NWOBHM heavyweights JAGUAR have scheduled the following dates:

Sep. 25 - Kutten Festival, Hannover, Germany
Sep. 26 - Taken By Force Festival, Vroomshoop, Holland
Oct. 09 - Met Bar, Lenzburg, Switzerland
Sep. 10 - Rock City, Uster, Switzerland

In January 2007, Majestic Rock issued the first in a series of Internet-only archive releases containing a 1982 soundboard recording of JAGUAR performing in Hengelo, Holland. Entitled "Holland '82", the CD was strictly limited to 1,000 copies and featured sleeve notes from JAGUAR guitarist Garry Pepperd. It was only available from the Majestic Rock web site.

JAGUAR's most recent studio album, "Run Ragged", was released in July 2003 through Angel Air Records.

JAGUAR is:

Nathan Cox - Drums
Jamie Manton - Vocals
Simon Patel - Bass
Garry Pepperd - Guitar

For more information, visit www.jaguar-online.com.

Fan-filmed video footage of LAMB OF GOD's September 17, 2009 performance at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana as the support act for METALLICA can be viewed below (courtesy of "dericdesmond"). More clips are available at this location.

GOD FORBID guitarist Doc Coyle is filling in for LAMB OF GOD's Mark Morton on the Richmond, Virginia metal band's current U.S. tour with METALLICA (as well as LOG's headlining "off" dates), which kicked off on September 14 in Nashville and will conclude on November 15 in New York City.

Morton did not perform with LAMB OF GOD at the last six shows of the group's summer European tour as his wife was expecting a baby. UNEARTH six-stringer Buz McGrath stepped in for these dates, which included an appearance at U.K.'s Sonisphere festival.

For a list of the LAMB OF GOD dates with METALLICA, go to this location.

MOTÖRHEAD mainman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister joined METALLICA on stage this past Monday night (September 14) at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee to perform two MOTÖRHEAD classics — "Damage Case" and "Too Late Too Late".

Professionally filmed video footage of Lemmy's appearance — as well as METALLICA's performance of the song "Holier Than Thou" — can be viewed below (courtesy of Metallica.com). Also available is footage from the pre-show meet-and-greet.

METALLICA's setlist was as follows:

01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. Creeping Death
04. Holier Than Thou
05. One
06. Broken, Beat And Scarred
07. Cyanide
08. Sad But True
09. Turn The Page
10. All Nightmare Long
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Battery
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
16. Damage Case (w/ Lemmy Kilmister)
17. Too Late Too Late (w/ Lemmy Kilmister)
18. Seek and Destroy

Read a review of the concert from RollingStone.com.

Taiwanese metallers CHTHONIC have announced the following U.K. dates:

Oct. 31 - London, UK - Garage
Nov. 01 - Oxford, UK - Zodiac
Nov. 02 - Stoke, UK - Sugar Mill
Nov. 03 - Sheffield, UK - Corporation
Nov. 04 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
Nov. 06 - Glasgow, UK - King Tut's

"Mirror of Retribution", the new album from CHTHONIC, was released in the U.S. on September 15 via Spinefarm Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Autoscopy
02. Blooming Blades
03. Hearts Condemned
04. Venom in my Veins
05. The Aroused
06. Sing Linng Temple
07. 1947
08. Forty Nine Theurgy Chains
09. Rise of the Shadows
10. Bloody Waves of Sorrow
11. Spell of Setting Sun
12. Unlimited Taiwan

CHTHONIC (pronounced "Thonic") is:

Freddy Lim - vocals
Doris Yeh - bass
Jesse Liu - guitar
Dani Wang - drums
CJ - piano/synthesizer

CHTHONIC's "49 Theurgy Chains" video can be viewed below.

In a recent interview with Speed Beaver Music, CHTHONIC vocalist Freddy Lim stated about the band's new album title and lyrical theme, "A mirror of retribution is the first thing you will meet when you are in hell, the Taiwanese, Oriental hell. Through the mirror, you see all the bad things you and your relatives have done in your lifetime. Each spirit has to face the mirror of retribution then the ghost king will send him to the specific level of hell that he deserves. In the Oriental hell, there are ten ghost kings in ten courts and there are 18 levels of hell and hundreds of small levels. So it takes millions of years for you to serve your sentence. So the original idea is to show this philosophy of hell. All the Asians, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Vietnam, share the same philosophy.

"No other metal band has tried to do this. It's too big! So the question is how to do it. It not just like Satan and one burning hell. So in Taiwanese temples, there are some mediums there are people who can travel through heaven and hell and find people, find dead relatives and talk with them. So we needed a story, not just the facts. The story should be in Taiwanese history, so where is the crossover point between Taiwan and hell? So we found the point is the 228 incident which happened in 1947.

"It's not just because it's the biggest massacre that happened in Taiwan, but that the last battle happened in front of a very important Taiwanese temple. So it makes sense that someone in the temple who is a medium would try to save his people, save the Taiwanese from the tyrannical KMT army. So he travelled to hell to try to rewrite the book of life and death. So the original idea is to write about the philosophy of hell and then we found the right story to link Taiwan to hell. That's the basic idea of the story.

