well as their bandmates, has its roots in heavy metal music. Inspiration is also drawn from like-minded bands such as GARMARNA and HEDNINGARNA.

Video footage of FEJD performing at this year's Wacken Open Air festival on July 29, 2009 in Wacken, Germany can be viewed below.

HardTimes.ca conducted an interview with SERPENTCULT when the band played in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on August 5, 2009. Watch the 25-minute chat below.

SERPENTCULT is the Belgian band featuring former members of THEE PLAGUE OF GENTLEMEN and WELKIN. The group's full-length debut, "Weight of Light", came out will in North America on January 27, 2009 via Rise Above Records.

A four-piece from Ghent, Oost-Vlaanderen, SERPENTCULT delivers punishing, down tuned music that transcends the standard doom fare into a maze of monolithic, molten metal. SERPENTCULT's massive sound, a self-described "neck-breaking, down tuned riffing apocalypse," has drawn parallels to CELTIC FROST, CATHEDRAL and ELECTRIC WIZARD and met with much critical acclaim within the underground metal community since the band's formation in 2006.

Recorded at Priory Studios in Birmingham, England with producer Greg Chandler (of UK doom act ESOTERIC) and mixed by Billy Anderson (SLEEP, NEUROSIS, MELVINS) at his Oakland home studios, "Weight of Light" is a dark, thundering storm of sound. SERPENTCULT's unorthodox, gnarled guitar work and Cliff Burton-inspired wah-wah bass flow throughout the album like a never-ending stream of lead weight ploughing its way across sodden landscapes to create elephantine grooves that back the "air raid siren vocals" of Michelle Nocon (which have inspired comparisons to Geddy Lee, Messiah Marcolin and Bruce Dickinson). The combination of savage material and the heavyweight pedigree of the production team has resulted in the creation of one the absolute heaviest metal albums you are likely to hear.

EMG TV conducted an interview with Knoxville, Tennessee death metallers WHITECHAPEL on July 10, 2009 at the Mountain View, California stop of this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Watch the two-minute chat below.

WHITECHAPEL's latest album, "This Is Exile", was released in July 2008 through Metal Blade Records. The CD was tracked by Jonny Fay (ex-guitarist of THE RED CHORD) of Backyard Studios in New Hampshire and was mixed by Zeuss, who has produced ION DISSONANCE, EMMURE, BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED, SHADOWS FALL and HATEBREED, among others. The cover artwork was handled by Colin Marks, who has previously worked with ABORTED, THE END, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and THE RED DEATH). "He [did] a phenomenal job and we are extremely pleased with the outcome of his work," the band previously stated. "He has done a wonderful job of portraying the concept of the record through his artwork."

WHITECHAPEL's debut album, "The Somatic Defilement", was released in 2007 via Candlelight Records.

David "Gus" Griesinger of BackstageAxxess.com conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo on August 1, 2009 at the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania stop of this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Watch the chat in two parts below.

SLAYER recently made another track from its upcoming album, "World Painted Blood", available for streaming at Hot Topic's ShockHound.com web site. The limited-edition single, a Kerry King composition, is titled "Hate Worldwide", and is available exclusively as a CD-single at Hot Topic stores.

"It's a really cool track, and Tom's voice sounds incredible on it," said King. "The last line in the song's chorus is '..spread a little hate worldwide,' and that's what we've been doing for 25 years."

"World Painted Blood" was recorded in Los Angeles over two time periods, during October 2008 and then between late January and March 2009. The CD was produced by Greg Fidelman, who's spent time in the studio with METALLICA, THE GOSSIP, THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY, SLIPKNOT and others, and executive-produced by longtime SLAYER colleague Rick Rubin, who suggested Fidelman for the project.

SLAYER — Araya, guitarists King and Jeff Hanneman, and Lombardo — is currently co-headlining the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival with MARILYN MANSON, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, among others.

Part 1:



Part 2:

EMG TV conducted an interview with Florida death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE on July 10, 2009 at the Mountain View, California stop of this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Watch the two-minute chat below.

CANNIBAL CORPSE has just released its entire discography in one digital package on iTunes. A Metal Blade Records press release states: "We know a lot of you probably have either worn out your copies of 'The Bleeding' or you just might need to fill out your collection. Plus, CANNIBAL CORPSE has always been a band that plays songs from their entire catalogue while on tour so here's your chance to learn the rest of the songs you might not know! Head over to iTunes to grab this digital bundle for an incredibly low price. In total, you'll receive 16 albums and 196 songs."

Albums include:

"Eaten Back To Life" (12 tracks)
"Butchered At Birth" (10 tracks)
"Tomb Of The Mutilated" (10 tracks)
"Hammer Smashed Face" (3 tracks)
"The Bleeding" (11 tracks)
"Vile" (11 tracks)
"Gallery Of Suicide" (14 tracks)
"Bloodthirst" (11 tracks)
"Live Cannibalism" (18 tracks)
"Gore Obsessed" (11 tracks)
"Worm Infested" (6 tracks)
"The Wretched Spawn" (13 tracks)
"Kill" (13 tracks)
"Evisceration Plague" (12 tracks)
Bonus Demo Tracks (18 tracks)
Bonus Live Tracks (23 tracks)

Purchase on iTunes here.

As previously reported, CANNIBAL CORPSE issued a limited-edition 96-page comic book exclusively at the Hot Topic booth on this 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.

CANNIBAL CORPSE will embark on the European Plague Tour in the fall. Direct support will come from DYING FETUS. On the mainland, the package will be completed by EVOCATION and OBSCURA, while TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED and ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY will support the bands in the U.K.