"The first half of the story is how he went to hell and how level by level he tried to find the book of life and death and tried to rewrite it. But then the ghost kings, wizards and monsters in hell found out that he is not a normal spirit, he's still alive, his spirit just left his body, so they, in the 6th song, all the spirits and ghost and monsters, they came from hell to the temple to try to put some seals on his body and suck his spirit back to his body and not allow him to escape from his body again. Then, he decided to kill himself as the only way to go back to hell. But he failed. The end of the story is that he is locked in front of the mirror of retribution for a billion years as his sentence. I think the most interesting part of this album is that we tried to group the same kinds of hells and put them together in one song. There are the mountain of knives and sword forests, different kind of sharp hells all grouped together."

MAN RAZE, the rock outfit featuring Phil Collen of DEF LEPPARD, Simon Laffy from GIRL and Paul Cook of THE SEX PISTOLS, has been added as the opening act on the final leg of DEF LEPPARD's 2009 tour. Also scheduled to appear is CHEAP TRICK.

So far the following dates have been announced (with more to be added):

Oct. 22 - Reno, NV - Events Center
Oct. 24 - Boise, ID - Idaho Center
Oct. 25 - Spokane, WA - Spokane Arena
Nov. 06 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center

MAN RAZE's debut album, "Surreal", was re-released on June 9 via VH1 Classic Records as a deluxe edition with five previously bonus tracks:

01. You're So Wrong
02. Low (live in Burbank '08)
03. Turn It Up (Deep Dub)
04. Runnin' Me Up (instrumental)
05. Can't Find My Own Way (live acoustic version from Gary Crowley Show)

MAN RAZE released "Surreal" in the U.K. on November 17, 2008 through Surrealist Records. The U.K. version of the CD came with a special European-edition bonus disc.

Mixing the raw energy of the PISTOLS mixed with the immaculate pop rock of DEF LEPPARD, MAN RAZE is a unique clash of '70s simplicity with '80s excess, punk clubs with stadium rock.

"The fun part about MAN RAZE is that musically we can go off in any direction from rock to alternative the next," Phil Collen previously said.

With regards to the band's sound, Collen — who also handles lead vocals — told Rolling Stone magazine, "It's a mix. We go from really hard rock, with obviously big guitars, to dub. I was always into the alternative stuff, a very big fan of THE POLICE. And this is edgy — a lot more aggressive than DEF LEPPARD."

Before joining DEF LEPPARD, London born Phil Collen played in GIRL, who were one of the great unsung U.K. rock acts of the early 80’s (singer Phil Lewis would later front L.A. GUNS — who were at the vanguard of the L.A. sleaze rock scene that eventually produced GUNS N' ROSES). While Phil went on to join DEF LEPPARD he maintained a strong friendship with Simon Laffy, GIRL's bassist. Reconnecting in 2004, and joined by SEX PISTOLS drummer Paul Cook, MAN RAZE was born. Eschewing their illustrious past, the band have spent the past two year getting back to basics, writing and recording — they also played a sold-out show at London's Spitz Club and released a limited-edition EP "Skin Crawl" in October 2005 on their own label, Surrealist Records, in the U.K.

VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum and his girlfriend, Ace Harper (of the DARLING STILETTOS), were featured on last night's (Friday, September 18) episode of "Dog Whisperer", the National Geographic channel television series hosted by professional dog trainer Cesar Millan.

Matt stated about the episode, which was taped in April 2009, "We were having some problems with young [French bulldog] Miles — [he was] a bit dog-aggressive and a little out of control. So Ace and I put a video together and reached out to the master guru Cesar Millan, and to our surprise, [he] called us and came to our house to work with Miles and us.

"We learned so much in one day of things we were doing wrong.

Matt added, "[Cesar] is amazing. He took Miles [in April] to his dog psychology camp.

"We are so honored to have him working with our baby."

A three-minute excerpt from last night's episode can be viewed below.

"Dog Whisperer" is an Emmy Award-nominated reality television series that premiered on September 13, 2004 on the National Geographic channel. Cesar Millan portrays his real-life role in rehabilitating and restoring balance to dogs with problems.

Millan's specialty is working with dogs that are known to be aggressive. Episodes of the program often feature, but are not limited to, work with an aggressive dog and Millan's application of rules, boundaries, and limitations. Millan believes that pack leadership, by all humans who live or work with the dog, is required for the dog to exist in a content, calm state. Millan demonstrates to the owners how to obtain and maintain this.

Powerful Peanuts TV conducted an interview with Californian rockers STEEL PANTHER before the band's September 15, 2009 performance at the Garage in Glasgow, United Kingdom. Watch the chat in two parts below.

STEEL PANTHER is the '80s metal/hard rock tribute act formerly known as METAL SKOOL. The group will release its first collection of original material, "Feel The Steel", in the U.S. on October 6. The CD, which was issued in the U.K. in June, was produced by Jay Ruston and will be available via iTunes on September 29 before finding its way to store shelves nationally the following week.

This mythical musical masterpiece has been 20 years in the making, with the band retuning in 2009 to reclaim their rightful place among metal music's heavyweights. Powered by audacious frontman Michael Starr's (real name Ralph Saenz; ex-L.A. GUNS) fearless vocal charge, the group ignites audiences from every walk of life with their unbridled valentine that goes right for the jugular of the heavy metal repertoire. Joining the effervescent Starr are STEEL PANTHER's Stix Zadinia on drums, Satchel (real name Russ Parrish; ex-FIGHT) on guitar, and bassist Lexxi Foxxx.

As word of STEEL PANTHER's return began to spread around the music community, a who's who of musical artists stepped up to join the band in reclaiming metals place among the top of the music landscape. Allison Robertson of THE DONNAS and Justin Hawkins from THE DARKNESS make an appearance on the STEEL PANTHER mantra number, "Party All Day". ANTHRAX's Scott Ian shows up on the soon-to-be international hit "Asian Hooker" alongside SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor, who also appears on the soon-to-be classics "Eyes Of A Panther" and the first single, "Death To All But Metal".

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

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According to Kewadin Casino's web site, original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley will play Kewadin Casino's 1,500-seat Dream Makers Theater in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on November 13. (Note: Even though Lita Ford is also listed as playing the show on Kewadin Casino's ticketing web site, she is actually scheduled to perform with QUEENSRŸCHE on that date in Jacksonville, Florida as part of the "American Soldier" tour.)

According to Hits Daily Double, the companion web site of music industry tip sheet HITS, Frehley's new solo album, "Anomaly", is on track to sell between 12,000 and 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

In addition to the standard CD release, unique "Anomaly" packages were made available at Wal-Mart and Best Buy locations. The Wal-Mart version includes an Ace autographed tattoo while the Best Buy edition is printed on silver stock, like the KISS "Double Platinum" album.

Released on September 15 via Ace's own Bronx Born Records, with Rocket Science providing a full label service platform in the U.S., "Anomaly" was produced and recorded in Westchester County, New York between 2007 and 2009 and was mixed in Los Angeles.

ALICE IN CHAINS will appear on the iconic "Later ... With Jools Holland" BBC television show in the U.K. this November to coincide with a European tour taking place during that month.

"Later ... With Jools Holland" is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jools Holland. A spin-off of "The Late Show", it has been running without a break since 1992 and is a part of BBC Two's late-night lineup. It is usually recorded on a Tuesday for Friday broadcast and features a mixture of both established and new musical artists, from solo performers to bands and larger ensembles.

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

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

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

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

Video footage of FOZZY vocalist Chris Jericho (of WWE wrestling fame) talking about the band's forthcoming album, "Chasing the Grail", and whether or not he would ever leave wrestling for good to pursue music full-time can be viewed below.

A brand new FOZZY song entitled "Martyr No More" is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below. The track, which features a special guest guitar solo by ANNIHILATOR's Jeff Waters, will appear on "Chasing the Grail", due on January 19, 2010 via Australia's Riot! Entertainment.

FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward (who is also a member of STUCK MOJO) recently spoke to Metal As Fuck about "Chasing the Grail". A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the CD's title:

"It's about the search for something we all ultimately want in life — which is purpose. The grander answers; not stuff like, how am I gonna make it this month? How am I gonna pay my rent? How am I going to get my kids to soccer practice on time? It's a look at the grander scheme of things. It's asking, what am I supposed to do?

"A lot of people go to prayer or meditation or whatever their comfort zones are when they look for those sorts of things. But then there are people that do not. They go through their whole life not caring about those sorts of things. They never have those moments of introspection asking, 'Why am I here? What am I supposed to do? What talents and skills and gifts do I have and how do I focus those to be the best that I can be?' That's what the song is about, the quest for that. We thought it was a great constant theme for the album."

On the new album's musical direction:

"It's not easy to write songs like [the new track 'New Day's Dawn', which is said to feature orchestral strings and gothic vocal touches]. It's easy to write the big riffs, you know, the faster, huge grooves and stuff. That's what I'm good at. Chris is great at the aggressive, 'yeah yeah yeah!' kind of vocals. You really try to write a little bit outside of your comfort zone because it's nice to mix it up a bit. I mean, you don't want to do a whole album like that because as a fan, it's always nice to have your comfort stuff; something familiar — like mac 'n' cheese. But once in a while, as a side item, you want to try something new and interesting. I mean, if you put out the same album as before, fans have a tendency to say, 'This isn't anything new,' while if you do something completely different, fans are upset about that too. There's a fine line you have to walk between deviating from the course and staying on it."

"You can't second-guess things. You write songs. We don't have meetings. We don't ask ourselves, 'Should this song go on the album?' We just write the album. It is what it is. It's like an extension of ourselves. There's never a meeting with management or the record company or whatever; these are the songs. And like anyone, you hope that your fan base and the press love it because it's always nice to get confirmation that you're doing things that people gave you the thumbs up on."

Read the entire interview at Metal As Fuck.

"Chasing The Grail" track listing:

01. Under Blackened Skies
02. Martyr No More
03. Watch Me Shine
04. Broken Soul
05. Let The Madness Begin
06. Paraskavedekatriaphobia (Friday The 13th)
07. God Pounds His Nails
08. Pray For Blood
09. Grail
10. Revival
11. New Day's Dawn
12. Wormwood

Chris Jericho on FOZZY and "Chasing the Grail":

"Martyr No More" audio:

Maynard James Keenan (TOOL, A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUSCIFER) was interviewed by Cort and Fatboy of Portland's Rock 101 KUFO on Friday, September 18. The program is now available for download as an MP3 audio file at this location. It can also be streamed using the audio player below.