OPERA DIABOLICUS, the Swedish doom rock-opera project featuring appearances by Snowy Shaw (THERION, NOTRE DAME, KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI), Mats Levén (KRUX, THERION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and Niklas Isfeldt (DREAM EVIL), has uploaded the complete song "Blood Countess Bathory" from the band's as-yet-unreleased debut album, titled "†1614". The track itself is one of several cuts that are included in the concept portion of the LP (five out of eight songs make up this part of the CD), a concept dealing with the life and death of the late Hungarian countess Elisabeth Báthory.

In addition to this appetizer from the Báthory saga, two standalone songs from the forthcoming album are also available for streaming: "Stone by Stone" and "Forbidden".

Currently unsigned, OPERA DIABOLICUS is the brainchild of composer/musician David Grimoire and lyricist Adrian de Crow. The idea sprung to life when the two of them met randomly at a stage play of Umberto Eco's book "The Name of the Rose" at a theatre in Gothenburg in 2006. Both of them were very intrigued by the story and they ended up talking about how interesting it would be to make a theatrical and dark metal musical based on that kind of a story. The conversation between them that took place in Gothenburg that bleak December night planted the seed that soon should grow to be the concept of OPERA DIABOLICUS — the concept of combining the dark elements of music and theatre in alliance with musical excellence.

According to the project official bio, OPERA DIABOLICUS' music "could be described as dramatic and dark doom metal with atmospheric, epic and progressive elements. If you're into bands like CANDLEMASS, KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI, THERION, NOTRE DAME, DIMMU BORGIR and KAMELOT this is definitely the band for you to keep your eye on."

"†1614" is being produced and mixed by Andy LaRocque (KING DIAMOND) at his Sonic Train Studio in Varberg, Sweden.

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

Former MANOWAR guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman will take part in a signing session and meet-and-greet on Friday, August 21 at Duff's Brooklyn in Williamsburg, New York beginning at 10:00 p.m.

The address is:

Duff's Brooklyn
168 Marcy Avenue (between S 5th & Broadway)
Williamsburg, New York

**Note: This is a 21-and-over event.

For more information, visit www.duffsbrooklyn.com.

As previously reported, Friedman will be interviewed on this Sunday's (August 16) edition of the "Heavy Metal Mayhem" show on Blogtalkradio.com at 6:00 p.m. EST.

For more information and to listen to the program live via the Internet, go to this location.

Ross was presented with a commemorative plaque for his 35-year career in music by Nikos Athineos, a rock DJ and presenter on the "Stargazer" metal radio show, one of the longest-running metal radio programs in the world. The award presentation was held on stage at the Notos Club in Chania, Crete on Friday, May 8 at the conclusion of Ross' headlining performance at the venue.

"New Metal Leader" was released in August 2008 via AFM Records. According to a press release, Ross "continues his legacy with a true metal album that doesn't deny his past and displays his charismatic style of creating great music. Imagine a basket of first-class, stomping, ground shaking epic heavy metal in the style of 'Battle Hymns', 'Into Glory Ride', 'Hail To England' and 'Sign Of The Hammer' — this is exactly what you get here. . . Tracks like 'Blood Of Knives', 'God Of Dying' and 'I Got The Right' would have been highlights even on MANOWAR's glorious releases from 1982-1988. The battle shouts of 'We Will Kill' haunt you to the day you die, the thrilling up-tempo smasher 'Death & Glory' and a goodtime-rocker like 'May The Gods Be With You' then round off the whole spectrum of ROSS THE BOSS. Add to this the majestic epic tracks 'God Of Dying' and 'Immortal Son' (both in the tradition of eternal hymns like 'Bridge Of Death' and 'Guyana (Cult Of The Damned)', every fan of the early MANOWAR must be crying out in joy!"

"New Metal Leader" was made available in the following formats: standard CD, limited digipack CD and limited two-LP gatefold vinyl. The limited digipack and the gatefold vinyl contain two bonus tracks.

Melanie Lockhart of Washington's PTLeader.com reports: Ever since his teenage years, Parker Lundgren has dreamed of taking music to a professional level. But even in his wildest dreams, he never imagined that he'd eventually play guitar in front of 70,000 screaming metal fans.

The 22-year-old Port Townsend High School graduate has been touring as a guitar player for QUEENSRŸCHE — a multi-platinum Seattle-based progressive metal band — during the 2009 tour of the group's most recent album: "American Soldier".

He's getting used to crowds of 3,000. But when he stepped out in front of 20,000 fans in France and again at Gods of Metal — Italy's largest metal music festival — in front of 70,000 who braved the pouring rain, the feeling was a new one entirely.

He's also had the chance to play beside some of his favorite bands, including MÖTLEY CRÜE and MOTÖRHEAD.

"It was kind of surreal to be hanging out with a lot of my idols that I grew up listening to," Parker told PTLeader.com.

Read the entire article from PTLeader.com.

Parker Lundgren with his father, Scott Lundgren (photo by Erin Lundgren)

U.K.'s Absolute Radio conducted an interview with vocalist Chester Bennington of LINKIN PARK after the band's performance at the Sonisphere festival, which was held on August 1-2, 2009 at the legendary Knebworth Park, United Kingdom. Watch the 10-minute chat below.

LINKIN PARK's "New Divide" clip debuted to record numbers, becoming the No. 1 music video debut so far this year on the MySpace Music site. The eye-popping clip, directed by LINKIN PARK's Joe Hahn, drew a staggering 1.8 million viewers in its first four days, illustrating the dominance of video consumption on MySpace Music. "New Divide" was also the No. 1 video on MySpace for several days after its launch.

Shot on a soundstage at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, the "New Divide" video features key visual elements from the film "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", which opened in theaters June 24.