In a recent interview with Noisecreep, Keenan stated that fans can expect nothing but to be surprised on the upcoming PUSCIFER tour, which runs from the end October through early December on the West Coast and in the Southwest, with East Coast dates expected in 2010.

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

Maynard James Keenan interviewed by Cort and Fatboy of Portland's Rock 101 KUFO (click on player below to launch audio):

The video for the new SKUNK ANANSIE single, "Squander", can be viewed at NME.com.

"Squander" will be released on October 26, 2009 in the U.K. and is the second single to be made available from the band's forthcoming greatest-hits album, "Smashes And Trashes" (which is due on November 2, 2009).

"Smashes and Trashes" is a 15-track career-embracing album. It features classic moments from SKUNK ANANSIE's three LPs — "Paranoid & Sunburnt" (1995), "Stoosh" (1996) and "Post Orgasmic Chill" (1999) — and includes three brand new tracks: "Because Of You", "Tear The Place Up" and "Squander".

SKUNK ANANSIE will embark on the "Greatest Hits Tour" in October/November.

The band played two low-key shows London's Water Rats venue on April 2 and April 3 under the pseudonym S.C.A.M. (a combination of the first-name initials of the four bandmembers).

SKUNK ANANSIE — vocalist Skin (Deborah Dyer), bassist Cass (Richard Lewis), guitarist Ace (Martin Kent) and drummer Mark Richardson — split up in 2001 but announced last September that they were writing new material together.

SKUNK ANANSIE was named after the West African folk tales of Anansie the spider-man, with "skunk" added to "make the name nastier."

SKUNK ANANSIE's video for the song "Because Of You" (the first single from "Smashes And Trashes") can be viewed below.

GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna has released the following statement:

"As some of you may or may not know, I have recently gotten engaged to the love of my life, Jennifer Cabezon. After eight years of being together and living through the ups and downs of life, we have finally reached a place where we've decided to spend our lives together as husband and wife.

"I can't say our road has always been the easiest of roads in a relationship, but then again, what in life ever comes easy? We've separated numerous times and tried to move on in our lives, yet we always seem to find a way back to each other again. Which says to us that it's time to take our commitment to the next level. I think we both understand now that some of the best relationships have been built off of hard work and many, MANY mistakes. (and a few hundred hours of therapy doesn't hurt either… Hahahaha!!)

"I will definitely confess to my share of wrong in this relationship. Not to justify why or what I've done was right in any way, but being in the profession that I'm in, I've been subject to a lot of craziness in a very fast-paced lifestyle that they call 'rock 'n' roll.' And not always knowing how to balance it in the past has made me make some very bad decisions from time to time.

"But through these ups and downs, I've learned that I love Jen and my daughter more than anything… And to have an opportunity to put my family back together and start our life over again is truly a blessing.

"For us this is a time of celebration and happiness. And we look forward to years of good times ahead. And for all of you, (my friends and fans) I hope this letter finds you well, because I wish you all nothing but health and happiness.

"We haven't settled on a date just yet, but once we do, we'll fill you in [as soon as possible].

"Thank you for always being there for me and GODSMACK. I look forward to seeing you on the road sometime in 2010."

GODSMACK recently released a new single called "Whiskey Hangover" in conjunction with its appearance on Crüe Fest 2.

The next GODSMACK album will be the band's first collection of all-new material since 2006's "IV".

In late 2007, the band released a greatest hits collection called "Good Times, Bad Times - Ten Years of Godsmack" and announced that it was going on hiatus. Erna worked on his solo album during this period, while the other three members of the group started a side project called ANOTHER ANIMAL.

Sully Erna and Jennifer Cabezon (photo courtesy of FanPix.net):

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry's solo band, dubbed THE JOE PERRY PROJECT, will perform an intimate gig on Saturday, September 26 at the 400-seat Fusion 5 club out on Route 1 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

The group's schedule is now shaping up as follows:

Sep. 20 - Memorial Hall - Plymouth, MA
Sep. 26 - Fusion 5 - Foxboro, MA
Oct. 06 - Viper Room - West Hollywood, CA

Perry's fifth solo album, "Have Guitar, Will Travel", will be released on October 6 via Roman Records. The hard driving, ten-song, in your face, collection features Perry's trademark rock and blues ferocity, as well as the CD's first single, the blazing "We've Got A Long Way To Go", set for release later this summer. Recorded this past spring at the BoneYard, Perry's state-of-the-art home studio, where AEROSMITH's "Honkin' On Bobo" and "Just Push Play" were recorded, "Have Guitar, Will Travel" is entirely written and produced by Perry.

Still as scorching hot on guitar as he is preternaturally cool in his persona, "Have Guitar, Will Travel" is a departure for Perry in that the CD was conceived as a band recording. From start to finish it took only forty-seven days to complete. "Making this record in such a short period of time gave us a chance to capture an energy and flow that was very different from the last record," said Perry. "The way the players came together at a time when I had the music and lyrics in my head ready to go was pure synchronicity. The last record rocked, but this one rocks and then some. I'm really proud of it.

"We've Got A Long Way To Go", the CDs first single, showcases the voice of a young German singer known as Hagen, found completely by chance on YouTube by Joe's wife Billie. "I first called him from Cleveland when I went to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame jam with Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ron Wood, Flea and METALLICA," said Perry. "It took several minutes to convince him that it wasn't a prank call, but a true invitation to audition to sing on the CD." Hagen mans the microphone for five tracks, while Perry sings lead on four. The remaining tenth song is an instrumental entitled "Wooden Ships".

In addition, Perry attracted an esteemed roster of some of the best players that the music world has to offer; bassist David Hull, who played with THE BUDDY MILES BAND at 19 and was in THE JOE PERRY PROJECT in the '80s, drummer Ben Tileston, a Boston University percussion graduate, who plays drums with two of Perry's sons in TAB THE BAND, Paul Santo, who's played Hammond organ/pipe organ with the likes of Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Ozzy Osbourne, drummers Scott Meeder and Marty Richards and Willie "Loco" Alexander, Boston's "Godfather of Punk," who was part of the Bostown sound of the band THE BAGATELLE.

A six-week Twitter search was conducted to find the CDs title. The winner, out of nearly 2000 entries, was Joe Piscitelli, who used a play on the old CBS television program "Have Gun – Will Travel".

The release of "Have Guitar, Will Travel" follows self-produced solo releases including "Let The Music Do The Talking" (1980), "Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker" (1983), "I've Got The Rock 'N' Rolls Again" (1981) and 2005's "Joe Perry", which received universal critical praise and earned Perry his first solo Grammy nomination for "Best Instrumental Song" ("Mercy").

Anneke van Giersbergen (AGUA DE ANNIQUE, ex-THE GATHERING) and Danny Cavanagh (ANATHEMA, LEAFBLADE) will team up for two last-minute acoustic shows this coming week in support of their brand new album, "In Parallel". The details are as follows:

Sep. 24 - Antwerp, BEL - Pandemonium
Sep. 25 - Eindhoven, NETH - Dynamo

"In Parallel" was released on September 10 via Angelic Recordings. The CD, recorded in March 2009 at the Little Devil in Tilburg, Holland, features some stunning moments from the musicians' collaborations on stage, including songs from both their careers.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Teardrop
02. You Learn About It
03. Temporary Peace
04. Yalin
05. Songbird
06. Big Love
07. The Blower's Daughter
08. One Last Goodbye
09. Are You There?
10. Day After Yesterday
11. A Natural Disaster
12. Lost and Found
13. Flying
14. Jolene

"Teardrop" and the ANATHEMA song "A Natural Disaster" are available for streaming at this location.

Fan-filmed video footage of Anneke and Danny's March 2009 performance at Little Devil in Tilburg, Holland can be viewed below.

MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee is one of the contestants on "Kändisdjungeln", the Swedish version of the popular U.K. and U.S. reality-TV show "I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here!". The series' seventh episode, which aired on Thursday (September 17), can be viewed in five parts below.

Dee, 45, is sitting out most of MOTÖRHEAD's current North American tour in order to take part in "Kändisdjungeln", which is being filmed in the jungles of Malaysia. Filling in for him on the dates that he will miss is former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum.

"There was a breakdown in communication, really," MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy Kilmister told Noisecreep. "Our management didn't know that he'd signed up for this when they booked the tour. We didn't want him to have to cancel, they might have sued him or something."

A total of 11 celebrities are appearing in the inaugural season of "Kändisdjungeln", including Mikkey, Swedish wine expert Bengt Frithiofsson and actress Inger "Pippi Långstrump" Nilsson.

The show has received a lot of criticism in the Swedish media for failing to attract any A-list celebrities, which was due — in part — to the fact that the contestants reportedly aren't being paid for their appearance in the program. An artist agent who wanted to remain anonymous told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, "TV4 called me [a few weeks ago] to inquire if I could make someone do the show. I asked what the terms were and they said that [the contestants] won't be paid but that it's like a vacation in a sunny place in Malaysia. What celebrity would travel across the globe and be gone for a month without compensation? Nobody that I know."

Consisting of 16 episodes, "Kändisdjungeln" was originally expected to be one of biggest shows of the fall for TV4, which is Sweden's largest television network. The program's format allows viewers to vote, by phone, text message or TV interactive service for the celebrity to complete a physical task usually involving snakes, spiders or other animals and for the celebrity they would like to see win. The last celebrity, after all the others have been evicted, is the winner and is named king or queen of the jungle.

"Kändisdjungeln" contestants:

* Ann Söderlund
* Bengt Frithiofsson
* Catarina Hurtig
* Inger Nilsson
* Jannike Björling
* Karl Petter Bergvall
* Katarina Hultling
* Kennet Andersson
* Mikkey Dee
* Rafael Edholm
* Torleif Torstensson

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Swedish vocalist Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES, DISFEAR, THE CROWN) rejoined his former bandmates in NIGHTRAGE last night (Friday, September 18) at Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg, Sweden to perform the song "The Tremor" (taken from NIGHTRAGE's 2003 album, "Sweet Vengeance").

Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be viewed below.

Lindberg was the singer for NIGHTRAGE on the band's first two albums — "Sweet Vengeance" and 2005's "Descent Into Chaos". He was replaced by now-DEAD BY APRIL frontman Jimmie Strimell for 2007's "A New Disease Is Born" before NIGHTRAGE's current vocalist, Antony Hämäläinen, stepped in and appeared on the band's latest CD, 2009's "Wearing A Martyr's Crown".