"New Divide", which LINKIN PARK specifically wrote and recorded for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", is the band's eighth No. 1 at Alternative Radio. It's also the third song ever to debut simultaneously in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100 and Alternative Charts (the other two were COLDPLAY's "Speed of Sound" and LINKIN PARK's own "What I've Done"). In addition to being LINKIN PARK's highest-debuting song ever on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, "New Divide" was the highest-debuting song on Billboard's Alternative Chart in over a year. LINKIN PARK is now one of only five artists in the 20-year history of the Alternative Chart to have three songs debut in the Top 10. The other four bands to accomplish this feat are U2, REM, PEARL JAM and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.

"New Divide" also appears on the Reprise Records soundtrack "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: The Album", which arrived in stores on June 23.

The cover artwork for "Cosmic Egg", the forthcoming second album from the Australian retro-rock combo WOLFMOTHER, can be viewed below.

The group's first album since the departure of drummer Myles Heskett and bassist/keyboardist Chris Ross, "Cosmic Egg" was recorded in Los Angeles with heralded U.K. producer Alan Moulder.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. California Queen
02. New Moon Rising
03. White Feather
04. Sundial
05. In The Morning
06. 10,000 Feet
07. Cosmic Egg
08. Far Away
09. Pilgrim
10. In The Castle
11. Phoenix
12. Violence Of The Sun

"Cosmic Egg" will be released on the following dates:

Japan: October 8
Australia, Germany, and New Zealand: October 9
Europe: October 12
USA: October 13

The album's first single, "New Moon Rising", will see its worldwide debut this Friday morning (August 14) between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on Triple J's "Breakfast Show" in Australia.

WOLFMOTHER will embark on the "New Moon Rising Tour" of Australia in September. Support on the trek will come from fresh-faced Brisbane rockers YVES KLEIN BLUE and recent Australian Music Prize winner, Sydney troubadour JACK LADDER.

WOLFMOTHER guitarist/frontman Andrew Stockdale recently spoke to MTV News about "Cosmic Egg", whicih showcases the added punch of three new musicians (rhythm guitarist Aidan Nemeth, bassist/keyboardist Ian Peres and drummer Dave Atkins).

"I used to think musicians were like monks ... and music was like a religious path, because it tests you. It tests your ego, your jealousies, your competitiveness — all those things. How it's going to consume you. If you can keep writing songs. It tests you in so many ways," Stockdale told MTV News. "I decided to answer those challenges, for one, because I can't help myself, but also, because I'm the WOLFMOTHER guy all the time. I'm the dude from WOLFMOTHER. It confronts me all the time. I didn't want to justify myself to the press, or explain what happened, or what didn't happen, or who said what, or why. ... I didn't want to get involved in all that. So I thought the best thing to do was just make music and let that speak for itself."

He continued, "For a while, I was thinking of not going forward as WOLFMOTHER ... but then, eventually, I decided just to do it. It's a bizarre situation, because you're making new music, but you're also connected to the first record, and the new people are replacing people. It's not a new band with a fresh slate. But once we got started making this record, I thought, 'It's more of a challenge to continue as WOLFMOTHER,' because there is a first record, there is something to compare it to ... and that makes you push yourself."

WOLFMOTHER will support AC/DC on their upcoming tour of Australia.

WOLFMOTHER's 2006 debut sold more than 500,000 copies in the U.S. and featured the Grammy-winning single "Woman".

Stephanie Stevens of The Daily Rock recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Matt Heafy of Florida metallers TRIVIUM. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Daily Rock: So I heard that you have stuff written for a new album?

Heafy: Yeah, we have some stuff — not as a whole band, but each individual guy has maybe ten to twenty songs. I have done about fifteen, but I have gotten rid of all but six because I kept the good ones as I kept going on, the newer songs I was writing were stronger and better so I got rid of the ones that weren't as good. Paolo [Gregoletto, bass] has a bunch of songs, like twenty or so, but he keeps cutting back as well. Everyone keeps writing as many as they can, but then cutting back the weak ones and not worrying about trying to make them better songs.

The Daily Rock: Have you always done that — write as many as you can then cut back?

Heafy: No, before we used to set a certain amount. I remember before we did "Shogun", we planned out each guy does this to this many amount of songs and we will pick the best at the end and on this one we said let's just go for it. The way people think about songs these days, I don't know if everyone does, but songwriting is just like an instrument, the more songs you write the better you will get and the better the songs will get.

The Daily Rock: I know on "Shogun" you put in a personal touch with your Japanese background. Did that change your way of songwriting going so personal into songs?

Heafy: I've done it before, but "Shogun" only had a little bit, maybe two of the songs referenced it as in the record title obviously. It's definitely something I learnt more about myself and heritage and where I came from thanks to being in this band. I was born in Japan and moved away at one and didn't see my family until our first Japanese tour when we opened up for ARCH ENEMY in 2004/2005. So, I got to meet them then and thanks to the band I get to go back once a year and learn more every single time and more about the culture and people there, so it's definitely thanks to the band. I think subconsciously I want to have that in there and pay homage for giving me knowledge of where I come from.

The Daily Rock: Have you continued with what you learn from your culture? Are you putting that into the new record as well?

Heafy: We have all loose ideas right now. Musically, it is getting closer to finishing a more realized idea but lyrically and generally, with the entire record not being written and purely in the developmental stages, we are thinking of it as something that we want to be recognized by any kind of fan, whether you like metal or not, whether you speak English or not, 'cause we are definitely a band that travels internationally around. I have done a style of words that is almost hard to interpret even if you speak English, so I'm not saying we are dumbing ourselves down, but I want it to be universally translatable no matter where we are. I don't know how to make that happen, but we definitely want it to sound like TRIVIUM but with the best possible songs. We always try to keep true to what our heart is as a band but we want to diversify, and not diversify for the sake of ourselves, but to find where we are going as a band. Nowadays, we know more of what is right for our sound. If we look across all four records, we know what kind of parts should be there for the next thing and what shouldn't be there.

The Daily Rock: No new music until 2010?

Heafy: Yeah, we will start getting into the studio by April 2010. We finish up this tour [Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival] in about two weeks and then four weeks off and then two back to back headlining tours. First one is WHITECHAPEL, DARKEST HOUR, DIRGE WITHIN and us and then the next one will be CHIMAIRA, WHITECHAPEL, DIRGE WITHIN and us. So it's like a 63-date tour throughout North America. We have a mark off in Australia and maybe Southeast Asia and other parts of Asia, Australia, U.K., Europe and then time for next record.

Read the entire interview from The Daily Rock.

Former and current members of GUNS N' ROSES, VAN HALEN, AEROSMITH,KISS, SKID ROW, TESTAMENT, ZZ TOP and BLACKFOOT have paid tribute to music icon Les Paul, just hours after news broke that the electric-guitar pioneer had died at age 94 of complications from pneumonia.

Ace Frehley (KISS): "The music industry has lost a giant! I'm very saddened by the news of Les Paul's passing. I was lucky enough to have known Les as a friend, and admired him as a musician and innovator. He forever changed the way we listen to music."

Slash (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER): "Les Paul was a shining example of how full one's life can be. He was so vibrant and full of positive energy. I'm honored and humbled to have known and played with him over the years. He was an exceptionally brilliant man."

Joe Satriani (CHICKENFOOT): "Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed. He was the original guitar hero and the kindest of souls. Last October, I joined him onstage at the Iridium club in New York City, and he was still shredding. He was, and still is, an inspiration to us all."

Steve Vai: "What a wonderfully historical figure he was. A genius innovator. I feel so fortunate to have performed with him twice. He was charming, funny and loved the instrument with a deep passion. Most people do not understand the tremendous contribution he made to the electric guitar and contemporary recording techniques. If it was not for Les Paul, we may all be playing acoustic guitars and recording in mono."

John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON): "Les Paul gave me one of the best days of my life when I got to play with him at his club in New York City. He was the one that told me to go solo and make guitar records. This is a great loss. My thoughts go out to his family and to everybody who was touched and influenced by him."

Joe Perry (AEROSMITH): "As a guitarist and a fan of music in general, I know the amazing contributions Les Paul made in his lifetime to the art of making music. He was a true genius. The few times that I had met him, he made me feel like I had known him forever. He was always sharp, ready to rock and he was always talking about his next gig. Knowing that he is not walking the earth anymore is sad and I have lost a friend. But every time I pick up a guitar, I'll know that his spirit is alive and well right next to me."

Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN): "Les Paul was a pioneer, an innovator and a dear friend. I am deeply saddened at the news of his passing. It was truly an honor to have known him and sit around with him talking guitars. I am especially glad that he, my son Wolfgang and I had a chance to spend some quality time together in the past few years. I will miss him dearly."

Richie Sambora (BON JOVI): "Les lived a very long life and he got to a lot of his goals, so I'm happy for him in that respect. At least he realized that he was a legend in his own time while he was alive. He was revolutionary in the music business."

Paul Stanley (KISS): "The name Les Paul is iconic and is known by aspiring and virtuoso guitar players worldwide. That guitar is the cornerstone of a lot of great music that has been made in the last 50 years."

Billy Gibbons (ZZ TOP): "Les Paul brought six strings to electricity and electricity to six strings. Les Paul was an innovator, a groundbreaker, a risk taker, a mentor and a friend. Try to imagine what we'd be doing if he hadn't come along and changed the world. There will always be more Les to come. That's certified."

Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE): "RIP, Les Paul — thank you for the instruments that changed the course of music. If you have ever 'rocked' or 'been rocked,' you can thank Les Paul."

Brian "Head" Welch (KORN): "I played a Les Paul when I was first learning how to play guitar and the sound always stayed with me. I'm sure because of that particular sound, Les Paul became a pioneer in the music industry. Some of rock's most influential licks were born on his instruments. He'll always be remembered."

Rickey Medlocke (BLACKFOOT, LYNYRD SKYNYRD): "I'm so thankful that this guy was such an incredible genius for developing such a great guitar. I am a third-generation Gibson user and I always will be. God bless Les Paul."

Wes Scantlin (PUDDLE OF MUDD): "Les and I have the same birthday. It is an honor to have been born on the same day as such a genius guitarist, innovator and human being."

Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES): "Sad day today; the great Les Paul died. He was 94 years young and invented the Les Paul guitar, the greatest guitar ever made."

Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT): "Les Paul was very rare in the music biz: creative, successful and famous but a great guy right up 'til the end. Thanks for everything, Les."

Billy Morrison (CAMP FREDDY, THE CULT): "Rest in peace, Les Paul. Your artistry and design changed my life, millions of others, and the sound of music as we know it today."

Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW): "RIP, Les Paul. Got to meet you and see you jam with Slash and Mike Monroe. No one could have ever rocked without Les Paul, or a Les Paul."

Pictured below is Les Paul with Ace Frehley.

(Thanks: Fullshred)

FAITH NO MORE, JANE'S ADDICTION, HIM, TRIVIUM, MESHUGGAH, CLUTCH and ANVIL are among the confirmed bands for the 2010 edition of Austrlia's Soundwave Festival, which will kick off on February 20 in Brisbane.