"Wearing A Martyr's Crown" was released in North America on August 4 via Lifeforce Records. The CD was tracked at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden with producer Fredrik Nordström (DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY, IN FLAMES).

According to a press release, "Wearing A Martyr's Crown" finds NIGHTRAGE more mature than ever, but present is also a distinct will for experimentation and fresh ideas — though always inside the boundaries of what made the NIGHTRAGE name from the beginning; sheer brutality, swirling and soaring melodies and acoustic guitar work to evoke scenes and emotions of the deepest melancholy. Delving into a multitude of musical and lyrical vistas, this fourth opus from the international melodic death metal martyrs deals with a multi-layered journey into the darkest depths of the human psyche, the futility of human behaviour and the most dimly lit corners of the untold arcane. Expect to have these eleven incantations burn your soul, yet leaving you wanting to come back for more."

Guitarist Olof Mörck previously stated about the group's new material, "For NIGHTRAGE, the style of this record represents a journey back to the first couple of albums, but it's in no way a step back musically; there are some quite interesting arrangements on this album, the songs are straightforward and in-your-face, and it features both searing melodies and sheer brutality. All in all, it's a clear nod back to when the Gothenburg melodic death metal sound was at its peak, in '94-'98 (something we think a lot of people will agree with us on). "

NIGHTRAGE is:

Antony Hämäläinen - Vocals
Marios Iliopoulos - Guitar
Olof Mörck - Guitar
Anders Hammer - Bass
Johan Nunez - Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Damage, Inc." on September 17, 2009 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana can be viewed below (courtesy of "Post Toasted").

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. Ride The Lightning
04. Wherever I May Roam
05. One
06. Broken, Beat And Scarred
07. Cyanide
08. Sad But True
09. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
10. All Nightmare Long
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Damage, Inc.
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
16. Last Caress
17. Motorbreath
18. Seek and Destroy

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich has disputed reports that the band is assembling a tour that would feature the "Big Four" of the 1980s underground thrash metal scene — itself, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX. In an interview with Nudge at Dayton, Ohio radio station 103.9 The X, Ulrich said, "I think it would be a super-fun thing to do. It's something that I would definitely support. It's something that I would love to encourage. It's something I love to be very proactive in putting together. But right now . . . it's not something that's like hush-hush being worked on behind the scenes or anything like that. I read some of those Internet sites myself once in a while, and it's not something that's going down, but it's something that I would be totally for at some point if it could happen. And we would love to be a part of that at any level possible."

Ulrich added that he believes the idea originated at a London party last March, where "a bunch of us were sitting around way later than we should have been sitting around (having) a bunch of very heavily red wine-induced conversations . . . And the idea of doing that at some point came up in that conversation."

Ulrich's comments, however, directly contradict those of METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo, who told Metromix that work was moving forward on just such a tour, although he cautioned, "It's not a sealed deal. We're working on it."

METALLICA kicked off its latest North American trek on Monday (September 14) in Nashville, and next plays tonight (Saturday, September 19) in Montreal.

Ed Condran of Asbury Park Press reports: Faith has helped STRYPER make it through the good and bad times. During their mid-'80s heyday, the metal musicians sold millions of albums, but their Christian faith helped the group avoid temptation. During recent years, their strong belief in God has enabled the band to deal with the loss of vocalist-guitarist Michael Sweet's wife Kyle's death. She succumbed to ovarian cancer in March.

"It's been very difficult for Michael and the band," guitarist Oz Fox said while calling from Los Angeles. "Kyle went through a lot, but she's with God now."

Kyle Sweet's battle with cancer delayed the band's latest album, "Murder By Pride". The band started recording in 2006 but delayed the production due to Kyle Sweet's diagnosis.

"Michael had to deal with his wife and family and make sure that everyone was all right," Fox said. "It was perfectly understandable. The band had to wait."

Read the entire article from Asbury Park Press.

STRYPER kicked off its 25th-anniversary tour on September 11 at the House Of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts. Quality video footage of the performance can be viewed at this location. One of the clips is available below.

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

"An Acoustic Night At The Theatre" track listing:

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

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

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

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

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

Audio samples of all tracks that are set to appear on SKELETONWITCH's highly anticipated new album, "Breathing The Fire", are available for streaming on Amazon.de.

SKELETONWITCH began recording "Breathing The Fire" on June 14 with producer Jack Endino (NIRVANA, HIGH ON FIRE, TOXIC HOLOCAUST). The CD was tracked in Seattle at both Studio Litho (owned by PEARL JAM guitarist Stone Gossard) and Endino's own Soundhouse Recording.

Pre-order packages for "Breathing The Fire" — which is due on October 13 — are now available on Prosthetic Records' webstore. There are four package options for both the vinyl and CD version of the album.

The cover artwork for "Breathing the Fire" can be viewed below. The cover was designed by Andrei Bouzikov, who has previously worked with MUNICIPAL WASTE and many others.