The complete billing for the event is as follows:

FAITH NO MORE
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
JANE'S ADDICTION
AFI
PARAMORE
HIM
ALEXISONFIRE
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
TRIVIUM
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
THE GET UP KIDS
REEL BIG FISH
MESHUGGAH
ALL TIME LOW
A DAY TO REMEMBER
IT DIES TODAY
ESCAPE THE FATE
CLUTCH
ANTI FLAG
ISIS
GALLOWS
A WILHELM SCREAM
THE WEAKERTHANS
EMAROSA
ANVIL
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
COMEBACK KID
THE ALMOST
DANCE GAVIN DANCE
FOUR YEAR STRONG
YOU ME AT SIX
WHITECHAPEL
THE AQUABATS
ROLO TOMASSI
BARONESS
RX BANDITS
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE
THE CREEPSHOW

The dates are as follows:

Feb. 20 - Brisbane, AUS - RNA Showgrounds
Feb. 21 - Sydney, AUS - Eastern Creek Raceway
Feb. 26 - Melbourne, AUS - Melbourne Showgrounds
Feb. 27 - Adelaide, AUS - Bonython Park
Mar. 01 - Perth, AUS - Bassendean Oval

For more information, visit www.soundwavefestival.com.

ALL THAT REMAINS, LACUNA COIL and MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER will join forces for this year's "HardDrive Live" tour, which will kick off on September 22.

Confirmed dates are as follows:

Sep. 22 - Albany, NY - Northern Lights
Sep. 23 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Sep. 25 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
Sep. 26 - Syracuse, NY - The Lost Horizon
Sep. 27 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Zoo
Sep. 29 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
Sep. 30 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Orbit Room
Oct. 01 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Piere's
Oct. 02 - Pontiac, MI - Clutch Cargo's
Oct. 03 - Madison, WI - The Barrymore
Oct. 06 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
Oct. 07 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
Oct. 09 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
Oct. 12 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine
Oct. 13 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theatre
Oct. 14 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
Oct. 16 - Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues
Oct. 17 - Fresno, CA - The Crest
Oct. 18 - San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom
Oct. 20 - Spokane, WA - The Knitting Factory
Oct. 22 - Salt Lake City, UT - Murray Theater
Oct. 23 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore
Oct. 25 - Fargo, ND - The Venue @ Playmakers
Oct. 27 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall
Oct. 28 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Events Centre
Oct. 30 - Winnipeg, MB - Garrick Centre
Oct. 31 - Minneapolis, MN - Epic
Nov. 02 - Little Rock, AR - The Village
Nov. 03 - Knoxville, TN - Valarium
Nov. 05 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
Nov. 06 - Gainesville, FL - The Venue
Nov. 07 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Nov. 08 - Orlando, FL - House Of Blues
Nov. 09 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
Nov. 11 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Heads
Nov. 12 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club
Nov. 13 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
Nov. 14 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theater
Nov. 16 - Montreal, QC - Le Medley
Nov. 17 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy

FROM SWORD TO SUNRISE will also appear on the tour from September 22 through October 9, while TAKING DAWN will open the shows from October 12 through November 17.

WHITESNAKE frontman David Coverdale — who was forced to cancel the remainder of the band's U.S. tour with JUDAS PRIEST after it was discovered that he was suffering from severe vocal fold edema and a left vocal fold vascular lesion — has released the following update:

"I genuinely appreciate your care and concern, but may I assure you all that I am now safely home and doing well. All I need to do is to rest my vocal cords for a couple of weeks. The REALLY difficult thing is for me to shut the F up.

"I am not on any medication... other than room-temperature waters to stay hydrated. I have a list of do's and don't's... and don't even think about it, mate!

"I'll be back to see the exceptionally good specialists in a couple of weeks. Until then, I would appreciate everyone not worrying. Everything will be fine. I'm at my beautiful home, surrounded by all my books... all my big-boy toys that will help keep me busy and distracted while I rest up... Mmm... my steam room... where I'll be spending lots of reflective time... an incredible [Lake] Tahoe summer that I will enjoy to the max, and, of course, my favorite family in the whole wide world.

"Of course, I sincerely regret being unable to complete the Red Rocks show [on August 11 in Denver, Colorado]. That was tough... on such a gorgeous evening and after a being given a heartwarming, inspiring reception. A hard decision to stop and then to be unable to finish the U.S. tour with [JUDAS] PRIEST, but, obviously, it was not to be.

"With hand on heart, I thank JUDAS PRIEST and their fine crew for extraordinary hospitality and camaraderie... and, of course, my fantastic band and crew for their amazing support. Without a doubt, that includes the wonderful responses we received all over the U.S. from you, golden people. Treasured memories.

"Thank you, a thousand times. Now, with respect, let's get on with our lives, my friends."

Fan-filmed video footage of WHITESNAKE's abbreviated, four-song performance Tuesday night (August 11) at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, Colorado can be viewed below (courtesy of "lauraearley").

Prior to exiting the stage, Coverdale told the crowd (see top clip below), "Listen, I sincerely, sincerely apologize. I have no fucking voice left. I have laryngitis. I tried. I can't do it. I'm so sorry. It hurts for me to do this. Honest to god, I wish I could continue, but I'm not able to. I can only express my apologies. Thanks you so much."

WHITESNAKE and JUDAS PRIEST previously toured together in South America during 2005 to great critical and commercial success and maintain a great friendship.

Anna Saurama of Domination TV conducted an interview with vocalist Peter Dolving of Swedish metallers THE HAUNTED at this year's Ilosaarirock festival, which was held on July 17-19, 2009 in Joensuu, the capital of Eastern Finland.