Commented guitarist Scott Hedrick: "The art really sums up the new album and what drew me to heavy metal in the first place: it's brutal, evil, and in a sadistic way, it's f#$king fun! 'Breathing the Fire' is meaner, faster, and far more sickening than 'Beyond the Permafrost', and the art reflects that. We went for the jugular, and so does Andrei's art. He did an amazing job. It's f#$king killer when the artist and band share a similar approach: organic. Blood and sweat, ink and paint, tubes in amps, and non-triggered drums. A set of balls. Not gym shorts, sterile computer generated art, effects pedals and redundant arpeggios."

SKELETONWITCH has just kicked off a North American tour with CHILDREN OF BODOM and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER.

(Thanks: Artgeek666)

When Southern California's HORSE THE BAND releases its Vagrant debut, "Desperate Living", on October 6, fans who buy the album through iTunes will also receive ten bonus tracks that include remixes by some of HTB's favorite artists and friends. The tracks will also be included in the upcoming vinyl version (details to be announced) of "Desperate Living" — an album inspired by John Waters' film of the same name and by the band's DIY experiences of the last few years.

The band also just announced a pre-order through Newbury Comics; fans that buy the album will receive an exclusive signed booklet, autographed by the entire band.

"Fate or Destiny?" is the name for HORSE THE BAND's headlining tour with IWRESTLEDABEARONCE that kicks off on October 2 in Fort Worth, Texas and wraps in San Jose, California on October 16. The band goes overseas for the "Never Say Die" club tour and then once back in the U.S., they join up with NORMA JEAN as hand-selected openers on the "Explosions 2009" tour that begins November 25 in Pomona, California at the legendary Glass House.

"Desperate Living" digital bonus tracks:

01. 13
02. Rape Escape vs. DMNDAYS
03. Lord Gold Wand of Unyielding vs. Dan Sena
04. The Failure Of All Things vs. Airborne Drumz
05. Arrive vs. Burgermover
06. HORSE the Song vs. arottenbit (8 bit cover)
07. Arrive vs. :( (Love Silent Things Remix)
08. The Failure of All Things vs. DJ Danny Maverick
09. Science Police vs. LAZRTAG
10. Golden Mummy Golden Bird vs. Skrillex

HORSE THE BAND is:

Nathan Winneke (vocals)
David Isen (guitar)
Erik Engstrom (keyboards)
Daniel Pouliot (drums)

Professionally filmed video footage of THE NEW BLACK — the German band featuring members of SINNER, RUNAMOK, ABANDONED and MCF — performing the song "Everlasting" at this year's Summer Breeze festival, which was held August 13-15, 2009 in Dinkelsbühl, Germany, can be viewed below.

"Everlasting" comes off THE NEW BLACK's self-titled debut album, which was released in Germany on January 23 and three days later in the rest of Europe via AFM Records.

THE NEW BLACK's music is being described as "BLACK LABEL SOCIETY inviting the NICKELBACK guy over for some THIN LIZZY covers." Several songs that are set to appear on the debut album can be streamed on the group's MySpace page.

THE NEW BLACK is:

Fludid (Vocals)
Christof "Leimsen" Leim (Guitar)
Fabian "Fabs" Schwarz (Guitar)
Günt (Bass)
Chris Weiß (Drums)

Montreal, Quebec, Canada's THE AGONIST has posted a video recap of the band's trip to Mexico to perform at this year's Mezcal Metal Fest, which was held on September 13, 2009 at Vive Cuervo Salon in Mexico. Watch the four-minute clip below.

THE AGONIST's sophomore album, "Lullabies For A Dormant Mind", debuted at No. 105 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.

Produced by Christian Donaldson (CRYPTOPSY, MYTHOSIS), "Lullabies for the Dormant Mind" exposes new facets of the band and touches upon classical, jazz, opera, grindcore, thrash and black metal influences in a complete metal opus. The CD features guest violins by Avi Ludmer (MAHOGANY RUSH), orchestrations by classical pianists Melina Soochan and Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc (BLACKGUARD) along with many other Montreal-based contributors.

A new PUNISH YOURSELF track, entitled "Zmeya", is available for free download at this location. It can also be streamed using the audio player below. The song comes off the French industrial band's sixth album, "Pink Panther Party", which is scheduled for release on October 19 via Season Of Mist.

Commented vocalist Vx: "'Zmeya' means 'snake' in Russian. It's a quite obvious reference to Russian politics, treated in a humorous and apocalyptic way, with lyrics such as 'I'm the son of the red star I'm a supertzar' or 'you can't get out — join my federation now.' With this song, PUNISH YOURSELF tries to go against the bad habit most 'industrial' bands seem to have developed since the '90s — mindless, continuous U.S. bashing. Musically, the song is fast yet very bouncy, celebrating the collision of mutated cyber-blues, epic choral samples and slavonic electric violin (played by Ninon 'Ecstatickillher', who is also a member of my side-project CHEERLEADER 69), a mix you sure weren't prepared for."

"Pink Panther Party" track listing:

01. ...Than A Thousand Suns
02. Shiva Only Is God
03. End Of The Western World
04. (My Name is) Legion
05. A Russian Lullaby
06. Zmeya
07. Born In Thorns / Torn To Pieces
08. Deadmeatpetroleum
09. This Is My Body, This Is My Gasoline
10. Satan Buddies
11. You Ain't Got Me
12. Welcome To Now

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

"Zmeya" audio stream (click on player below to launch audio):

Mortal Music and MVD Audio have set a November 3 release date for a new compilation from OPPRESSOR entitled "The Solstice of Agony and Corrosion".