As previously reported, the as-yet-unnamed new band featuring Dolving, Jesper Liveröd (NASUM, BURST) and Scott Reeder (KYUSS) is scheduled to enter the studio in a few weeks with producer Fredrik Reinedahl (OPETH, IN FLAMES, GADGET, BURST) to begin recording its debut album. Several drummers are expected to contribute their services during the sessions, including Peter Asp (ex-MARY BEATS JANE), Dave Witte (MUNICIPAL WASTE) and a couple of friends from Gothenburg, Sweden.

THE HAUNTED is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Versus", which 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 previous LPs, "rEVOLVEr" (2004) and "The Dead Eye" (2006).

Romania's Metalhead TV conducted an interview with BIOHAZARD at this year's Brutal Assault festival, which was held August 6-8, 2009 in Pevnost, Josefov, Czech Republic. Watch the chat at this location.

In a July 14, 2009 interview with More-Metal.com, BIOHAZARD guitarist Bobby Hambel was asked about how the reunion of teh band's original lineup came about and the group's future plans. "The 20th anniversary of BIOHAZARD came up last year, and we decided to get the original band back together and just go out and play some shows — be the old band that we were and go play for the audience that we miss and play the old songs and feel alive again and celebrate 20 years of great BIOHAZARD," he said. "We went all over the world with it. There's no record out — there's no record company or anything; it's just us, four friends, playing. BIOHAZARD's the same old band that it was; it's like nothing's changed [even though] 10 years, 12 years, have gone by. We wanna do a new record. So we're gonna take this experience and just be completely inspired by the crowds that we have been playing to for the last year and a half. It's such a great opportunity to have a second chance, so we're gonna do a new record, man. So 2010 should see a brand new original BIOHAZARD album. . . We're working on music. We're trying to get the live playing out of the way. This is, like, the last leg of the tour. We're doing this here in July and then we have one more show in August — we fly back to Europe to play a big festival in Prague — and then we go home. The only thing we're scheduling right now is to be in the studio and be recording throughout September, October and November, putting together a new record."

When asked for his opinion on the current metal/hardcore scene, Hambel said, "It's great. It's great that there's all these new bands coming out, there's always somebody trying to take it to the next level. We really like the bands that are trying to do their own thing a little bit, that are not afraid to be original. It's really easy to put together a band and sound like everybody else, but it's the people that have the guts to go out and try to be a little bit different and risk failing... Just to be themselves, you have to take a risk — we all do. BIOHAZARD did. In the beginning, people were like, 'What the fuck is this?' The politically correct hardcore people were like, 'You're not hardcore because you do this and you do that,' and the metal people were like, 'You're not metal because you do this and you do that.' And we were like, 'Fuck you and fuck you.' We're doing what the fuck we do and we're doing it with conviction and that makes us hardcore. Instead of being stereotypical hardcore, we're just trying to be our own version. And anytime we see new bands coming out that are trying to do their own thing, it's great. We just love music; we love music. There's a lot of great bands; I could sit here all day and name them. But we're also glad to see a lot of the older bands that we started out with still playing, like SICK OF IT ALL and AGNOSTIC FRONT; it's fucking amazing, and it's such an inspiration to us. And we see, like, HATEBREED and fucking SLIPKNOT and all these others bands that came up kind of after us, but they took it to another level with a whole new style of intensity, which is also inspiring to us. So it's just great that we're still a part of it."

In the fifth installment of Kerrang! magazine's Kerrang! Awards 2009 podcasts, Simon Young is joined by Kerrang! award winners LINKIN PARK, THE WILDHEARTS, ALICE IN CHAINS and METALLICA. Watch the nine-minute clip below.

According to ContactMusic.com, SLIPKNOT walked away with "Best Live Act" and "Best International Band" at the event, which frontman Corey Taylor co-hosted. He branded the double award win "really gratifying" and added, "I can't think of many bands that have worked harder, and it really feels good that people are starting to turn around and really see what we're about and appreciating it for what it is."

METALLICA won "Best Album" for "Death Magnetic", while THE PRODIGY walked away with the "Best Single" honor for "Omen".

Kerrang! editor Paul Brannigan stated: "SLIPKNOT and METALLICA are the two monsters of rock who have been picked out by the Kerrang! readers this time around. They've both had a really good year, No. 1 albums in the States and No. 1 and No. 2 albums over here, sold-out arena tours, headlining major rock festivals in this country... it's not really a surprise that they're up for every single category they're eligible for."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE scooped "Best British Band" for the second year in a row and San Francisco, California band MACHINE HEAD were handed the night's "Inspiration Award" for their contribution to heavy metal.

Reunited grunge rockers ALICE IN CHAINS and reformed LIMP BIZKIT were presented with the night's "Icon Award" and "Hall of Fame" prize, respectively.

Check out pictures from Wire Image.

The full list of Kerrang! Awards 2009 winners:

Best British Newcomer: IN CASE OF FIRE
Best International Newcomer: THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
Best Single: THE PRODIGY - "Omen"
Best Video: MASTODON - "Oblivion"
Classic Songwriter: LINKIN PARK
Spirit Of Independence: THE WILDHEARTS
Icon: ALICE IN CHAINS
Best Album: METALLICA - "Death Magnetic"
Best Live Band: SLIPKNOT
Inspiration: MACHINE HEAD
Hall Of Fame: LIMP BIZKIT
Best British Band: BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
Best International Band: SLIPKNOT

One of the greatest genre-defining hardcore bands of all time, AGNOSTIC FRONT has changed the face of music throughout their 25 year long career. The two records that started it all, "United Blood" and "Victim in Pain", are legendary New York hardcore releases and some of the most sought-after pieces of vinyl for record collectors. Finally, these two releases are coming back to life via Bridge Nine Records.

On November 17, 2009, Bridge Nine will release a CD version with both albums combined, and additionally will re-release "United Blood" on 7" and "Victim in Pain" on 12" LP.

Commented Bridge Nine owner Chris Wrenn, "AGNOSTIC FRONT's debut EP and LP are seminal New York hardcore recordings. To have the opportunity to bring them back to life and make them available again to a new generation of hardcore fans is an incredible honor for Bridge Nine Records. We're excited to do these reissues justice and look forward to helping AGNOSTIC FRONT celebrate the 25 years since the original release of 'Victim In Pain'."

Originally released in 1983, "United Blood" was AGNOSTIC FRONT's first release and was followed shortly thereafter by "Victim In Pain" in 1984. These albums were a blast of pure New York hardcore that confirmed AF's status as leaders of the New York hardcore movement alongside precursors the CRO-MAGS and MURPHY'S LAW. 25 years later, both releases will be made available once again on all formats. Special packaging, vinyl pressings, and more information to come soon.

Fan-filmed video footage of ALICE IN CHAINS performing a brand new song, "Acid Bubble", last night (Wednesday, August 12) at Melkweg in Amsterdam, Holland can be viewed below (clip shot and uploaded by "dopeyspawn").

"Acid Bubble" comes off "Black Gives Way To Blue", the highly anticipated new album from ALICE IN CHAINS, which is scheduled for release on September 29.

"Black Gives Way To Blue" is ALICE IN CHAINS' first new studio release in more than 10 years. The quartet (guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, bassist Mike Inez and guitarist/vocalist William DuVall) recorded the album with producer Nick Raskulinecz (RUSH, FOO FIGHTERS) at Studio 606 in Northridge, CA and Henson Studios in Hollywood.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. All Secrets Known
02. Check My Brain
03. Last Of My Kind
04. Your Decision
05. A Looking In View
06. When The Sun Rose Again
07. Acid Bubble
08. Lessons Learned
09. Take Her Out
10. Private Hell
11. Black Gives Way To Blue

A 30-second audio sample of "Check My Brain" — the first single from "Black Gives Way To Blue" — can be streamed at Amazon.com.

ALICE IN CHAINS has tapped U2 and WHITE STRIPES video director Alex Courtes to shoot a clip for "Check My Brain".

Among the many highlights on "Black Gives Way To Blue" is a special guest performance by Elton John. The two rock legends collaborated on the album's stunning title track, "Black Gives Way To Blue", a heart-stirring tribute to ALICE IN CHAINS' late lead singer Layne Staley.

Fans and members of the press heard "Black Gives Way To Blue" in its entirety at a private listening party in Los Angeles on July 14, followed by a three-song acoustic set by the band in which it debuted two songs from the album live — the title track and "Your Decision".

On August 22, band will join TOOL and LINKIN PARK for the first-ever Epicenter show at the Fairplex in Pomona, CA, to be followed by a headlining tour set to kick off September 4 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.

EVANESCENCE frontwoman Amy Lee has issued the following update:

"There's been a lot of writing going on this summer and I'm starting to get really excited. My good friend Will happens to also be a great producer, writer and programmer (lucky for me!) and we've been slaving away at some pretty interesting stuff lately… I'm not giving anything away just yet.

"Terry [Balsamo, EVANESCENCE guitarist] and I have been working together this week at my place, just like old times, and life is pretty good.

"I have a little surprise for you that I can't spill just yet, but it's coming soon and I can't wait. I will let you know as soon as I'm allowed to!"

Lee released a statement in June in response to media reports surrounding the announcement that the band's former guitarist/songwriter Ben Moody had launched a new project called WE ARE THE FALLEN. Lee wrote at the time, "There's some pretty weird stuff flying around right now and I'd like to clear up some confusion in the press.

"As our fans already know, Ben Moody left EVANESCENCE in 2003. EVANESCENCE came out with a follow-up to 'Fallen' in 2006. It was called 'The Open Door' and it debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts and reached platinum status in just over a month. 'The Open Door' has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.

"We're currently working on new material that I'm extremely excited about. I believe that to make great music you have to give yourself the freedom to evolve. I don't see the point in making the same record twice, so I always want to challenge myself to make something better, stronger, and more interesting than before. That takes time, but it's worth the wait for me. Hopefully, it will be for the fans too.

"Look out for new music next year..."

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

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

OVER THE RAINBOW has announced the following dates:

Sep. 04 - Fratelli - Bucharest, Romania
Sep. 05 - City Square - Kavarna, Bulgaria
Sep. 15 - Palace of Sport - Krasnodar, Russia
Sep. 17 - Palace of Sport Olimp - Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Sep. 19 - Concert Hall Philarmonic - Tyumen, Russia
Sep. 21 - Palace of Culture - Perm, Russia
Sep. 23 - MTL Arena - Samara, Russia
Sep. 25 - Piramida - Kazan, Russia
Sep. 27 - Palace of Sport - Omsk, Russia
Sep. 29 - Ice Palace - Irkutsk, Russia
Oct. 01 - Palace of Sport - Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Oct. 03 - Palace of Sport - Novosibirsk, Russia
Oct. 05 - Concert Hall Russia - Moscow, Russia
Oct. 07 - Yeni Melek G.M. - Istanbul Turkey
Oct. 09 - Forum Palace - Vilnius, Lithuania
Oct. 10 - House of Culture - Helsinki, Finland
Oct. 12 - Tradgarn - Gothenburg, Sweden
Oct. 13 - Kulturbolaget - Malmö, Sweden
Oct. 15 - Retro Music Hall - Prague, Czech Republic
Oct. 17 - Estragon - Bologna, Italy
Oct. 18 - [to be announced] - Thessaloniki, Greece
Oct. 19 - Gagarian - Athens, Greece
Oct. 21 - [to be announced] - Ioninna, Greece
Oct. 23 - Festhalle Durlach - Karlsruhe, Germany
Oct. 24 - De Pul - Uden, Holland
Oct. 25 - Aladin - Bremen, Germany
Oct. 28 - Sala Joy Eslava - Madrid, Spain
Oct. 29 - Razzmatazz II - Barcelona, Spain
Oct. 31 - Rockstar Live - Bilbao, Spain