Despite being listed as an influence by such renowned metal acts as GOD FORBID and SHADOWS FALL, the Chicago, Illinois-based OPPRESSOR largely fell under the metallic radar during their years as an active band (1991-1999). But now, ten years after they ceased to be, highlights from all three of OPPRESSOR's studio albums will be highlighted on the forthcoming fourteen-track compilation.

Since all of the group's albums have been long out of print, this set will come in handy for admirers of underground and extreme metal. And in addition to album highlights, included are hard-to-find death metal readings of MÖTLEY CRÜE and OZZY OSBOURNE classics ("Looks That Kill" and "Over the Mountain", respectively). The set has been re-mastered by renowned DEATH guitarist James Murphy, and also includes a bonus DVD of live footage and interviews, as well as packaging chock full of rare photos and artwork.

"The Solstice of Agony and Corrosion" track listing:

01. Sea of Tears
02. Gone
03. Kingdom of the Dead
04. I Despise
05. Seasons
06. Rotted Paradise
07. Valley of Thorns
08. In Malice I Breathe
09. Eclipse Into Eternity
10. Upon The Uncreation
11. And The Angels Fell (The Suffering)
12. Carnal Voyage
13. Looks That Kill (MÖTLEY CRÜE cover)
14. Over The Mountain (OZZY OSBOURNE cover)

Danish brutal metallers KOLDBORN have announced the addition of drummer Kim Jensen (DAWN OF DEMISE) and guitarist Martin "O" Olsen (AS WE FIGHT) to the group's ranks. The band has also posted a brand new song, "Ashes", on the KOLDBORN MySpace page. According to the group, the track was recorded at Smart 'N' Hard studios in Aarhus, Denmark with Jacob Bredahl (HATESPHERE) at the helm and is described as a "dense, compact little fucker."

KOLDBORN's current lineup:

Lars Bjørn-Hansen - Vocals
Henrik Jacobsen - Guitar
Mikael Ehlert Hansen - Bass
Kim Jensen - Drums
Martin "O" Olsen - Guitar

KOLDBORN's latest album, "The Uncanny Valley", was released in 2006 via France's Listenable Records. The follow-up to 2002's "First Enslavement" was recorded in August 2005 and mixed in January 2006 at Smart 'N' Hard studios with producer Jacob Bredahl and features guest appearances by Sven de Caluwé (ABORTED), Jason Campbell (AS WE FIGHT) and Jacob Bredahl (HATESPHERE)

Finland's WALTARI will release a brand new album, "Below Zero", on October 14.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Below Zero
02. I Hear Voices
03. In The Cradle
04. Without Lies
05. Dubbed World
06. Endless Highway
07. Syntax Error
08. My Own Satisfaction
09. 10 Reasons Why Not To Hate Me
10. Travel On

The song "My Own Satisfaction" was premiered late last month on the Finnish radio station Radio Rock.

WALTARI's last album, "Release Date", came out in February 2007 via Dockyard 1.

WALTARI's current lineup includes KREATOR guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö. Sami originally joined WALTARI in 1989 and remained in the group for six years before leaving. He eventually rejoined the band in 2001.

Greek extreme metal veterans ROTTING CHRIST have entered Lunatach Studios, located at Mount Olympus — said to be Greece's highest mountain and the home to the Gods of Greek mythology — to begin recording their new album for an early 2010 release. The group, which spent more than a year writing material for the follow-up to 2007's "Theogonia", is promising that the new CD will "have the heavy soulful load to move the band a step forward from their previous output," according to a posting on the ROTTING CHRIST MySpace page. "The well-established style and melodies of the band as well as the so many artistically surprises that always exist with each band's release guarantee their fans a soulful trip."

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

Video footage of ROTTING CHRIST performing at the Full Metal Racket festival, which was held on April 25, 2009 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, can be viewed below.

MORTICIAN, GOREAPHOBIA, PHLEGM and INCANTATION are among the confirmed bands for the New Jersey Death Fest, set to take place October 16-18 at Hartleys in North Arlington and Dingbatz in Clifton.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

MORTICIAN
GOREAPHOBIA
PHLEGM
INCANTATION
EVOKEN
DISMA (members of FUNEBRARUM)
GRAVEHILL
DRIPPING
PUTRID PILE
WAKING THE CADAVER
ACHERON
LIVIDITY
WOMB
DIGESTED FLESH
CRIMINAL ELEMENT
MALIGNANCY
MORTAL DECAY
MUTATED (members of HIDEOUS MANGLEUS )
INHUMAN DISSILIENCY
COMPOSTED
NJDOTS
MALAMOR
ABACINATE
NECROTIC DISGORGEMENT
DYSENTERY
SEXCREMENT
CALL THE PARAMEDICS
BLESSED OFFAL
ABORTED EXISTENCE
VOMITOUS RECTUM
MERCILESS MUTILATION
WITHOUT REMORSE
KORR

Show dates as follows

Day 1 - Oct. 16 at Hartleys, North Arlington, NJ
Day 2 - Oct. 17 at Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
Day 3 - OCT 18 at Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

All shows are 21 and over.

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