OVER THE RAINBOW is:

Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW 1980-1984) - Vocals
Bobby Rondinelli (RAINBOW 1980-1983) - Drums
Greg Smith (RAINBOW 1994-1997) - Bass
Jürgen "J.R." Blackmore - Guitar
Paul Morris (RAINBOW 1994-1997) - Keyboards

Paul Morris replaced Tony Carey, the original keyboardist for OVER THE RAINBOW, prior to the band's performance in front of 12,000 fans at the Sweden Rock Festival on June 4, 2009 in Sölvesborg, Sweden.

Like all members of OVER THE RAINBOW (with the exception of guitarist Jürgen "J.R." Blackmore), Paul Morris was also a member of RAINBOW. He recorded and toured with them from 1994 through 1997.

In the '70s, '80s and '90s, RAINBOW released over 20 albums (five gold, four silver), seven Billboard Hot 100 and Mainstream Rock tracks, six Top 75 U.K. songs and at least seven MTV frequently played videos. Since 1998, former members of RAINBOW and their respective management offices were overloaded with requests for RAINBOW to reunite. Rondinelli, Smith and Turner agreed that the only legitimate way to accomplish this was to employ a Blackmore on guitar.

Jürgen Blackmore is a critically acclaimed guitarist in his own right and agreed to join this endeavor after realizing how intense the demand was for a RAINBOW "reunion." OVER THE RAINBOW marks the first time that four members from three different eras of RAINBOW have taken the stage together along with J.R. Blackmore.

Commented Smith: "I am very excited about going back to Russia. The fans there were amazing and I can't wait to play for them again. It's also exciting to bring this show to several cities in Western and Eastern Europe for the first time."

Added Joe Lynn Turner: "The variety of European cities that we are playing on this tour is a strong testament to the fact that the music of RAINBOW is alive, well and in demand by the fans who have never forgotten its contribution to music history. As for returning to Russia, the Russian people and fans have always had a warm place in my musical heart and soul. Debuting OVER THE RAINBOW earlier this year there was electric! We are ready to give the fans more this fall!"

Jürgen Blackmore said: "The Russian fans welcomed me with open arms during the band's debut tour. I felt like the fans were very encouraging. They were obviously so hungry to hear RAINBOW songs performed live again and I was proud to be the one to help deliver the music to them! For this tour, I am especially looking forward to playing in my home country of Germany."

Fan-filmed video footage of OVER THE RAINBOW performing the RAINBOW classic "Street of Dreams" on July 10, 2009 at the Crocodile Rock Cafe in Allentown, Pennsylvania can be viewed below (courtesy of "Trouble9177").

According to ContactMusic.com, Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly has denied she is set to star in her own reality TV show — insisting she has turned down the offer of a behind-the-scenes series several times.

Kelly shot to fame when MTV filmed her famous family's life in Los Angeles while she and brother Jack were in their teens.

The show propelled the entire family — including mother Sharon Osbourne, who is also Ozzy's manager — to fame, and landed them other high-profile roles in the TV and music industries.

According to a report in Britain's The Sun newspaper, Kelly was ready to return to reality TV — by allowing cameras into the London home she shares with fiancé Luke Worrall.

However, Kelly has quashed the reports, insisting the only access-all-areas show she has taken part in recently was a one-off special for MTV's "In 24 Hours" series.

In a post on her Twitter profile, she writes, "Luke and I are not doing a reality show for MTV! We only participated in one episode of there (sic) new series 'In 24 Hours'!!!

"MTV has asked us on several occasions to do a new show for them but we respectfully declined!"

Sonic Excess conducted an interview with vocalist Jamey Jasta of Connecticut hardcore/metal masters HATEBREED on August 10, 2009 in Fort Collins, Colorado. Watch the 17-minute chat at this location.

HATEBREED will release its new self-titled studio album on September 29 via E1 Music (formerly KOCH Records) in North America and Roadrunner in all other territories. According to a press release, the follow-up to 2006's "Supremacy" is shaping up to be one of HATEBREED's "most ferocious albums ever."

The new album was once again produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris at Planet Z studios in Hadley, Massachusetts and marks the return of original guitar player Wayne Lozinak (who recently replaced Sean Martin) alongside core members Chris Beattie (bass), Matt Byrne (drums), Frank "3 Gun" Novinec (guitar) and Jamey Jasta (vocals).

Jasta recently told Noisecreep that HATEBREED's new CD is "definitely hard as hell and there isn't a lot of sludgy doomy stuff from my KINGDOM OF SORROW experience," referring to his side project with CROWBAR's Kirk Windstein. "A couple things may be vocally similar, but it's the upbeat, aggressive approach that we always take. Everyone stepped up their game with the covers record and that challenged us to match the intensity and speed, and to do solos. This will be our first record with guitar solos. We're not known for that. Wayne [Lozniak] is a shredder and that will surprise some people but it's not overdone."

HATEBREED filmed a brand new video from its forthcoming studio album on July 30 at Webster Theatre in Hartford, Connecticut.